Lupin the Third: The Castle of CagliostroEven a notorious cat burglar like Arsène Lupin III (a.k.a. Lupin the Third or "Wolf") can have a heart of gold. Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro is an animated adventure and heist film about the eponymous Lupin, who comes to the nation of Cagliostro--the "tiniest country in the world"--to find the source of a sophisticated counterfeiting scheme. Lupin crosses paths with the country's princess, Clarisse, as she is being chased by Count Lazare's private army, and decides to save her. But the count intends to marry her and claim Cagliostro's ancestral treasure for himself by any means necessary.
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Originally released in Japan in 1979, The Castle of Cagliostro is actually the second feature film adapted from the manga by Monkey Punch called "Lupin III". Directed by Hayao Miyazaki in his first feature film, The Castle of Cagliostro abandoned the more graphic and mature tone of the source material for a comparatively light-hearted movie that turns Lupin into a good-natured rogue who is willing to put everything on the line to save an innocent girl. The film opens with Lupin and his comrade-in-arms, Jigen, on the run after robbing a casino, only to find that their loot--that literally overflows from Lupin's diminutive Fiat--is counterfeit. Lupin's response is not frustration or despair; on the contrary, he is enthusiastic because it leads to a new adventure--to find the source of this funny money and claim it for himself. This would ordinarily be enough to carry a movie about a master thief and his motley crew of specialists and allies; but Lupin abandons his pursuit from the moment he sees Clarisse being run off the road by a squad of Lazare's thugs. Lupin enthusiastically goes out of his way to intervene despite no obvious profit in it for him, and at great peril to himself and Jigen; their enemy is clearly better outfitted and more deadly, complete with grenades and bulletproof tires. The plot thickens after Lupin realizes Clarisse's identity, evidenced by a silver ring with her family's crest of a frolicking goat on it, and he begins a complicated plan to infiltrate the fortress where she's being held against her will. Lupin conceals his true motivations for intervening on Clarisse's behalf--even luring his nemesis, the driven Interpol Chief Inspector Koichi Zenigata, to the diminutive nation for aid--but it is intimated that Lupin shares a past with the fallen royal family.
Lupin's enemy is a dangerous man, ruthless enough to order his private squad of metal-plated ninjas to assassinate Lupin without a second thought, and responsible for a counterfeiting operation that holds the world's economy hostage. Lupin shares a story about the Cagliostro legacy--that their machinations over the last five hundred years have been responsible for economic disasters including the Great Depression. Lazare is a villain of the highest order, surrounding himself with an unscrupulous army in a castle filled with pit traps, spikes, labyrinthine underwater mazes. This seemingly insurmountable opponent and the lengths to which he'll go to secure his "destiny" gives Lupin's bravery more poignancy. He undermines Lazare's raw power and deviousness with his own cleverness and preparedness, staying a few steps ahead of his enemy to save Clarisse. Lupin relies on a few key gadgets that help him evade certain death, like a miniature grappling line he conceals within the sleeve of his signature green jacket, operated by a mechanism hidden in his belt buckle. Unlike the evil count--who surrounds himself with thuggish soldiers and sycophants--Lupin keeps company with friends that compliment his skills with their own, including Jigen, an expert with firearms whose eyes are perpetually hidden beneath the brim of his hat. There is also the stoic Goemon, who comes to Cagliostro at Lupin's behest--a deadly swordsman who looks and fights like a wandering samurai. Finally there is the voluptuous femme fatale, Fujiko Mine, an ex-lover and rival of Lupin's, who supports Lupin so long as it doesn't interfere with her own goals. The depiction of Lupin and company in The Castle of Cagliostro was so popular that they have since become iconic characters of Japanese comics and animation, with subsequent iterations and adaptations still being made--like a Japanese version of the James Bond movies. Tropes of the series established in The Castle of Cagliostro include highly exaggerated action, a vibrant color palette--emphasized in the opening credits--and a jazzy, upbeat musical score. Despite being a Japanese franchise, The Castle of Cagliostro has more in common with Western action movies; additionally, the film is set in Europe. It is filled with constant action set pieces that include car chases, shootouts, and creepy dungeons beneath the castle, reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies. Even though Lupin is a thief, he embodies heroic qualities of selflessness, honor, and charisma that make him a compelling protagonist; The Castle of Cagliostro is a gateway into his world of action and excitement.
Recommended for: Fans of an exciting adventure movie that combines the thrills of a caper film and the heroism of a rescue film. The Castle of Cagliostro is regarded as one of the most influential anime films, and helped establish Hayao Miyazaki as a prominent filmmaker in the medium, eventually do-founding the beloved Studio Ghibli.
Lupin's enemy is a dangerous man, ruthless enough to order his private squad of metal-plated ninjas to assassinate Lupin without a second thought, and responsible for a counterfeiting operation that holds the world's economy hostage. Lupin shares a story about the Cagliostro legacy--that their machinations over the last five hundred years have been responsible for economic disasters including the Great Depression. Lazare is a villain of the highest order, surrounding himself with an unscrupulous army in a castle filled with pit traps, spikes, labyrinthine underwater mazes. This seemingly insurmountable opponent and the lengths to which he'll go to secure his "destiny" gives Lupin's bravery more poignancy. He undermines Lazare's raw power and deviousness with his own cleverness and preparedness, staying a few steps ahead of his enemy to save Clarisse. Lupin relies on a few key gadgets that help him evade certain death, like a miniature grappling line he conceals within the sleeve of his signature green jacket, operated by a mechanism hidden in his belt buckle. Unlike the evil count--who surrounds himself with thuggish soldiers and sycophants--Lupin keeps company with friends that compliment his skills with their own, including Jigen, an expert with firearms whose eyes are perpetually hidden beneath the brim of his hat. There is also the stoic Goemon, who comes to Cagliostro at Lupin's behest--a deadly swordsman who looks and fights like a wandering samurai. Finally there is the voluptuous femme fatale, Fujiko Mine, an ex-lover and rival of Lupin's, who supports Lupin so long as it doesn't interfere with her own goals. The depiction of Lupin and company in The Castle of Cagliostro was so popular that they have since become iconic characters of Japanese comics and animation, with subsequent iterations and adaptations still being made--like a Japanese version of the James Bond movies. Tropes of the series established in The Castle of Cagliostro include highly exaggerated action, a vibrant color palette--emphasized in the opening credits--and a jazzy, upbeat musical score. Despite being a Japanese franchise, The Castle of Cagliostro has more in common with Western action movies; additionally, the film is set in Europe. It is filled with constant action set pieces that include car chases, shootouts, and creepy dungeons beneath the castle, reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies. Even though Lupin is a thief, he embodies heroic qualities of selflessness, honor, and charisma that make him a compelling protagonist; The Castle of Cagliostro is a gateway into his world of action and excitement.
Recommended for: Fans of an exciting adventure movie that combines the thrills of a caper film and the heroism of a rescue film. The Castle of Cagliostro is regarded as one of the most influential anime films, and helped establish Hayao Miyazaki as a prominent filmmaker in the medium, eventually do-founding the beloved Studio Ghibli.