The Castle of Cagliostro (1991)

Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro) achieved his first international hit with this delightful 1979 adventure yarn. Quick-paced, high-spirited, and loaded with wit, Cagliostro is a dandy throwback to the caper pictures of the '60s. International man of mystery Lupin III stumbles back into the picturesque European duchy of Cagliostro with his faithful and gruff sidekick, Jigen. They will encounter, in no particular order, a runaway bride, a magical ring, an evil count with a dastardly plan, an inspector bent on catching Lupin, perilous rooftop chases, hooded guards with superhuman powers, a well-used dungeon, a counterfeiting scheme, and an ancient mystery promising grand treasure. Lupin deploys an array of Bond-type gadgets, razor-sharp wit, and a surprise up both his sleeves. Despite the hail of bullets, this caper is great fun, never taking itself seriously. Miyazaki's career illustrates how limiting the term anime can be for these films; there are hardly more than 10 live-action films of this genre as entertaining. Far less mean than Hollywood fare, it nevertheless is for ages 9 and up with language and gunplay. The Lupin character has been featured in other anime films, but never as successfully or with as much fun as in Miyazaki's film. The new English-language dubbing is excellent to boot. --Doug Thomas Amazon.com

This Movie Makes Lupin Look Good

I've only seen snippets of the TV series and have only ever heard bad things about it, so I was hesitant when deciding to buy this movie. However, the allure of Hayao Miyazaki's name in the credits got me pulling it off the store shelf. And I was certainly not disappointed. After watching it for the first time, the first thing I wanted to do was watch it again. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen. This movie is certainly of Miyazaki quality and made it easily to the top of my A list. There's few movies I've seen that make being a career thief seem so cool.

This film is packed with twists and action, but with plenty of comedy that keeps the movie from getting dark. However, it's certainly not for those with "sensitive ears," because there is a good amount of profanity, but I didn't think it took anything away from the movie. Although there is a little death and a lot of guns and explosions, there is a minimal amount of blood and absolutely no gore.

This movie can be enjoyed by all action movie-goers, whether or not you are an anime fan May 28, 2008

If James Bond was a kid

My grand-children (5 to 13) and I enjoyed this cartoon immensely. Sometimes we laughed out with delight. Imagine a James Bond hero with all the gadgets and "savoir-faire" of James Bond, but none of the violence, or grown up stuff. And on top of this the images are beautiful.LRG May 13, 2008

Miyazaki's Lupin

Absolutely great! That the animation style is a bit dated is apparent from the start, but don't let that get in the way of enjoying this Miyazaki-directed film filled with non-stop action and hi-jinks. Lupin is quite a loveable character, even if some of the supporting cast are a bit stiff. This was my first Lupin film, and I intend to see rest! April 10, 2008

get the 'Manga Video' dvd release, instead

Right from the get-go, this version irked me. The introduction plays stilled images versus the [original] beautifully animated sequence. English translating, while not bad, forcefully swears quite a bit. Manga Video's dubbing may not be entirely clean but it was hardly bothersome.

It is unfortunate that these issues ruined what is an otherwise great story. March 21, 2008

Fun, strange, and not for everyone

We enjoyed watching the Castle of Cagiostro with our 3 little boys. It was a little boring in bits. Definitely had an unAmerican tale which we liked--kind of a Japanese/Austrian/East European tale of spies and princesses.

Warning there is violence and macabre in the story. Not just skeletons but gushing blood in parts. Not for everyone's kids.

You can really see the beautiful scenery and artwork associated with Hayao Miyazaki's later films. The film really just made me want to watch Spirited Away again.
January 19, 2008

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