Released in 1979, "Lupin III: the Castle of Calgiostro" features all the elements of the perfect adventure caper movie with the kind of charismatic and flamboyant antiheroes cruelly lacking in today's cinema.You know the ones I'm talking about, they spend the two thirds of the movie flirting, bragging, joking and doing a few physical stunts and their 180° turn to depth and seriousness in the last act takes the film to its highest post. Indeed, while watching the ways of Lupin III with both women, enemies and his secret past, I could definitely picture Jean-Paul Belmondo playing the part. The whole movie fuses the vibes of comedic thrillers of the 70's which doesn't come as a surprise given the film's year of release, but is surprising coming from Hayao Miyazaki.Indeed, the name of the master of animation immediately evokes dreamy imagery and inspirational stories magnificently rendered by the delicacy of hand-drawn animation, but not exactly the kind of ride "Cagliostro's Castle" embarks you on. The story is based on the Manga of the same name, drawn by Miyazaki himself and inspired from the iconic French gentleman thief, but closer in spirit to the adaptation of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes from Studio Ghibli in the 80's, with a more adult tone though. There's something very 'Bondesque' in the story with Lupin's gadgets, the car chase scenes, the majestic castle full of trap doors and of course, the Count of Cagliostro who forces a young girl named Clarisse to marry him in order to get a a hidden treasure thanks to some ring-mechanisms. He's probably Miyazaki's most irredeemable villain, which would have been disappointing if it wasn't for the presence of Lupin's nemesis, Inspector Zenigata.Obviously, their relationship is embedded in the series' previous stories (even the title sounds as if it was written for a sequel) but even without being familiar with the original Manga, we feel there's an interesting parallel between the two men, a flawed law enforcer and an ethical outlaw, so the moment they decide to combine their efforts doesn't come as a surprise and is handled with the perfect mix of action and humor. In fact, even the film starts with an ambiguous Lupin, he robs tons of money from a casino in an opening sequence that would belong to a great parody movie but once he discovers the money is counterfeit, he heads to Cagliostro, the smallest town of Europe where he suspect the bills come from, he could have spent the bills so since they were undetectable but something seemed to attract him in the mysterious city.The reason comes later and adds to the richness and depth of the character, so don't let the premise of the film fool you, it's still a Miyazaki movie after all. And perhaps one of its most remarkable aspect is the exhilarating way Miyazaki tames the vertiginous roofs of the castles, making it a thriller on the vertical side and a climactic side that pays a great tribute to "Safety Last!", a race around the clock in the literal meaning of the world. Speaking of castle's heights, Miyazaki said he was inspired by French animated masterpiece "The King and the Mockingbird", I could see the connection although the French one still evolves on higher grounds. Miyazaki wouldn't take too much time to join it on the Pantheon of animated masterpieces when he made only five years later, the classic "Nausicaa".But in its own right, and within its average anime looks, "Cagliostro's Caslte" is legitimate action picture with one merit though, to have put Miyazaki in the map of animation, if only for its being the one that started one of the greatest careers and legacies of cinematic animation, this is a film that deserves respect, and as Lupin himself would say : "Chapeau, maître!".

Lupin the 3rd was a very popular manga when it appeared in the 1960s. It was so popular that it spawned several anime television series, several animated films and even some live action films. And, it hasn't just been popular in Japan but other countries, such as Italy. In the case of "Lupin 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro", it's a great film not just for Lupin fans but of Studio Ghibli, as it's Hiyao Miyazaki's first movie...which isn't surprising since he animated/directed many of the television shows before this full- length version. As for me, despite their popularity, I have never seen nor read any of the Lupin stories...so you might want to keep this in mind when you read the review. I have seen just about everything from Ghibli...and that is why I watched the movie.One thing I noticed up front is that this film, quality-wise, is nothing like a typical Ghibli movie. It looks like a made for television animated show and lacks the high quality animation you've come to expect after seeing such great films as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away". Anyone who would give this film a score of 10 is, in my opinion, completely ignoring the picture's visual shortcomings...as it really looks cheap. Repetitive backgrounds, garish colors and a lack of depth to the animation...it really looks like a TV anime stretched to full-length. But, you have to start somewhere!Another thing you can't help but notice is that this film is NOT intended for kids...which is true of a lot of anime and manga. With ample cursing, it's obvious this is a more adult movie. This is not necessarily meant as a criticism...but you might want to keep this in mind when you think about showing it to young kids. The language isn't horrible...but it is PG-13.Overall, a mildly entertaining film that may please some Miyazi fans but which bored me and left me marveling at how much better Ghibli became with subsequent films. Only for the curious or insanely devoted fans of Lupin III who, no doubt, will find no fault in this less than inspiring feature. Not terrible but not at all what I was hoping it would be.

Hayao Miyazaki directed this marvelous mix of action, fantasy, adventure, and comedy. He takes on so many genres, the plot is damn near winded from how much ground it covers. The genesis of the plot is a supposed hidden treasure and this villainous count who wants it all for himself. A princess is his potential key to finding the treasure. But the count's got problems when a couple of burglars and their samurai friend impede upon his plans; that, and a police Interpol inspector (and his officers) who not only wants to prove that the count is crooked but find the master burglars who have been traveling all over robbing places.Miyazaki's animation might be viewed as a bit primitive when compared to Spirited Away, but I think compared to other animation seen on television "The Castle of Cagliostro" is a knock-out. Certainly the dungeon, aqueduct, and clocktower sequences are exciting (if a bit far-fetched, but I let that go; I just consider the anti-hero Lupin larger-than-life and let it be) and thrilling to watch, and the Lupin III character (a popular manga character) survives one hairy situation after another. Lupin being able to breathe underwater and swim against powerful current flowing against him, hanging, scaling, and climbing up the castle structures (and how he hops the rooftops) with relative ease (I say that reluctantly as he must tip-toe and combat downhill movement when he loses step), and resist being crushed in giant gears and sprockets (in the aqueduct and clocktower) establishes the lead character as superhuman. He is clearly shot in a way that could kill him (he even bleeds out a stream!), he falls to his ass after a log-piece his "rescue string" is tied around pulls from the roots (landing on his head!), and dives from a long distance (capturing a falling Princess Clarisse to boot) head-first into a lake that surrounds the castle. So suspend disbelief.Count Cagliostro is a classic heavy. He plans to force Clarisse into marriage to secure a hidden treasure through their union (but he mainly just wants her ring, with a crest that is to be associated with his own ring's family crest), and he has a host of imperial guards with shields and swords (but doesn't mind using ninjas with guns or knives for claws, either!) at his disposal. Lupin and buddies, Jigen and Goemon (partner-in-crime and swordsman respectively) will make things difficult. Lupin is driven by an encounter with Clarisse when she was younger, offering assistance to him when he was hurt after a heist chase, while Jigen and Goemon are just loyal to the master thief. Interpol cop, Zenigata, has been on Lupin's trail for ages, trying desperately, without much luck, to catch him. Here is a chance to do that, but it is Lupin (believe it or not!) who calls him to Cagliostro's castle estate! Lupin is a character who is so confident and slippery, it is never in doubt he will succeed in rescuing the damsel and costing the Count his quest. Not without a share of difficulty, though. But I thought the character of Zenigata, and his red-faced responses to adversity and frustration, was a real treat. But Lupin is your classic likable thief character. He has integrity in that the danger and peril constantly placing Lupin in jeopardy didn't thwart his efforts to save Clarisse. There is also a female spy character that Lupin has a past with who gets in on the action (fired at by the guards, and packing heat herself, more than willing to exchange gunfire, narrowly avoiding death). So lots of fun characters and action in Miyazaki's film. The hidden city ending is beautiful eye candy, and has a sense of irony considering the Cagliostro villain believes it is treasure…his fate on the clocktower is a doozy! The autogyro and car chases are vehicular highlights as well!

Hayao Miyazaki's feature film debut may not be as polished as his best works but it's still an impressive start to what would later become one of the most celebrated film careers in motion picture history and wonderfully captures the legendary filmmaker planting the seeds of what he would portray so flawlessly in his later films.The Castle of Cagliostro (also known as Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro) tells the story of a flamboyant thief who along with his partner-in-crime robs a casino only to later discover that the money is counterfeit. The plot covers his adventures in the land of Cagliostro; the rumoured source of forged bills, where he tries to save the princess from a corrupt Count.Co-written & directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film is an incredibly light-hearted & endlessly fun adventure that contains many elements which later became Miyazaki's own trademarks, most notable being his fascination with European architecture. The hand-drawn animation has a very different tone n feel when compared to the rest of his filmography & same goes for its narrative.Bearing more resemblance to stories one might associate with the character of Tintin, The Castle of Caglostrio is full of action & plays out like a mystery for the most part. Humour is used to great effect, characters aren't mere caricatures plus are brilliantly supported by the voice cast, the plot does get a bit cumbersome during the middle act but it still does well in retaining its sense of fun for the most part.On an overall scale, The Castle of Cagliostro is an influential example of the anime genre that has garnered a devoted fan base over the years & remains one of the only two films directed by Miyazaki that doesn't feature in Studio Ghibli's repertoire. The animation may be crude & unrefined but the quality of storytelling isn't. An enjoyable, entertaining & fun ride, if not a memorable one, The Castle of Cagliostro is definitely worth a shot.