Lupin III/Recap/S2 E8

"The Venice Superexpress", with the English title "Disorient Express". Released in 2003 by Geneon on Volume 2: Love Heist.

On a beautiful day in Venice, Lupin and Fujiko sit in a plaza, Lupin trying a few...romantic pick-up lines on Fujiko. Meanwhile, Jigen and Goemon play lookout in a nearby tower, keeping an eye out for a certain yacht. When spotted, they signal their two compatriots in the plaza. Joining the gunman and samurai, Lupin and Fujiko explains the man on the boat is Don Martino, a rich horse breeder who is also a legend in Sicily for taking whatever he wants, particularly other people's art and jewels. Unfortunately, Lupin and his gang have made him their next target...

The next day, Don Martino, his prize race horse Saint Junior, the jockey, and several mooks hook Martino's personalized carriages to a train bound for Paris, apparently to transport the horse for a race, but really to smuggle Martino's stolen goods out of Italy. Lupin and Fujiko also board in disguise, but alas, so does Inspector Zenigata, who found Jigen's map of the train route during an earlier raid on the gang. Meanwhile, Goemon and Jigen travel alongside the train in a specialized eighteen-wheeler.

Fujiko and Lupin attempt to rendezvous at the train's dining car, only to be interrupted by Zenigata, who luckily does not see through their disguises. He develops a crush on Fujiko by the end of the meal, to Lupin and Fujiko's slight disgust. Meanwhile, Goemon and Jigen decide to go ahead to the meeting point, while Fujiko makes an attempt to seduce Martino by claiming to have met him at a party before. Unfortunately, she gets some of the facts wrong, enabling Martino to see through her ploy. Preparing to beat her to find out who she is working for, they are interrupted by a knock at the door. Zenigata is standing there, checking to see if Martino knows anything about Lupin. Fujiko takes advantage of his recognition of her to leave with him.

As soon as they are out of sight, Zenigata reveals himself as Lupin in disguise; the two are discussing what Fujiko learned when the real Zenigata comes out of the compartment ahead of them. Quickly realizing what is going on, Zenigata throws himself into full pursuit of his double. Finally cornering the thief at the end of the train car, Zenigata throws himself, handcuffs and all, at Lupin to capture him. Lupin manages dodge out of the way and open the door behind him; the momentum carries Zenigata past Lupin and out of the train itself, taking him out of the game.

Soon after, the train nears the Simplon Tunnel, the longest on the route. Jigen and Goemon are parked at the other end, awaiting Lupin and Fujiko to enact their plan. As soon as they enter the tunnel, the two climb on the roof of the train down to Martino's cars at the end, which they disconnect from the rest of the train. As the rest of the train leaves the tunnel, Jigen pulls the truck onto the tracks and activates a mechanism that lets it travel on the rails. He backs the truck down the tunnel and couples it to the front of Martino's private carriages. Martino and his mooks, however, are alerted to something wrong by the carriages slowing to a stop and the missing train. They attempt to shoot Lupin and Fujiko, but fail; Martino and the rest evacuate to the rearmost car of the set, the one with the horse and the treasures. The thugs disconnect it from the front car, still being pulled by the truck, and activate a special mechanism that propels it down the rails by itself. Lupin manages to leap aboard the roof and enter the back car, but Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko (who managed to board the truck) are blocked by the now useless front car; Goemon slices it free and the truck is forced onto the road to follow Lupin and the escaping Martino.

Meanwhile, Lupin has entered a gunfight with Martino and his goons. A stray bullet hits the control console, shorting it out and destroying the braking mechanism. Whatsmore, the carriage is headed out of control towards an oncoming freight train, just on the other side of a ravine. Lupin decides the best option is to blow up the bridge behind them. Martino, seeing the impending disaster, snaps and clutches at his precious treasures, convinced they'll save him. His mooks, realizing he's lost it, abandon him and the train car, leaving only Lupin to watch the sad sight before him. The rest of the gang in the truck have just managed to pull ahead; Goemon hurls dynamite at the bridge, and Jigen fires, setting off the explosion and destroying it. The freight train stops just in time, but Martino's carriage goes over the edge. As the rest of the gang gasps in horror, Lupin suddenly emerges from the carriage at the last second, riding Saint Junior the racehorse. Martino and his treasures go down, vanishing into the river below.

Lupin rides the racehorse over, and presents the gang with a small bit of the treasure he was able to rescue. The rest he left, feeling bad for Martino. He promises to make it up to the gang; a few days later, he rides Saint Junior in the intended race, promising to win. As the gang awaits eagerly for their bets to pay off, Zenigata appears on another horse behind him, handcuffs waving in the air. He chases Lupin and his horse off-course, as the gang groans at their second loss of the caper.

This episode features examples of:

 * Abridged Series: One of the episodes featured in the short-lived Lupin III: The Abridged Series.
 * Absurdly Sharp Blade: Goemon gets to separate train cars by slicing cleanly through the couplings.
 * Accidental Pervert: Zenigata keeps opening the wrong compartment doors, once to find Fujiko changing and another to find a couple in an intimate position.
 * The Casanova: Lupin calls him the "Santa Claus of sex" and hints he is the legend's equal to Fujiko.
 * Chekhov's Gun: Saint Junior, who appears briefly at the beginning of the episode, and reappears when Lupin uses him in the final escape.
 * Cool Train: Or at least, Martino's custom train carriage.
 * Latex Perfection: Lupin's favorite target: Inspector Zenigata.
 * Moral Dissonance: Lupin's solution to an immanent train collision is...blow up the bridge? I guess he hopes the other train can stop in time...
 * New Age Retro Hippie: Lupin's main disguise on the train.
 * Punch Clock Villain: Martino's mooks, who do his dirty work, but decide he's not worth dying in an out-of-control train car for.
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Don Martino, the most feared man in Sicily.
 * You Fail Physics Forever: Shooting at dynamite does not make it explode.