This was a movie that I had heard nothing but good reviews about. The Lupin series is quite large and I had been putting off watching this movie for some time now, mostly because I could not commit to sitting and watching a series of this length when there are so many other shorter series available. I figured that now was the time to just jump in and begin watching.
Although I did not really pay attention to the timeline that the movies were created and released, I really wanted to see if Lupin III: The Castle of Cogliostro was as good as people had been telling me. If I had to use one word to describe this movie it would be Genius. There really is no other way to describe it. I won't go into details about the plot, mostly because it is so in depth and intricate that I could write all night about it. I'll spend some time looking at the elements of the film instead.
For those who aren't familiar with the series, Lupin is the grandson of the great Arsene Lupin. In a nutshell, he is a theif who is wanted by anyone and everyone you can think of. He likes to go after high prize and profile robberies. He has a group of friends who assist him in the various robberies that he pulls of and is constantly pursued by a Japanese Interpol officer.
This movie is quite old, dating back to 1979. The elements in this movie are very rich and will keep you entertained without question. The animation style is very much in line with that of the original Gundam 0079 series. There characters do not hall have the typical Manga style hair and super power moves. The story line has immense depth. All of the events of the film tie in together very nicely and make for a good flow in terms of the story. There is no cliffhanging ending like we tend to see in many newer films and OVAs. A strong point was how the movie ended, leaving the door open to make further films, but not just ending point blank. There was not a ton of violence, but enough action to make the story believable. The entire musical composition to accompany the film was an excellent compliment to set the mood of the events in the story.
If you haven't had a chance to listen to the Castle of Cogliostro soundtrack, I recommend downloading or purchasing it. The music makes for great listening if you feel like just kicking back and reading a book or having some light background music.
Here's one of the songs from the soundtrack just to give you a taste of what to expect on the soundtrack.
This was one of the first anime I saw and was released just as Castle of Cagliostro and not part of any series. I don't remember much about it as it was so long ago, but I do have find memories of the show and I remember liking it a great deal. Especially the Samurai guy.
ReplyDeleteIf this was the first anime that you watched then you are a lucky person. I think anyone who watches this movie as early viewing is a lot more likely to see what else other production companies have to offer as far as shows are concerned. Goemon is also pretty bad ass in this entire series. I like how they didn't make him like the typical samurai in so many other series that we see. The voice actor for the North American dub was dead on for portraying this character.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first Lupin III movie i watched, but I cant help but notice that the characters in this movie are familiar with each other. I would like to know the first movie that started the series, so I can watch this frm start to finish.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I recall, the character relationships are built within the series. The movies work more as side stories of different adventures that Lupin and his team are on. At least that is what I have gotten from it all based on the movies I have watched so far.
ReplyDeleteI just finished watching Lupin III: Island of Assassins tonight and I found the same thing. The characters seem to be better developed in their relationships with each other than they are in the previous movies I have watched.
Although I have yet to watch the series, I still find that no matter which film you choose to watch, the writers do an excellent job of making the stories easy to follow for those who haven't watched the series.