Lupin the Third is one of the best known Manga and Anime characters in Japan. He’s a world-trotting charismatic thief and in this film we find him in Monaco just as he is being duped into stealing a large sum of counterfeit bills from a casino. Not the type to have the wool pulled over his eyes, Lupin decides to find the source of the bills, which ultimately leads him to Cagliostro Castle and on the trail of a sinister plot. This is the directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki and as far as I know, his only film that features characters he didn’t create. There is a lot to like about this film, from Lupin and his hard-boiled group of allies to the art direction and fluid animation that Miyazaki would become famous for. The only disappointment is when you realize that there has never been a Lupin film as good as this one. Worth watching.
