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Lupin the 3rd - The Castle of Cagliostro
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Number of Items: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Format: Dubbed, Subtitled
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Running Time: 100 minutes
Studio: Palm Pictures/Manga Video
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Region Code: 1
Product Group: DVD
Release Date: 2000-04-25

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"Lupin!!!"
This one was pretty good. Lupin reminds me of a smoother Austin Powers with cooler sidekicks. Besides the other Lupin movies this one really caught my eye. If you watch this you might not understand it, you might have to watch part of the t.v. series first. The animation is pretty good. I mean not Akira good but pretty good for the year it was made in. It contains all the charecters including Lupin, Zenigata, Fujiko, Jigen, and Goeman. This movie is probablly suitable for ages 11 and older. I have no idea why amazon gives movies that aren't rated ratings. Overall it was a pretty good anime.



"Action, Adventure, and one suave theif!"
This is my third favorite Miyazaki film (under Spirited Away and Totoro) and though it is over 23 years old it trumps anthing disney's put out for a looong time! The charm of Lupin III and the absolutely wonderful pacing/flow of the action catch your attention from the first moment. It doesn't take itself to seriously but by the end every character has a place in your heart (especially Lupin III). In my veiw the animation style is perfect for the light theme and the backgrounds have excellent detale, especially in the castle.

As a warning, I would warn parents away from the other Lupin III movies, as they have not been touched by Miyazaki magic (and turned to gold;) There is a little swearing and cigeret smoking in this one as well... but the pure fun within makes it perfect for anyone over 6.

An excellent buy for the young and young at heart!



"Timeless Classic"
Dont let the fact that this anime produced over 20 years ago sway you from watching this classic. Its definitely one my favorite Miyazaki productions. Its goofy, silly, fun where hints of Inspector Cleuseaus, James Bond, Our Man Flint come through in the main character Lupin the thief.
There are unexpected scenes in this movie portraying them as chain-smokers, eating ramen noodles with chopsticks while staking out a castle, and a Samurai sidekick that shows up in traditional garb smack dab in a make-believe European country! Truly hilarious.




"Made in 1979, but you won?t be disappointed."
Made in 1979, but you won't be disappointed.

Lupin the 3rd was a very popular T.V. series during 1970s and 80s. Lupin is a master thief, grand son of French "Ar sene Lupin." He has very characteristic companies:

Jigen: a master gunman who can shot anything he wants.
Goemon: a samurai, who can cut any object with his sword.
Fujiko: Lupin's enemy and lover.
Zenigata: a inspector from Tokyo police who has been pursuing Lupin, but never succeed.

"Castle of Cagliostro," was made in 1979 by a famous director Hayao Minazaki, and this was his first movie.

I've watched this movie in Japan when I was a little kid, and I never forgot about it. I recently purchased DVD and watched in English dubbed. The translation is little different from the original, but I think they did pretty good job. I can tell they tried to make it easier language.

The most exciting thing in this movie is Lupin's character: a thief who is skillful, gentle, kind, and having sense of humor. Lupin was manage to steal princes' heart in the story, but had to leave her at the end. It was Lupin's dandyism which takes your breath away.

Scenario is also well written. There are some intelligence conversations with political background. Lupin was pursuing the secret of counterfeit in a small nation, Duchy of Cagliostro, and run into a princess who was forced to be a bride against her will.

This movie, there are some similarity to "Shrek.": To rescue a princess locked in a tower, unmanned camera pictured Lupin when he tried to get into the castle, and Lupin breaking into princes' wedding ceremony and said "I object!."

This is still enjoyable to those who are not familiar to the T.V. series. Animation looks old compare to today's one. But I don't think you will be disappointed. One of my friends who never knew Lupin, watched this movie, and said "You can call me Lupin, if you want."

This is still one of my favorite.



"One of the Greatest Films Ever Made"
Hayao Miyazaki has been called the Akira Kurosawa of Animation, and the Disney of Japan. Neither term is sufficient to describe his genius. Among his many fans, there is much debate as to which of his movies is the greatest. Some people say Castle in the Sky. Some say Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. And many feel that this film is his best. Hard to say, but I would definteily say it's one of the best movies ever made, to say nothing of one of the best animated films ever.

Lupin the Third is big series in Japan. You might say he has a following like that of James Bond in the United States. But that would be a serious understatement. There is Lupin Manga, Lupin OAVs, Lupin movies, Lupin games, a Lupin TV show. And that's just what I've heard of. But despite the fact that Lupin is a huge phenomenon spanning a huge variety of media, everyone seems to agree that the crowning achievement as far as Lupin goes is the castle of Cagliostro. And the best part is, you don't have to know anything about Lupin to enjoy it!

The animation is old, more than 20 years. But like all of Miyazaki's animation, it looks better than much of what passes for animated films today. The backgrounds and mechanical devices in his films in particular are always amazing. The film transfer on this DVD isn't exactly the greatest. At times, it shows scratches and metal flecks on the print. At one or two points in the film it looks a little dim and washed out. But in the good parts, the use of color and detail is truly awesome.

The characters in this film are great. Lupin himself comes across like a combination of Jim Carey and James Bond (in the best possible way), and his many sidekicks (from his heavy firepower loving right hand man to the serious samurai and sometime love interest Fujiko) all are just great. The villain is pretty evil, making the great escape and showdown at the end of the movie that much better. But the real stars of the show are Lupin and the beautiful young girl he has sworn to rescue. Both of them are just PERFECT.

This film also features great action sequences (the great car chase, a gyrocopter getaway, and steel-clawed assasins come to mind). And let's not forget about the music. From the opening credits to the ending of the film, the score does not disappoint. Speaking of sound, the Japanese dub features the same perfect voice acting you will find in every Japanese version of a Miyazaki film. And this dvd features a great English dub too. People with young children should take note, though. The English dub has more harsh language than the Subtited version. I'd say about the difference between a PG and a PG-13 rating).

What makes this movie for me is it's wonderful sense of BALANCE, something Miyazaki has mastered absolutely. There is adventure. There is action. There is comedy. But most of all there is the infectious idealism and beauty of the human spirit that makes all of Miyazaki's films absolute classics. Everyone should see this movie. Any animation fan should buy it.






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