100 minute Japanese animation DVD. Master thief Lupin III, aka the wolf, and his right-hand gunman Jigen are hot o n the trail of a counterfeiter who swindled them...but they find far more than they are looking for when their search leads them to the secluded European country of Cagliostro.
Join Lupin, a master thief and loveable rogue, as he attempts to thwart the dastardly Count of Cagliostro. Along the way, the James Bond-esque antihero charms the ladies, dons disguises--and cheats death time and time again.
The feature film debut of Hayao Miyazaki (NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND, PRINCESS MONONOKE), THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO depicts one adventure of the master thief Lupin and his rough-around-the-edges gunman, Jigen. Something of a cross between Batman, James Bond, and Cary Grant's character in TO CATCH A THIEF, Lupin is a suave ladies' man who is also given to feats of athletic daring, aided by a gadget filled belt that gets him out of more than a few scrapes. The plot has Lupin and Jigen traveling to the sleepy little country of Cagliostro and coming to the aid of the unwilling fiance of the diabolical Count Cagliostro. After CAGLIOSTRO, Miyazaki stopped creating "slapstick" feature films in favor of more serious fare; CAGLIOSTRO shows, however, that he is quite capable of delivering the goods in this genre. Based on the Lupin comics by the artist Monkey Punch, CAGLIOSTRO is a great heist/chase film that surpasses most similar live action fare and breezes by with more than a couple of inventive set pieces, as well as some excellent comic dialogue.
The film is based on LUPIN III, the manga and anime series by the artist Monkey Punch. Monkey Punch's character is in part based on Maurice LeBlanc's character, Arsene Lupin. Lupin III is supposed to be a Japanese descendant of the French criminal.
LeBlanc published COUNTESS CAGLIOSTRO in 1924, followed by the sequel THE REVENGE OF CAGLIOSTRO.
Director Hayao Miyazaki directed several episodes of the LUPIN III television series in 1971. After the release of CAGLIOSTRO, Miyazaki directed two more episodes of the series.
During preproduction, Miyazaki created an elaborate blueprint of the castle (including its numerous secret corridors) to serve as a basis for the many action sequences in the film.
Castle Of Cagliostro Quotes/Excerpts:
"Oh, how can this be? The girl believes in the power of the evil sorceror, yet she doesn't believe in the power of the thief! Oh, if only she'd believe in him! The thief would be able to fly through the air! He would be able to drink all the water in the lake! This is all I can do for now."--Lupin, producing a flower for Clarissa
"He stole something quite precious. Your heart."--Zenigata to Clarissa
Castle Of Cagliostro Reviews:
"...[A] little-seen gem..."
-- Entertainment Weekly Staff, Entertainment Weekly
"...A fast and funny film....An authentic fairytale complete with a demonic count and angelic princess..."
-- Andrew Osmond, Sight and Sound
"[T]he visual characterisation has genuine charm, and there is a lovingly handled and lyrical treatment of landscape."
-- Kate Stables, Sight and Sound
"...Fabulous....A slapstick fairytale, with grand, elegant settings..."
-- Nicole Armour, Film Comment
"...An interestingly wild hybrid of visual styles and cultural references....Vibrant..."-- Janet Maslin, New York Times
2007 
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