The Castle Of Cagliostro |
 | Summary:Energetically vigorous, compelling anime adventure classic follows surreptitious thief's struggle in halting a notorious madman. Miyazaki's directorial debut still holds strong appeal for fans of innovative animation, relentless pacing and groundbreaking character development. |
| Title Aka: | N/A |
| Company/Distributors: | TMS Kyokuichi Corporation;Manga Entertainment |
| Year: | 1979 |
| Length: | 110 Minutes |
| Rating: |  |
| Genres: | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Suspense, Drama, Classic |
| Format: | Feature Film |
| Content Level: |
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| Comments: |
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Synopsis:
Uncanny master thief Lupin the Third, along with his trusty partner Jigen have just pulled off one of the biggest cash heists ever. But when Lupin discovers that the money is actually counterfeited, he decides to take matters into his own hands. However, Lupin and Jigen soon discover themselves in a high speed chase involving a young bride and some hench men. Lupin rescues the young girl only to discover that she may be in greater danger than he imagined. She is the bride-to-be of who is known as the "Duke Of Cagliostro". The great decendant of the Cagliostro bloodline, sought after hundreds of years ago. The family bears within their history, the key to unlocking a treasure unlike any seen before. When Lupin discovers that the girl he rescued from "The Duke Of Cagliostro's" henchmen, has a connection to unlocking the treasure; he is soon up to the task of uncovering the mystery himself. With the aid of Jigen, a skilled samurai named "Goemon" and a powerful woman mercenary named "Fujiko", Lupin attempts to rescue the fair maiden "Princess Clarisse" from marrying the evil count Cagliostro. The heros must attempt to steal the treasure of Cagliostro from the Duke's own castle, run away with the princess and all in enough time for Lupin and his friends to escape a police officer named "Inspector Zenigata"; whom has been after them from the start. All in a thrilling struggle full of evil madmans, taunting suspense and a lone hero in this animated adventure film of epic proportions. From that of, you guessed it!... World renowned master animator "Miyazaki"!
Review:
"The Castle Of Cagliostro" is based upon the popular adventure comics "Monkey Punch". A story about Lupin the Third (aka: The Wolf), it is also the directorial debut of famed anime film maker "Hayao Miyazaki". And I am proud to say, that the "Castle Of Cagliostro" is one of the most The Castle Of Cagliostro is a stunning example of classic animation, one that always remains entertaining from the very beginning. Miyazaki is a great film maker, in a sense that he always manages to appeal to a wide range of audiences, young and old alike. While maintaining his sense of artistic rendering into his unique style of animation; which is both timeless, flawless and captivating. I truly enjoyed this film, and It will continue to entertain time and time again. Much like it's hard-hitting style, the production of the film is quite masterful. While the animation techniques are somewhat dated, and the frame rates often anything but fluid compared to his later productions; Miyazaki's sense of stunning camera juxtaposition and conceptual background art is as intricate as ever. This holds great foundation to wonderful animation of a quality only found in his films, which were incredibly impressive and influential for the time. The film is in any sense a great movie for any anime or classic film fan, and is definately worthy of a position in any "Anime Overview" top ten list. A stunning and classic example of Japanese animation. Be sure not to miss a masterpiece like "The Castle Of Cagliostro". Click Here to See Overview! |
fantastic, thrill-a-minute, charming and entertaining anime films I have ever seen. Of course, that sense of Miyazaki magic is indeed present, and more so amazing was that his feature film debut proved to be this good as a beginning film maker. Miyazaki obtained many animations and television series to his credit early on in his career. Though even with the presence of his more current and renowned films such as "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Princess Mononoke"; Miyazaki once again (or should I say...For the first time) gives the audience something completely fresh and original. Not only does Miyazaki establish his artistic renderings and visions in "The Castle Of Cagliostro", but also displays his talent in presenting the audience with a roller-coaster plot, full-of-exciting twists and turns and excellent characters. Although his other films do achieve this rather fantastically in their own right, there is something which distinguishes this film especially. Since it was the first, his creativity and imagination truly shines. The film plays much like retro-70s style sluth/noir, while obtaining both European and Japanese style influences in both technical style and artistic production. The result is an incredibly unique one both charming and entertaining, unlike anything I've seen in his other works. It's as if Miyazaki has single-handedly mixed "Marx-Bros." with "Hitchcock", while at the same time establishing contemporary anime production style into a seamless blend of great character depth.