When I was in high school… back in the late 1980s (yes, I’m old), I didn’t know much if anything about Anime. A fellow student (who I barely knew but waited with after school for our parents to pick us up) was the first one to introduce me to the world of Japanese animation, and he did so by loaning me bootleg VHS copies of two very important films – AKIRA, and LUPIN III: CASTLE CAGLIOSTRO (the directorial debut of Hiyao Miyazaki). As far as Anime goes, that’s starting STRONG, as both of those films are now considered some of the very best of the genre. While I very much liked AKIRA, I fell in love with Lupin immediately. He’s a sort of James Bond-like guy, but goofy like Jim Carrey, and surrounded by cool supporting characters. Some of the other animated films featuring the character have been hit or miss, and there was even a live action version released that met with mixed reviews. But the new CG-animated movie written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki looks pretty fantastic, and I love that they brought back the original English dub voice cast of Tony Oliver, Richard Epcar, Lex Lang, Michelle Ruff, Doug Erholtz, Laurie C. Hymes, J. David Brimmer, and Paul Guyet.
One of the great things about Lupin is he’s like Tintin, in that he’s hugely popular in his country of origin, but mostly unknown to U.S. audiences, so this could be a great way to introduce the character to an American audience that is currently starved for new forms of entertainment. It also looks a bit like Steven Spielberg’s THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN movie in its execution, a beautiful blend of CGI and Anime visuals. Could this be the next evolution of the Anime genre? We’ll see. This has already been released in Japan in 2019, but now we finally have a U.S. release date thanks to GKIDS, where you can get info on tickets for the theatrical release – dubbed or subtitled.
The iconic “gentleman thief” Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich. The gang undertakes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades and daring prison escapes with the trademark wit and visual finesse that have made LUPIN THE 3RD one of the most storied animation franchises in the world, in a thrilling new caper that is sure to delight fans old and new.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
