Lupin The Third: Castle Of Cogliostro

This is it. This right here is My Favorite Film Ever Made. So, that's my warning for the rest of this review. Because when it comes to this movie, I will gush my heart & soul into it. The reason why I watch film is to enjoy 3 things: Innovation, Escapism through the expression of art, and An emotional resonance(in range) given to the audience by the end of the film. This is perfection captured and placed in front of all of us to view with a magnifying glass.

Now, the simple reason why Castle of Cogliostro is such an amazing movie is because the character of Lupin may be the greatest fictional character of his genre. Everywhere else in the world, he is a character who is known as well as Mickey Mouse, James Bond or Sherlock Holmes. No matter what the situation is, he fits. Sci-fi, Espionage, Heist, Western, Kung-Fu, Drama, Comedy, Capers... The character fits in every scenario. And it's because he is a perfect mixture of mystery & familiarity. Of criminal and hero. Assassin one day, savior the next. Slap stick comedy one moment and tough-as-nails expert marksman in that same moment. And through this strange concoction of characteristics, it all somehow is specially crafted to remain in-character.

And the company the character keeps around him are all extensions of his own personality. Jigan, the older, hard-nosed veteran sleuth is a classic representation of a noir/heist character who always seems to be loyally there for "the last job". Goemon is a cinematic, samurai metaphor to the opposite of Lupin's playful Western cowboy. They both contain essence of each other, but they tend to work towards their opposite strengths when in eachother's company. And Fujiko is the classic "and then a dangerous dame walked into the room" type female. The beauty of her character is that she often fights her stereotype by avoiding capture, warding off Lupin's advances and even outdoing his own plans with more efficiency in many situations.

The strength of these character structures has even been the inspiration for so many other characters we know and love. Spielberg openly admits that Lupin & Cogliostro were the major inspiration for the creation of Indiana Jones & The Raiders of the Lost Ark. Even many of James Bond's (and his villain's) gadgets have stemmed from this movie. And the caper of the heist film never held as much optimism until this, which shows in other films like the original Ocean's Eleven. Our Man Flynt is a famous exact variation of the character. And even modern classics, such as the series, Cowboy Bebop, has taken the entire character structure from them (Spike Spiegel = The cool Lupin, Jet = Jigan exactly, Faye = Fujiko & Ed = Goemon as they are both used as "chaos factors".)

The movie itself is built on a very simple premise: An evil dictator has captured a damsel in distress inside his impenetrable fortress. And our heroes aim to stop him and a conspiracy that could change the entire structure of the world. Simple enough. But, what makes this special is that these characters are against such impossible odds that they must shine at their best skills just to maintain survival through this adventure. But, above all, they do it with such an epic level of optimism, coolness, flair and depth that you can't help but cheer every move and line along the way.

To prove to you how perfect this film is in action, adventure and comedy, look no further than a chase that kicks the story into high gear in the first act. It is pitch perfect direction in every action beat. Every pebble is felt on the edge of the cliff. Every bullet shot is near death. And the rules to the fight are laid out while the chase is going, keeping you at a break-neck pace with the situation. The character's expressions are priceless. Even when things get at their worst, they only get more excited and maintain an amazing amount of thrill that is so infectious, you can't help but smile along with them. To say it is rare to find any leading characters in stories who are optimistically looking forward to the next danger/battle/life-threatening scenario is putting it lightly. So, to find a group so willing to jump into danger, without caution and confidence to do their best to make it out alive is the most refreshing experience you can gain while watching a movie.

In all honesty, I could go on for days about this film, so I'll stop here. Watch this. Bring your friends, family or any loved ones. Hit play and be prepared to transport yourself into a caper that is so well done, it may find a place special in your heart. And an ending so satisfying that you walk away with as much satisfaction as you can gain with a film.

I truly love this movie. And I hope you can experience that, too.