And for my second Studio Ghibli film review we have one I’ve never seen before, although I had heard it’s great.
The Castle of Cagliostro is an instalment of the popular Lupin III animated television series, for which Miyazaki wrote and directed a number of episodes. This is Miyazaki’s feature-length debut as writer and director and features his trademark character style and use of forests. That said, this is not an official Studio Ghibli production. But who cares, this is a great film!
I warn you first of all that the Japanese dub is the default audio track, so if you want it in English you’ll have to change that in the set-up, especially if you are watching it with a child. Thankfully the English dub isn’t that bad. And yes, I am watching this one with my friend’s 4-year-old daughter to get her opinion of this film.
The film opens with Lupin (also known as Wolf) and his partner Daisuke Jigen pulling off a heist at a Monte Carlo casino. As they escape, Lupin realises that the money is fake and decides he wants to find out where it came from. This eventually leads them to the country of Cagliostro, where they have to free Princess Clarisse who’s locked away in a tower. They also need to solve a 500-year-old mystery regarding a hidden and ancient treasure, which the princess holds the key to unlocking. As more is revealed, a mystery from Lupin’s past comes full circle.
This film literally hits the ground running and is an excellent adventure film with the right balance of action, humour and pace, which never drags. The whole film has a 60s cheeky spy feel to it and the title song even sounds like a James Bond theme. There is a car chase toward the beginning which is generally thrilling and had my friends daughter shout “YES!!! once it was over.
I loved the relationships between Lupin and the other characters. He is a cocksure, egotistical antihero who believes he is truly invincible, yet he has no problem accepting that he sometimes needs help. Like Hannibal from The A Team (1983 – 87) he utilises his friend’s strengths and unique abilities in order to get what he wants. You can tell that he and his partner and retired gangster Jigen have been together for years and have great chemistry. He recruits a samurai named Geomon Ishikawa XIII when the going gets tough and bumps into old flame Fujiko, who is posing as Clarisse’s lady in waiting. But the exchanges between Count Cagliostro and Inspector Zenigata are hilarious, especially when Zenigata reluctantly has to team up with Lupin.
This film has gadgets, bulletproof ninjas who look like monkeys and overall it reminded me of the Tintin books. I would put this film up there with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) in terms of plain, unapologetic fun and adventure. On the flipside it is full of clichés, but that is just me nagging. This is a bit of a boy’s film, so understandably my friend’s daughter got distracted by a colouring book but was engrossed once the princess was being rescued. She liked the film, but not as much as My Neighbour Totoro (1988) and gave it 3 out of 5. But like the previous film, I have a feeling this will be re-watched several times.
As for the Blu-ray transfer, it is not as crisp as My Neighbour Totoro (1988) but that’s soon forgettable as the animation is great. As I’ve mentioned, the English dub isn’t that bad and the overall sound of the film is great. However I was surprised to learn that Lupin is voiced by David Hayter, aka Solid Snake. Yep, this film has just earned a geek point from me. However the overall soundtrack and use of some sound effects are dated, but this is forgivable as the film is set in the 60s and made in the late 70s.
There is a disappointing lack of extras on this disc, especially considering this is the Blu-ray treatment of one of the best loved Anime movies. We do get some picture in picture storyboards and the original un-mastered Japanese trailer. It boasts that this film cost 500 million Yen to make but this trailer makes the film look very dark and not as fun as the film is.
Overall Verdict: Ultimately this is one of the best adventure films I have seen. It’s engrossing, has multi layers of mystery, fun characters and is a great Saturday afternoon flick which will have you craving the further adventure of Lupin.
Reviewer: George Elcombe