Search - Lupin The 3rd - Dead Or Alive on DVD

A Great Action Film Overall, but the DVD Lacks!

N. Bashur | Lincoln Park, MI United States | 01/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"DVD Features:
Letterbox Widescreen
English 5.1 Dolby Surround
English 2.0 Dolby Digital
Japanese 1.0 Dolby
English Subtitles of Japanese Track (not dubtitles)
English Captions of English Track (dubtitles)
Interview with Monkey Punch

This is the third Lupin theatrical feature to be released in the United States (the others being the Castle of Cagliostro and the Mystery of Mamo) and the first theatrical feature of Lupin to be released by FUNimation.

The grand Monkey Punch himself (who created the awesome series) took the directing chair for this movie, and the results could not be any better. This is one movie that has a lot of action. It doesn't have as much comedy as the other Lupin movies, but there are a few comedic moments. The entire movie is action packed and entertaining.

Dead or Alive was originally made in 1996, but the animation is fluid and visually appealing. Dead or Alive is a must-have for fans of the action genera, not just anime or Lupin fans!

I was disappointed with how FUNimation handled this release! The Japanese track is only in mono, the widescreen is not anamorphic, and the transfer could have been better! The packaging is also questionable.

But what matters is the content, which is good, so don't waste time! Get your hands on this movie now. You won't be disappointed! You'll be pulling this movie off the shelf time after time! DVD extras include a video interview with Monkey Punch himself!"

I Liked This Movie, but I Wish the DVD Was Better

SilverStag | 02/26/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was a good movie, not the best, but it was still good. The ending was different, but different is good in this case.

There are 2 English tracks, one surround and one stereo, and there is a Japanese track in mono. I wish the Japanese track was in stereo, but it's not that bad.

There are two subtitle options on this DVD. One option is subtitles of the Japanese track, and the other is dubtitles of the English track, so if you're watching the movie in Japanese, make sure to select the right subtitles so you won't end up watching the dubtitles!

The Monkey Punch interview was a nice extra! For the casual Lupin fans, it tells you some good information that you might not have known before. I had hoped for more extras, like pictures from the movie program like Geneon did with Mystery of Mamo.

If you don't like the English voices, you can always watch it in Japanese! The Japanese voice actors are good. It's not like the English voice actors aren't good, but the names of Lupin and Jigen are mispronounced, and everyone else has an annoying accent.

It's a good movie, and as this is the only way you can get to see it in the US, I recommend you purchase it."

Lupin's In It, But It's Not Really A Lupin Film.

Erik Morton | Carmel, CA United States | 05/04/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Is it true that "any Lupin III is good Lupin III"? Well, as a big fan of the series, I'm tempted to say so, but this film was entirely unappealing to me, for two main reasons:

1) Lupin and the gang are in the movie, obviously, but it's not their film at all. The main plot of the movie really has nothing to do with them, and they just show up randomly as a means of tying loose ends or wrapping up a scene. They're supporting players in their own movie, and with characters as classic as these, that just ain't right! But even aside from their limited screen time, the movie itself just feels wrong. Lupin III movies have a style of their own that separates them from other anime (just as the James Bond films' style separates them from other action films), and "Dead Or Alive" was sorely lacking in that department. It seems like Lupin and co. were thrown into a completely different fictional universe than their own. Almost as if the original script was written for something else, and Lupin was thrown in at the last minute.

And a big factor in that is 2) the art/animation style employed in the movie. True, Lupin has gone through many different looks throughout his lengthy career, but the designs in this movie really missed the mark. Heck, they were downright ugly at times. Lupin lost all the sly-but-goofy fun we all know and love him for. Goemon was just flat out not Goemon; he lost all his previous stoic identity and looked instead like a cliched action man we've seen in countless other anime shows. And poor Fujiko, it just hurt my eyes to even look at her. The SOLE exception was with Jigen; come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen him look better!

Now, the movie isn't a total waste of time; in fact, I'd recommend it to all fans of Lupin JUST for the scenes with Zenigata. Not only does he actually get to kick a$$ in this movie (unlike the total boob he's normally presented as), but the interplay he has with Lupin is some of the best I've ever seen in the series.

In conclusion, "Dead Or Alive" is easily the worst Lupin movie I've seen so far. Others in the series weren't so great either, but at least they had the Lupin feel to them. This movie was just another ho-hum anime actioner. Again, see it for Zenigata, but don't expect to enjoy yourself otherwise."