Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro
2.5/4
Starring (voices): David Hayter, Joan Carol O'Connell, Michael McConnohie, David Povall
Not Rated (contains violence and language)
Perhaps it is because I am not familiar with the TV show or the Monkey Punch comic books upon which the film is based, but I didn't like "Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro" as much as I thought I would. It's meant to be a fun adventure romp with a likable rogue as the hero who fights the dastardly villain and saves the girl, but it didn't come together for me.
Lupin (Hayter) is a career thief who is on the run from Inspector Zenigata (Povall). While avoiding his would-be captor, he spies a bride fleeing a car full of shady individuals. He rescues her, albeit temporarily. Undaunted, he tries again. Apparently, she's engaged to be married to Count Cagliostro (McConnohie), an evildoer who makes "goat bills" (counterfeit money) in just about every currency. The girl, whose name is Clarisse (O'Connell), is heir to a valuable treasure, and the Count will do anything to get his hands on it. But he won't if Lupin has anything to say about it.
This could have been great fun, and with someone of Hayao Miyazaki's talents, I thought it would be. There are flashes where it is, and the film is never boring, but it doesn't make the cut.
The primary reason the film fails is because the characters are stick figures. There's no development of anyone in the film, and through their interaction I got the sense of past histories between them that weren't revealed. For example, there is a woman in the film named Fujiko (Dorothy Elias-Fahn). She seems to be an undercover ally of Lupin, but his relationship with her is unexplained. Ditto for the cohorts that Lupin travels with (whose names I didn't catch).
The voice acting is solid. Leading the pack is David Hayter, who plays the fun-loving thief. He's very good, and his energy saves many of the scenes. Lupin is a cheery, slightly goofy guy whose crimes are more like mischief rather than something that should land him in prison for years. I'd like to see him in another, better movie. Joan Carol O'Connell is also good as Clarisse, and I kept thinking of a less independent Sheeta from "Castle in the Sky." Sadly, Michael McConnohie is pretty generic; he sounds a lot like the voices on your average crappy show on Cartoon Network. Ditto for David Povall.
I think that Hayao Miyazaki does his best work when he writes from his own brain. His best films, "Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke," and "Castle in the Sky" sprang completely from his own pen (this also includes his last (?) film, "The Wind Rises". His lesser films (if that term is appropriate), like "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Howl's Moving Castle," were adapted from another source. This film reasserts that belief.
Like I said, some of the scenes do work (particularly the action climax, which reminded me of "The Great Mouse Detective") and some of the humor lands (although, by its nature, it's more likely to produce smiles rather than laughs). But due to a choppy narrative and non-existent characterization, "Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro" isn't really worthy of Miyazaki's name.
Starring (voices): David Hayter, Joan Carol O'Connell, Michael McConnohie, David Povall
Not Rated (contains violence and language)
Perhaps it is because I am not familiar with the TV show or the Monkey Punch comic books upon which the film is based, but I didn't like "Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro" as much as I thought I would. It's meant to be a fun adventure romp with a likable rogue as the hero who fights the dastardly villain and saves the girl, but it didn't come together for me.
Lupin (Hayter) is a career thief who is on the run from Inspector Zenigata (Povall). While avoiding his would-be captor, he spies a bride fleeing a car full of shady individuals. He rescues her, albeit temporarily. Undaunted, he tries again. Apparently, she's engaged to be married to Count Cagliostro (McConnohie), an evildoer who makes "goat bills" (counterfeit money) in just about every currency. The girl, whose name is Clarisse (O'Connell), is heir to a valuable treasure, and the Count will do anything to get his hands on it. But he won't if Lupin has anything to say about it.
This could have been great fun, and with someone of Hayao Miyazaki's talents, I thought it would be. There are flashes where it is, and the film is never boring, but it doesn't make the cut.
The primary reason the film fails is because the characters are stick figures. There's no development of anyone in the film, and through their interaction I got the sense of past histories between them that weren't revealed. For example, there is a woman in the film named Fujiko (Dorothy Elias-Fahn). She seems to be an undercover ally of Lupin, but his relationship with her is unexplained. Ditto for the cohorts that Lupin travels with (whose names I didn't catch).
The voice acting is solid. Leading the pack is David Hayter, who plays the fun-loving thief. He's very good, and his energy saves many of the scenes. Lupin is a cheery, slightly goofy guy whose crimes are more like mischief rather than something that should land him in prison for years. I'd like to see him in another, better movie. Joan Carol O'Connell is also good as Clarisse, and I kept thinking of a less independent Sheeta from "Castle in the Sky." Sadly, Michael McConnohie is pretty generic; he sounds a lot like the voices on your average crappy show on Cartoon Network. Ditto for David Povall.
I think that Hayao Miyazaki does his best work when he writes from his own brain. His best films, "Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke," and "Castle in the Sky" sprang completely from his own pen (this also includes his last (?) film, "The Wind Rises". His lesser films (if that term is appropriate), like "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Howl's Moving Castle," were adapted from another source. This film reasserts that belief.
Like I said, some of the scenes do work (particularly the action climax, which reminded me of "The Great Mouse Detective") and some of the humor lands (although, by its nature, it's more likely to produce smiles rather than laughs). But due to a choppy narrative and non-existent characterization, "Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro" isn't really worthy of Miyazaki's name.
Well that's a bit harsh
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