Customer Reviews

Castle of Cagliostro [VHS]

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

One of my all-time favorites. I personally prefer it with the original Japanese dialogue, but the english dub included on this DVD isn't bad. Though I must say the English dub directed by Carl Maceck was better, if less literal. (Quickly dodges all the Robotech-haters out there...) (Carl Maceck's translation is NOT included on this DVD)

Lupin III is a master thief. With his cohorts Jigen and Goemon and the unwitting help from his ex-girlfriend Fujiko as well as Lupin's self-proclaimed nemesis, Inspector Zenigata, they free a beutiful Princess from her evil captor who is intent on marrying the young princess to steal the family fortune.

Like all of Miyazaki's other works, this film has gorgeous animation that compliments a very intricate and heartful story.
Fans of the original Lupin III comic by Monkey Punch may not appreciate it as much since the characters act a little 'nicer' than the fans may prefer, but Miyazaki's talent lies in weaving a good story together with beautiful animation, and it is clearly evidenced here.

This film stands not just as a good example of whats good about Japanese animation, but as a good movie in general... Interesting characters, clever plot twists, amazing action, and a good dose of heart. I still stand surprised that some hollywood shmuck hasn't bought the rights to it and mangled it into the lame "blockbuster" live-action formula that America is currently plagued with. But I digress...

I can think of no better introduction to anime than Hayao Miyazaki. Castle of Cagliostro is definitely one of his better works, and you will find yourself amazed at how 'real' this hand-drawn animation feels compared to the generic pocket-monster-giant-robot-half-naked-girls-with-guns-otaku-fanboy-teenager-boobshow stuff... in fact I'd say that's the only thing this film is missing. :) ... again, I digress...

This work is a cut above and deserves a higher respect, as it's done by a man who clearly has more respect for the art.

Be warned: while the anamorphic video quality of this release is top-notch, and it has some great extras, Manga Video replaced the gorgeous, dream-like opening titles animated sequence with a series of still frames with English credits superimposed over them. This is a dreadful liberty taken with one of the greatest animated movies of all time.

Grown-ups and non-anime fans should not be put off by the cover art for this DVD. This is a great action movie that reminds me of a Bond movie. It has exciting car chases, a clever hero that gets himself out of precarious situations, and an evil super-villain.

But Bond with a big difference: ironically, this movie is LESS cartooonish than the real Bond movies! Bond has lots of gadgets that are incredibly specialized yet just happen to come in handy EVERY TIME, villains who are usually just too loony to be believed, and he has babes who want to jump in the sack with him after eyeballing him for 30 seconds. As a teenage boy fantasy movie, Bond rules; but if you want to see a fun, rollicking adventure/spy movie, then Castle of Cagliostro is actually a better bet.

As other reviewers have mentioned, this is one of the earliest movies by a Japanese director named Miyazaki. Most Americans have never heard of him, but in Japan he's looked upon like Spielburg and Lucas rolled into one person. Many people have compared him to Disney, but I think that's not a good comparison. While Disney worked in the same medium, his films were much more child-oriented, and for better or worse, he established many of the animation formulas and cliches that have become the norm for American animation (with notable exceptions like the superb Iron Giant). Disney has become synonymous with dumbed-down and formulaic. No one would EVER use those terms to describe Miyazaki.

While it is really Miyazaki's later work, such as the incomparable Spirited Away, that earned him his reputation as a genius, this film is still very much worth seeing. In fact, what I generally tell anyone who will listen is that you can't go wrong treating Miyazaki's name as a sort of brand name: just rent or buy anything made by him and you're guaranteed to see a movie that is well made, thoughtfully written, a visual feast, and most of all, wonderfully original. How many directors can you think of that fit that description?

The main character of this movie, Lupin, is from a long-running series. But I haven't seen any of the other episodes, and I assure you that you don't have to see any of the series beforehand to be able to enjoy this movie: it stands on its own.

In closing, let me mention that there is a persistent myth perpetuated on various Internet sites that Steven Spielburg called this one of the greatest adventure movies ever made. As far as I can tell, he never said that. Still, this wonderful movie doesn't need any made-up endorsements. See it, and you'll see why.

I heard from a friend of mine who spent a lot of time in Japan that Lupin III is their answer to James Bond and Batman. Seeing the movies and videos, I say that Lupin can easily whip either of them. His humor, cleverness, abilities, and wise choice of loyal friends (Jigen, the sharpshooter; Goemon, the swordsman; Fujiko, the femme fatale; and Zenigata, the inspector), make him overcome enemies and obstacles that would make Bond and Batman pause. It's too bad that, while popular in Japan, Lupin never had much of an exposure stateside, like Pokemon and Sailor Moon. Hopefully, the re-release of "Castle of Cagliostro" would change all that. For some time, I owned the Japanese version of the film, and with a downloaded English translation, I still enjoyed the film despite my limited (more like nascent) knowledge of Japanese. The well-crafted plot and story, with Lupin and the gang at their best, makes this my favorite animated feature. I also own copies of the other Lupin TV movies (the latest being "Fujiko's Unlucky Days"), but while all are rather good, "Castle of Cagliostro" is still the top of the form. Watching it finally on DVD further re-affirmed that belief. I wonder of Spielberg still considers this one of the best action/adventure films even, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. My advice, get the DVD or subtitled versions. Like Pokemon and Sailor Moon, Lupin is best in the original Japanese, and the subtitles are more accurate than the English voice-acting.

This tale stars the infamous gentleman-theif Lupin, along with Jigen the expert marksman, and Goemon the samurai of the old school. With Lupin and Jigen heading for Cagliostro (Europe's smallest country) they become involved in an adventure including preventing a fixed marriage, a Princess and an evil Count. This being one of my favorite movies, and Miyazaki being my god, I cannot recommend this movie enough. Highly original, Cagliostro's action sequences will leave you breathless while the emotion brought forth from the highly addictive story will draw you in and leave you lingering in a world that is simply too beatiful to want to leave. From the fist scene where Lupin and Jigen rob the Monte Carlo, and while escaping leap over several bicycle racks and sub-humanly glide 12 feet with perfect ease while a comical springing sound is made, this instantly becomes a classic. Thank God for Manga for re-releasing this film treasure.

I'm a Miyazaki fan. I've seen a good deal of his work and loved it, so I don't know why I waited so long to see Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro. I guess I was afraid that since this anime came out in 1979, the animation would be disappointing. I needn't have worried. While the animation is limited to the technology of the day, the quality that is so much a trademark of Miyazaki dazzles even here.

The story is a page in the life of the lovable rogue, Lupin the 3rd. A man with the gadgets and mystery of James Bond, the charm and skill of the Man in Black (from the Princess Bride) and the constitution of an iron kettle. In this yarn, Lupin is off to a small country in Europe to discover the source of counterfeit currency. In short order he encounters a runaway bride, a whole gang of well-equipped thugs, an evil Count and his old nemesis, Inspector Zenigata. Nothing could be better for Lupin and his buddies Jigen-a gruff, gun-toting side-kick--and Goeman-a samurai with a passionate wish to see action and a chance to use his sword. Action, gunplay and hilarity ensue in this action-packed story. While Miyazaki makes use of almost every cliché in the book in this story, he manages to utilize them in such a way that the entire story feels fresh.

This may have been one of Miyazaki's first movies, but fans will quickly see that his mastery exists even here. The movie is, of course, dated with the illustration of clothing and cars capturing the 1970s surprisingly well. And the animation doesn't have the depth and breadth of the modern masterpieces like SPIRITED AWAY or PRINCESS MONONOKE. Yet, all the touches are there in Lupin that make it more than just a fun adventure with average animation: scenes of the clouds moving over fields, delightful movement that evokes Miyazaki's love of the dizzying heights and gear run machines. Fans of the later movies will see all prototypes of scenes and characters that the director will make use of in future movies.

I will admit that folks who fell in love with the more youthful SPIRITED AWAY, CASTLE IN THE SKY, and KIKI's DELIVERY SERVICE, may be less than enthused by the purely adult cast in this movie. There's a good deal of gunplay and some adult language involved-this is not the movie for younger children, and is more appropriate for the older child and teenager. Despite the violence and language, there is no gore, no adult scenes or sexual situations. And, did I mention the movie is a romp of the first order? Loads of fun, laughs and non-stop action make this a perfect movie for a teenager's introduction to what animation can offer beyond little kid cuteness.

I highly recommend this to any anime fan that has yet to view it. And to anyone looking to explore the world of anime movies, this isn't a bad place to start. For those who enjoy this and would like to explore more excellent anime, check out the rest of Miyazaki's films and you might also check out COWBOY BEBOP the series.
Happy Viewing! ^_^ Shanshad

There is probably no anime character as revered or as celebrated as Lupin the 3rd (well maybe Captain Herlock). Lupin's adventures are truely some of the most entertaining in the entire medium. And The Castle of Cagliostro continues that tradition in spectacular fashion.

Directed by the legendary Hiyato Miyazaki who directed Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, The Castle of Cagliostro follows Lupin, Jigen, Fujiko, and Goemon to the European country side. There they find that the Duke of Cagliostro is about to wed a young lady, who has ties to Lupin's past.

This is, without a doubt, an absolute joy to watch. At a time when so many anime series are overly tedious, brooding and melodratic, it's refreshing to see a film that has a grand sense of adventure and being humours at the same time. Lupin the 3rd may be the world's greatest thief, but in this film he gets to play the hero. Which is a great change of pace for Lupin. One of the great things is that even if you're unfamiliar with Lupin the 3rd, you'll have no problem following this film. This is almost a "stand alone" movie.

The transfer is excellent. The color is very clean even for an older film. The original audio track is presented in 2 Channel Dolby stereo as is the English track. One of the things I couldn't get used to was that the English voice actors are different than that of the current voice talent on the Lupin the 3rd series currently airing on Adult Swim and released by Pioneer. But if you listen to the original Japanse dialog that's not a problem.

The DVD has a very good menu layout. There are animated scene selection menus, which I found very nice considering that most older DVD's don't feature them. One of the things is that the "Extras" are a little sparse. There's some background on Miyazaki, trailers and really that's about it.

This movie is wall to wall fun. With so much anime being so deadly serious, it's great to sit back and have a good laugh. If you like anime, or even just good films in general, then this is a can't miss for your library that director Steven Spielberg once called one of the greatest adventure movies of all time.

If you're coming to CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO after having admired Miyazaki's other work, you'll be extremely disappointed - it's his first feature as a director, and is clearly a work-for-hire based on Monkey Punch's popular (and VERY Seventies) LUPIN III manga and anime. So there's very little of Miyazaki's humanism or love of nature here - and a lot of Lupin III's outlandish sideburns and 007-Meets-Benny Hill schemes.

However, if you're coming to this movie looking for Lupin III, you'll be delighted because it's an outstanding adventure for him and his usual gang of cohorts (including Inspector Zenigata - who has to work WITH him for a change to catch a genuinely dastardly villain!). If any touches of Miyazaki are evident, it's in the movie's treatment of women and sex - the heroine Clarisse seems tremulous at first glance but proves to have a lot of courage in the clinch, and for once Fujiko is more effective female hero than doublecrossing tease. Even Lupin's perpetual horniness is toned down considerably - he comes off as a genuinely gallant "gentleman thief" than the loud jacket-wearing stunned-ox-in-heat he often comes across as in the anime series (currently playing on Cartoon Network's ADULT SWIM block).

Another good touch is the portrayal of Zenigata - "Pops" isn't a totally-incompetent bullying buffoon in Miyazaki's view, but a good cop driven bonkers by his fruitless pursuit of a great adversary. He knowingly risks his career (and life) and teams up with the man he's been determined to arrest since - well, forever! - to stop the villainous Count Cagliostro's schemes. Of course, the movie ends just as almost every Lupin III adventure does, with Zenigata chasing Lupin - again! - and Lupin, Jigen, Goemon and Fujiko getting away from him with foolish ease...again....

If you go into CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO looking for a fun lighthearted adventure, you'll be delighted - just don't expect to see much of the man who would later give the world classics like TOTORO, PRINCESS MONONOKE or SPIRITED AWAY.

Acclaimed Anime genius Hayao Miyazaki scored his first box office hit with this charming, fast-paced, enjoyable tale about a clever thief coming to rescue--you guessed it--a princess from a dastardly monarch who wants to marry the lass for his own purposes. He's accompanied by a loyal gunman and a solemn but cunning ninja and pursued by a Japanese police detective who actually helps him at one point of the story. Along the way, there are a bunch of other obstacles to overcome, including bad guys with armored claws, the mazelike corridors of the Cagliostro castle itself, and a counterfeiting scheme. The animation is obviously dated, since the film is over 20 years old, but there are elements of Miyazaki's characters in his later films to be found in the designs of the protagonists and antagonists--the big, round eyes, wide-opened mouths when laughing and/or shouting, and of course, their everchanging facial expressions. The jazz-rock underscore by Yuji Ohno lacks the richness of Joe Hisaishi's scores for Miyazaki's films after this one, but it suits the tone of the film perfectly. Although not as beautiful, meaningful, or powerful as Miyazaki's later films, CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO is a joy to watch, with plenty of action-packed sequences, humor a-plenty, and enough fun to keep one enchanted. (Wait until you see the tools that the hero posesses!)

The DVD version features a respectably good transfer presented in its 1.85:1 aspect ratio, even if it does show its signs of age, such as occasional film scratches and/or smudges. However, this is probably best to be expected since the film is over 20 years old. The Japanese language track is presented in mono, and sometimes sounds as though it was transferred through, say, a telephone. (A characteristic of the recording techniques of the early years, no doubt.) The English language track, on the other hand, is presented in clear stereo with a full, rich sound. One wonders how they were able to clean up the soundtrack for this dub -- it sounds like it could have been made recently.

I only spotchecked the Japanese language track, but the acting is decent, from what I heard. The film was originally dubbed in English by Carl Mecak of Streamline Pictures. I have not seen this dub, but I heard it received mixed opinions; it has its fans while others detested it. However, I DID enjoy this "new" dub created by Manga Entertainment, which follows the script closely, despite some questionable inclusions of profanity in the dialogue ("We're rich bastards!"). The voice cast is well chosen and sound like they are having a great time hamming it up.

On the downside, the DVD contains no special features other than trailers for MANGA releases, rather lame menu selections, second-rate packaging, and not enough chapter selections for advancing. A film this wonderful deserves a better treatment. A "Making-Of" documentary, please?

Don't let the drawbacks hold you back, though, CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO is ***** material, as can be expected from the master of Japanese animation. I recommend it very highly.

When I saw the rotten DVD cover art work, I was a little hesitant in getting this, but I've seen Miyazaki's works (Nausicaa, Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, Whisper of the heart) and so far none of them have ever dissappointed me. Five minutes into the movie, I was saying to myself...hmm...okay...a little slow...maybe a little too comical and then woooah, it shifts into high gear and I've been glued to it throughout the movie ever since then. It's funny, has a strong character developement, okay dubbing, okay AV quality, and there's lots of action. I do wish it was longer. but do try this, it's a great addition to your Anime collection. I'll definitely watch it again . Now if I can just get my hands on "My Neighbor Totoro" for my 6th... too bad the DVD versions aren't out yet...