Official Synopsis:
When master thief Lupin III, a.k.a. "The Wolf" inadvertently steals a fortune in counterfeit bills from a casino, he is quick to realize the high-quality printing plates that made them are worth even more. Tracing the source of the money to the small European country of Cagliostro, Lupin and his team of colorful outlaws cross swords with the nation's mysterious monarch over his forthcoming marriage to the last princess of the Cagliostro family. It's fast-paced adventure as Lupin must battle fearsome ninjas, rescue a damsel in distress and uncover the key to the lost Cagliostro fortune. Written and directed by Academy Award® winning anime pioneer and visionary Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle), everyone will enjoy this lighthearted romp which Steven Spielberg once called one of the greatest adventure movies of all time.
Our Take:
Back when I was a college student, I opted not to join the Dungeons & Dragons club, but instead decided to join the more prestigious Anime Club. A bunch of people in their early twenties sitting around watching cartoons… sounds exciting, huh? Well, not really, and as a result, I haven’t really watched much anime until now. So it was with a little anxiety that I threw Castle of Cagliostro in, but I quickly had my mind made up about this film; it’s great!
So great in fact, that at some point I forgot I was watching a cartoon. It’s got a terrific lead character, Lupin the 3rd, who you really need no prior information on. Yeah, he’s got a bunch of other movies and TV series, but you don’t have to have seen any of them to enjoy Castle of Cagliostro. Lupin is a master thief trying to break into a mysterious castle and rescue the damsel in distress all while thwarting the evil Count’s plans to marry her for her family’s secret treasure. Sounds good, no?
Castle of Cagliostro comes with a bounty of special features, including English, Japanese, Spanish and French audio tracks, and optional English subtitles on the Japanese track for the dub-snubs who can’t stand dubbed anime.
* Interview (25 minutes) - Featuring animation director Yasuo Ostsuka. It’s presented with subtitles, but it’s an interesting watch for fans of the film.
* Storyboards – A complete movie animatic featuring the film’s Japanese soundtrack. While these may be a must watch for any animation fans, it was interesting to me for the first few minutes, but then I’d just rather watch the movie itself again.
I think the reason why I like The Castle of Cagliostro so much is because it’s a little older and has had time to mature. It isn’t like today’s style of animation where every frame is like a high dose of caffeine. It’s funny, it’s got mystery, and is just all around a good time. I wouldn’t recommend this for the younger kids, as it does have some mild language, but there isn’t anything unsuitable for the pre-teen or tween crowd. Of course, by today’s standards, it may be considered tame, but for those who can appreciate a good movie, it’s classic anime.
Overall Picture:
Movie: B+
DVD: B-
- Chris Lawrence
Staff Writer
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