If someone wanted to get into Lupin the Third movies, where would be the best place to start?
I'm SO glad you asked, friend!!
I actually answered this for someone else a while ago, so the link to that initial recommendation post is here. I've seen more stuff since then, so let me recommend a few other movies on top of the ones mentioned in that post:
The Fuma Conspiracy is a fun, lighthearted adventure (in the vein of Cagliostro) that centers around Goemon. Very pleasant character design, one of the most family-friendly entries, an all-around nice time.
The Pilot Film is fun to watch and it's only about 12 minutes long. There's a CinemaScope version with more elaborate backgrounds and an edited TV version. The character design is DELICIOUS and it's neat to see how the show was originally conceived.
On that note, I highly recommend watching Goemon's two introductory episodes from the Part 1 anime. I believe they're episodes 5 and 7. (I've seen a few more episodes of Part 1 and enjoyed them; I should watch more of it. Underrated tbh, even if Part 2 is more iconic.)
Finally, while I'm not a fan of the movie, I feel like it's a rite of passage to watch The Mystery of Mamo at least once. It's the first full-length Lupin III movie, and if nothing else, it looks fucking FANTASTIC. It's also one of the most batshit movies I've ever seen and I kind of hate it, but also I can't stop rewatching certain scenes. The first 45 minutes or so are pretty standard Lupin fare...and then Shit Gets Weird (and Kind of Uncomfortable). There are like 4 different dubs in addition to the original Japanese and honestly you just gotta go for it, I don't have strong opinions on any of them bc the movie is nuts no matter what.
