This is one of the more obscure movies in the 40 plus years old Lupin III franchise. As an adaptation of the manga or the 1971 anime that preceded it, Psychokinetic Strategy is mostly an "in name only" affair. Lupin is still a womanizer, but he's so easygoing that he doesn't even care about upholding the Lupin family name. Jigen's more a mentor figure than a partner, and his personality has been watered down. Goemon isn't present at all. Only Fujiko and Zenigata remain much the same.
PS is best described as a live action Warner Bros. cartoon. Characters get flattened, conjure up items out of hammer space, and run about in sped up chase scenes. The main theme sounds like the accompaniment to a 1912 Mack Sennett comedy, far from the jazzy fare folks associate with Lupin III. The story is episodic, little more than a string of energetic gags and innuendos. In many ways, PS is cartoonier than the many Lupin animated series and films!
Despite all the differences from the Lupin manga and animated canon, this is still a fun romp. The actors look like they're having the time of their lives and there's also an irresistible camp factor not too far removed from something like the 1960s Batman show. This is not any of the three TV series, it's not Cagliostro, and it's certainly not the recent Fujiko spin-off, but if you take it on its own terms, the insanity will provide a lot of entertainment.
PS is best described as a live action Warner Bros. cartoon. Characters get flattened, conjure up items out of hammer space, and run about in sped up chase scenes. The main theme sounds like the accompaniment to a 1912 Mack Sennett comedy, far from the jazzy fare folks associate with Lupin III. The story is episodic, little more than a string of energetic gags and innuendos. In many ways, PS is cartoonier than the many Lupin animated series and films!
Despite all the differences from the Lupin manga and animated canon, this is still a fun romp. The actors look like they're having the time of their lives and there's also an irresistible camp factor not too far removed from something like the 1960s Batman show. This is not any of the three TV series, it's not Cagliostro, and it's certainly not the recent Fujiko spin-off, but if you take it on its own terms, the insanity will provide a lot of entertainment.