At last, the long-awaited second instalment to Takeshi Koike’s series of Lupin IIIrd spin-off films is here! As the title 血煙の石川五ェ門 (Chikemuri no Ishikawa Goemon, literally "The Blood Spray of Ishikawa Goemon"; from here on, I will refer to it as CIG) suggests, our Zantetsuken-wielding samurai takes centre stage for the first time in quite a while.
We get the same kind of hardboiled world -- full of car chases, lots of action, blood and smoke, and adult touches -- that is similar to the Jigen movie (2014, aka “JDB”) and Fujiko anime (2012). While the climax was a bit too much for me to handle, I immensely enjoyed everything else!
A sequel to the Jigen movie, set in Japan. CIG introduces Goemon as a newly recruited bodyguard of a yakuza organization, and we see how he and Lupin cross paths -- thanks to the presence of a new antagonist-assassin.
Plot and structure:
Excellent and well-thought-out writing. Still think the one-hour length is too short.
Visuals:
Very nice. If you’ve already watched JDB with its rich architectures, you will appreciate the contrast this film has to offer: the sea, mountain woodlands, a waterfall, the countryside, rocky terrains, etc. In a way, I think this ingeniously reflects the personality and comfort zones of the title characters themselves (Jigen and buildings, Goemon and nature). Only problem for me is the levelled-up degree of graphic violence. I had expected blood sprays, flying forearms and halved revolvers, of course, but still.... just couldn’t help covering my face and look between my fingers to watch the climax battle scene. I suggest you do the same if you, like me, cannot bear to see skin being sliced off.
Music:
Same composer. Great music. Some of the scores from JDB make a comeback with slight changes. More Japanese influence (such as the shakuhachi flute and drums) can be heard in other tracks that are used in scenes featuring Goemon.
Here, we have a new antagonist going after the lives of Lupin, Jigen & Fujiko. This mysterious big guy named Hawk, also known as “Bermuda’s Ghost”, is a nightmare. A serious nightmare. He is not a calculating intellect like Jael from JDB, but his brute-like demeanour and incredible strength is beyond intimidating.
Goemon is the main character: there is plenty of him to get excited about as he goes through a lot in this movie, both emotionally and physically. It is interesting to see how he develops and grows stronger in the real sense -- not just depending on his sword which already gives him an advantage to be able to cut anything.
Zenigata plays a larger role here. And what a great amount of quality screen time, too! I admit I do miss the old comical ‘Pops’, but cool and serious-at-work Zenigata is still amazing to watch.
In addition, I noticed Jigen is less cold than when I saw him last. For example, he happily toasts glasses with Lupin and Fujiko, and lightly flings in a joke in a dangerous situation, among other things. This would mean that his partnership with Lupin over time has softened him to some extent.
Final thoughts
That these Takeshi Koike contributions to the Lupin franchise are connected tells us he may have much more in store for us in the future (fingers crossed!). Thanks to a few hints I caught from both JDB and CIG, I am actually drawing my own theories/possible answers to some important questions right now: who is employing these assassins and why do they want Lupin and co. dead? Until then, I look forward to the next possible movie!
