Lupin the Third: Bye Bye, Lady Liberty

Lupin III: Bye Bye Liberty Crisis from 1989 is the first annual Lupin TV movie special, which they've continued doing every year since. Unfortunately, starting that great tradition is pretty much the only good thing about this particular Lupin tale.

It starts out with Lupin retired, slumming it, watching TV. Pretty different way to start a Lupin story, and it does lead to a fun reuniting with Lupin and his gunslinger sidekick Jigen. Their classic characters, and their great dynamic together are one of the bright spots of this story. These characters are classic no matter what.

Pretty much, this has one of the more nonsensical Lupin plots. I enjoy some surreal craziness, it can be fun and has suited Lupin from time to time. Here, it's just a muddled mess.

Lupin and Jigen set out to literally steal the statue of Liberty and thoroughly search it for a diamond. Meanwhile, Goemon is working as a bodyguard for a weird emotionless woman, and Fujiko is off doing her thing, trying to rip off an eccentric rich guy for money.

There is very little Fujiko in this by the way, so we don't get to enjoy her classic dynamic with the Lupin gang as much as usual. Lupin's lovable enemy Inspector Zenigata does have some fun scenes in this one though, like usual.

Somewhere along the way a computer virus and an evil cult come into play. By this point, the plot becomes very bizarre and messy, but not really engaging or entertaining.

All in all, this movie just lacks the Lupin magic. It lacks most of the fun and style that comes along with the franchise, and for the most part it lacks the classic dynamic between the characters.

I'd recommend skipping this one and enjoying some other Lupin adventures. As a curiosity, this may be worth a watch for the hardcore Lupin fan though.