Takeshi Koike

When looking for 100 minutes flat-out entertainment, tailored to be as goofy, crazy and mad as possible, and backed by an amazing technical accomplishment, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better film

The combination of manic animation and dry, deadpan conversations is no doubt an acquired taste, still, there is plenty left to enjoy if you have a soft spot for animation.

A fine collection of Matrix-related short films, dominated by the Studio 4°C efforts. The anthology sports a varied range of art styles, first-class animation and several interesting takes on the Matrix universe. Not all shorts are a hit, but there are plenty of stand-out pieces that make this one a very easy sell.

Third entry in the Koike-directed Lupin series. The quality of this film series is pretty consistent, Koike adds something valuable to the Lupin franchise, while sadly the Lupin franchise takes some shine away from Koike's work. This third part is fun, amusing and a little darker than you'd expect from a Lupin film, but it's not quite the masterpiece you'd hope to see.

I'm not the biggest Lupin fan around, but when Koike is involved I'm game. This film is a bit more serious and focused on action. It gets pretty gruesome and dark at some points, so people hoping to see the jolly Lupin stuff should probably think twice before seeing this one. Neatly animated, nicely paced and with a touch of Koike magic. Not bad at all.