Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (1999)

For all the good and bad films I've had to sit through for Superhero Month, I am so glad to be starting off strong with Anime Month! We start off with none other than the directorial debut of the most famous anime director, Hayao Miyazaki! I had no idea that he even worked on this movie. Of course, he's simply been a part of almost every beloved anime film not based on an anime or manga. Actually, this one was based on a manga! I guess he started off not doing original ideas. It was great to see an anime film all the way back from 1979, especially with me judging on whether or not the film holds up.And guess what? It holds up perfectly! For being the oldest anime film on this list, that's quite an achievement. This movie features Lupin III saving a princess in a castle from an evil count. I admit the only bad thing is that the plot is kind of weak. It's still great to watch this wonderfully entertaining character, Lupin III, get into all sorts of mischief! From what I heard, in the original manga, he was actually more villainous, so some loyal fans are against this movie. I personally found him one of the most likable anime characters ever made. I love his voice, his style, and all the great backgrounds and twists and subversive love story, as expected from Miyazaki. ***1/2

The Castle of Cagliostro is different to 'conventional' animes in that its direction is similar to that of Western-made movies. It takes pages from Alfred Hitchcock, pages from Looney Tunes (in terms of Lupin's exaggerated abilities like 'swimming' in air) and James Coburn from The Magnificent Seven, specifically Jigen Daisuke's character. No robots, no tournaments, no post-apocalypse here: just a classically made adventure film made in Japan that takes great inspiration from things ranging from Disney to Akira Kurosawa. Oh, and also: film legend Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed this film!I love this movie. It's like if James Bond got busy with Bugs Bunny; and the result of that love-affair was something resembling Sherlock Holmes and 007 conceived in a cartoon. The Castle of Cagliostro is also a fantastic starting point for viewers to be introduced to Lupin as a character. The cinematography is gorgeous: very scenic and stylish (as is expected from Miyazaki); and the characters are all memorably distinct: detective-burglar Lupin, stoic samurai Goemon Ishikawa XIII, gunslinger Jigen, and cat-burglar, temptress Fujiko Mine, and the ever-persistent police officer, Inspector Zenigata. Also, the supporting cast of Clarisse (the damsel) and the devious Count Cagliostro: who's so devious he barely trusts anyone but his servant Jodo.This film is packed with personality and energy; even some nicely done action sequences like the famous opening car-chase. It's a treat for film-goers and anime fans alike. Despite the animation being outdated in some respects, it's still got lots of nice visuals and that makes it rewarding for the eyes.Lupin III deserves greater attention than he currently has, period.

Here we are, folks: the first full-length movie Hayao Miyazaki ever made.Back then, he was a youngish animator who had paid his dues and made quite a name for himself in the anime industry, but he had not yet begun his ascent into a global icon. He was a name in anime, but he was far from the name to know in anime.This movie... did not much change that. While it was warmly received by fans of the television series, which Miyazaki also had a hand in, the series did not have particularly high ratings or many fans at the time, and the money failed to make a major splash in the Japanese box office. It did, on the other hand, make a major impact on one young Californian working at Disney. His name? John Lasseter.Even nowadays, not enough people know about this movie. Most that have are either fans of the Lupin III animes- the franchise is going stronger than ever today- or fans of Hayao Miyazaki that are interested in his entire oeuvre of work. I am firmly in the latter category.It's a shame that this film isn't more popular, as it's absolutely fantastic. While it's not my favorite Miyazaki movie, it's a fun, epic, adrenaline-filled adventure with classic characters, great music, stunning animation, and some of the best fight scenes that had been animated up to this point.If I had to describe this film, I'd say it's like a PG-13 heist film mixed with a grand, romantic, save-the-princess story, taking the best elements from both genres. It's just a blast. You care about these characters and the situations they're in. It never gets cheesy, both because it fully believes in itself and because there's always some action to balance things out. And it never gets cold or meatheady, both because the action is always personal and fluid and because there are always some mice character moments to balance things out.There is not another Miyazaki movie like this. I could spend the rest of this review listing things that are in this movie but not in any other Miyazaki movies, or I could spend the rest of this review listing things that are in other Miyazaki movies but not in this one. But instead, I'll say that in a lot of ways, this does feel like a Miyazaki movie, through and through. Miyazaki has a very specific way of making films, right down from the character interactions to the pacing. That core style is in full display. If you showed me this movie, didn't tell me who it was by, and then told me it was a Miyazaki film after I was done watching it, I'd say, "Yeah. That's about right." The relationship between Lupin and Lady Clarisse is as wonderful as it is pure. It really makes this movie work. When she's taken away, you really feel her pain, and his pain too. I'd even go so far as to say they have one of the best relationships in any Miyazaki movie. While I can understand why Miyazaki moved away from this type of storytelling and these types of characters and relationships, he is very good at constructing them.Our villain is also very good. It is actually quite difficult to create good 'pure villains', characters that make you go, "I want the hero to take this guy down." instead of "Ugh. Can this guy just jump off a cliff already. He's annoying me.", but this film manages to do it. He is relentless and slimy, and his famous battle with Lupin on the hands of the massive clock tower is a truly great scene.This is not one of those Miyazaki movies that make you feel like you've been transported to a different, better dimension, but it is an utterly fantastic genre flick that will enchant and delight anyone who watches it.

The Castle of Cagliostro is the epitome and shining example of adventure cinema. I would introduce any newcomer to the genre with this work of art, before any of the Indiana Jones films. It is a shame that the rest of Lupin the Third's catalog is nowhere near as good as this and that Miyazaki never returned to the series. It gets everything thing right and then some.For starters, it successfully introduces you to the world of our protagonists and makes you wish you were off on their adventures with them. You know you're in for a treat when a film manages to get such a reaction from you. Like any self aware well made film in this genre, it starts off with the tail end of Lupin's previous adventure, only setting up the context of the situation with most of it taking place off screen and leaving the viewer drooling for more. And right after, we're introduced to the crux of the film as the gang heads out to Cagliostro.At it's core, the film is the archetypal story of a brash, young hero rescuing a princess from an evil king who has hidden her in his lair. You get tied up in the story as you root for Lupin and his misadventures which involve teaming up with his foe Zenigata to save the day. Also important to mention is that Miyazaki's feminist themes are not missing here as he spares us of the Fujiko Mine fan service and establishes her as a powerful female character.And brilliantly, as the film ends, we are reminded that this tale is only one of many adventures Lupin will find himself on and we leave our hero in the same situation as we found him, on the run. A genius visual metaphor indeed.