![Lupin the 3rd - The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure [DVD]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/21ptPrAbmpL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
“Operation: Return the Treasure” was first broadcast in Japan back in 2003 which is quite awhile ago but with every release Eastern Star gets closer and closer to the current films. As a huge Lupin the 3rd fan I’m very excited by what Easter Star is doing. This time around Lupin is on the hunt for the ‘Trick Diamond’ which is some kind of alien artifact that can reveal the location of a massive treasure. Lupin inherited the Diamond from his friend and fellow thief Mark Williams but in order to actually get it he needs to return six famous treasures that Williams stole and finish in seven days.
Lupin films can vary in quality a bit but I have seen a slow but steady improvement from year to year. These are all made for TV films so you’re not going to see cinematic quality but that doesn’t mean they can’t be tremendously fun and “Operation: Return the Treasure” is one of my favorite Lupin films yet. It has an interesting plot, better than average villains, a spectacular ending and some great music.
A lot of times it’s the little things that make a great Lupin movie. There is so many moments of humor, much of it coming from Inspector Zenigata. There’s also some great humor playing off Goemon’s usual stoicism. In a timely joke that the writers could have never foreseen we find out that Lupin and Mark Williams had a competition to see who could steal the toilet paper from Donald Trump’s penthouse. There’s also an interesting conversation where Goemon implies that he may be a slave to his invincible sword, Zantetsuken, a revelation that is far from humorous. I wonder if this will be explored more in later movies.
The villains aren’t particularly memorable except for their amazing abilities to give Lupin’s gang a challenge. Goemon is generally portrayed as nearly unstoppable but he actually struggles, even in a sword vs knife fight, against the main villain’s female assassin. In fact, Goemon gets injured fairly badly later on. I’ve always been a believer that a hero is only measured against the struggles they overcome so it’s smart to make the villains tough.
The film also put a lot of effort into backgrounds and clearly spent a considerable time researching European architecture. A lot of the locations and historical figures mentioned are real and I love that Eastern Star includes Liner Notes that include all sorts of information about the places and people mentioned in the movie. The Liner Notes are pretty much the only extras but I find them highly informative. I’ve seen some pretty mediocre and forgettable Lupin movies but this one is near the top of my favorite list. Lupin fans should definitely support this one.
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