Lupin the Third was a name I was not at all familiar with before seeing this film. He's a popular character that started out as a Japanese manga comic and then eventually became a TV series that spawned a plethora of film adaptations. Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro is, arguably, the most popular of all the Lupin films for one reason and one reason only... Hayao Miyazaki. This is the very first feature length film from Mr. Miyazaki, the now legendary anime director. It's a fun and light hearted adventure film where the eccentric and noble thief Lupin the Third attempts to find the immense fortune of the Castle of Cagliostro, but on the way he falls in love with the princess of the castle who is set to marry the evil Count of Cagliostro. Lupin rearranges his priorities and sets out to save the princess in lew of the riches. It's a film that is simple, easy, and pretty entertaining.
It's interesting to watch this film because it has Miyazaki elements all throughout, but you can tell that it is his first film. His style hadn't quite developed at this point and it is clear that this film was more of just an attempt to get his feet off the ground so he could go on to make more impassioned projects like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away. That being said, he puts enough effort into Lupin the Third to make it a pretty dang fun film.
There isn't anything very special here, nor does the story go any further than what you get on the surface. It is a very simple adventure story that doesn't try to incorporate any complexities or deep thought into it. But it's simply not that kind of movie, and I can gather that Lupin the Third isn't really that kind of character. He's a likable thief and there's not much more to it than that. The intrigue and fun just comes from seeing what kind of antics he can get himself in and out of. With that in mind this film gets the job done. It's fun and makes for decent escapism entertainment. There are some very creative Miyazaki-esque elements on the overall visual side of the film, but nothing like we see in his later spectacles. This is just a fun little flick that you don't have to think too much about. I don't have any strong opinions on any aspect of the film. It's just a pretty good little flick.
It's interesting to watch this film because it has Miyazaki elements all throughout, but you can tell that it is his first film. His style hadn't quite developed at this point and it is clear that this film was more of just an attempt to get his feet off the ground so he could go on to make more impassioned projects like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away. That being said, he puts enough effort into Lupin the Third to make it a pretty dang fun film.
There isn't anything very special here, nor does the story go any further than what you get on the surface. It is a very simple adventure story that doesn't try to incorporate any complexities or deep thought into it. But it's simply not that kind of movie, and I can gather that Lupin the Third isn't really that kind of character. He's a likable thief and there's not much more to it than that. The intrigue and fun just comes from seeing what kind of antics he can get himself in and out of. With that in mind this film gets the job done. It's fun and makes for decent escapism entertainment. There are some very creative Miyazaki-esque elements on the overall visual side of the film, but nothing like we see in his later spectacles. This is just a fun little flick that you don't have to think too much about. I don't have any strong opinions on any aspect of the film. It's just a pretty good little flick.