Lupin the 3rd: The Secret of Mamo

Master thief Lupin the 3rd, grandson of French writer Maurice LeBlanc's gentleman burglar Arsene Lupin, is the star of many anime and manga adventures, most notably Hayao Miyazaki's classic anime film The Castle of Cagliostro. In this, the first Lupin feature (known in a previous English version as The Mystery of Mamo), Lupin has been lured by the beautiful but treacherous Fujiko into stealing artifacts (for reasons unknown). When Fujiko's backers try to kill Lupin and his allies after the final theft, Lupin is captured by the mysterious Mamo--who claims to have lived for 10,000 years, is seeking the secret of eternal life, and has promised to make Fujiko immortal. But when Lupin discovers the true extent of Mamo's plans…well, even a thief will join the side of the angels when the whole world is threatened. Fans of current anime may find the film's '70s look and feel old-fashioned, but it's very much in line with the style of the original manga (currently being serialized by Tokyopop). Told with great verve, this enjoyable tale features an English dub that has a more comical tone than the original Japanese (also included here). Nudity, in some titillating contexts, makes the 16-up age rating appropriate. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Raiteri)