Reviews

Mary's relationship with Annie is very sweet. It's a shame, though, that we don't get to see her relationship with Robin or Humphrey. Maybe they were leaving it open to the viewers' imagination.

It's also a shame that Julian dozed off through part of Mary's story. He doesn't know what he's got until two episodes later.

I loved the contrast between the Captain's adherence to routine and Kitty's spontaneity. The Captain seems to feel lost without a set, predictable routine, while Kitty is aware that they literally have forever to enjoy themselves.

It appears the Captain's closest friend is Fanny. Many episodes have shown that they are very similar. They like ordering people around and asserting control.

Meanwhile Alison and Mike host some old friends who have become victims of an insidious pyramid scheme, though it's described as being more of a cult. It's not very clearly defined, although Alison soon finds a way to deal with them. The truth really is stranger than fiction, or than a cult.

A man goes on the run from the royal guards and makes love to four different women (!!).

Despite that, this film is very well made. It tries to look epic to Gone with the Wind proportions (at least at the beginning), but feels alive and intimate enough to not just feel like a costume drama. Strikingly photographed with great, memorable music.

Besides the bizarre element of the leading man, who is so physically unremarkable that he's a Finnish Shammi Kapoor, seducing four different women, the film also gratuitously sexualises some of them, especially the farm woman, who has the camera hold on her bare legs for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Despite this, the film has fun dance and action scenes, and stunts that remind me of Japanese period films, particularly 'The Osaka Castle Story'.

The leading man has an old sidekick/matchmaker who is whimsical without coming off like a John Ford Irishman.

Flawed, but entertaining and beautifully filmed. Hollywood Westerns could have learned something from Finnish period films.

Yes, it's a chore to watch through. Some parts do drag (thanks, Peter Jackson), and some scenes could just be extras. There are parts worth watching, such as the Beatles goofing around and playing different songs, from joke sings they made up to the Third Man theme.

The research the team did into TV guides (during the scene where George was talking about the inspiration behind I Me Mine) is fantastic, but what was even more amazing is that they got the footage. Usually TV shows would get rid of TV footage once the programme aired, so getting footage for the dance programme seemed like a miracle.

Shame the others dismissed George's songwriting. He was the youngest of the Beatles, joined the band late, and it seems like John and Paul still saw him as that kid who tagged along with them. But arguably, George is the band's best lyricist.

This episode is our formal introduction to Pam. She's more serious and straight-laced than her son Sam, who really doesn't know how to read a room when everyone's being fired at with darts.

The best scene in the episode is a conversation between Sam and Guy. Sam wants to catch up on the lost time with his mother, but Guy understands Pam better and suggests he give her time before she can focus on being his mother.

Meanwhile, Guy's own subplot is developing, as he tries to be a good stepfather to EB, who finds Pam exciting. All this after he defeated a dangerous animal catcher using just his self-flyer. He's not a fighter like Pam, but he can hold his own.

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, but this episode has a lot going for it. The opening is completely different to the previous one, and just as catchy. The dream sequence was fantastic, and so was the scene where Sam visits his birthplace.

Also, poor Guy can't catch a break. He still has bad luck and he can't get his business up and running because his inventions still explode. He also has to spend months with Sam pestering him. At least he doesn't suddenly decide to go. It's Michellee who persuades him.

I like Gluntz's appearance, but she's a member of the BADGUYS, which means it's her job to protect animals. She's not a police officer.

Sam definitely has neurodivergent traits. He has a one-track mind, problems with social skills, and this episode shows him going into a shutdown.

There's the return of the briefcase swap, although this time it's intentional.

We learn about the country Sam was born in. Is Sam effectively Middle Eastern, or is his mother an expat?

The story of this episode was all over the place. That's not a bad thing, though, because I had no idea where this episode was going to go next. It seemed to be some Faust story, that turned into a prototype of 'The Wrong Trousers', that then turned into a prototype of the ending of 'Inglourious Basterds'.

The morality was unbelievable. Lupin felt sorry for the antagonist, but also evacuated a stadium full of ex-Gestapo officers. The antagonist was right; they were devils, even if they're all pathetic old men.

The episode started very strangely, but I enjoyed it. Especially the second half.

Lupin's characterisation is great. He has moments of being idiotic and irresponsible, and then becomes mature and thoughtful without missing a beat. The ending is full of quiet pathos. Lupin's reactions to the antagonist meeting his demise are fantastic.

Lupin doesn't get any material reward in the end, but he does get the satisfaction of doing the occasional good deed.

The plot of this episode didn't make a whole lot of sense. A rich guy trying to defraud his insurance has kids pretend they're Lupin's children? Why, we'll never know.

That said, the episode is very funny. It plays with the idea that Lupin's rampant sex life may have consequences. I love the dialogue between the three guys, and the digs Jigen and Goemon take at Lupin's inability to keep his pants on.

Once more Zenigata complains that he hasn't been able to have a wife or children because of his pursuit of Lupin, although Lupin reminded him twelve episodes ago that the Inspector doesn't get to pin the lack of girlfriends on him (Hint: He has a crush on Lupin and is too afraid to say it, but is also panicking about his sperm count).

I also love the bad luck Fujiko has on her heist. By the time she gets out of the building and finds herself surrounded by police, she's had enough.

The comedic performance from Yasuo Yamada makes me come back to this episode again and again.

This could have worked as a two-part episode. The plot was all over the place, but comprehensible plots were never Miyazaki's strong point. The whole "fake Lupin" thing could have had a set-up, like Lupin relating his experiences when he thought he had "Disguise Syndrome". That episode, "The Two Faces of Lupin", was better because it had the thief pushed to his limits.

The "anti-war" element was clumsy, and Miyazaki was clearly trying to write a different story. The anti-war element worked better in "The Winds of Morocco are Hot", and showed a Lupin who wasn't exactly a peace advocate, but who was wise enough not to get involved in political conflict.

Still, his characterization is too heroic. He's less himself here, and more like Assane Diop (who's a good character in his own right, but very different).

Even while playing the disguised Lupin, this is Goro Naya's episode. He really shows his range where, when showed the photo of Maki, Lupin-as-Zenigata says, "And this cutie... I mean, and the girl is?", and a little later tells the chief he's going. His voice here is almost like he's doing an impression of Yasuo Yamada but not quite. It's an inspired choice and really shows that a talented voice actor he is.

The art is good; art and animation are where Miyazaki is strongest, and we get some really impressive visuals here. The movement is really fluid. I like the part where a train comes to an abrupt start and Lupin-as-Zenigata is squashed by the commuters. There are some really lovely flourishes in the animation.

Unfortunately, other than that it doesn't offer much.

We don't learn who this warmonger is or why he's making these robots.

The best part of the story was where, when Maki offers him coffee, Lupin-as-Zenigata tells her "no sugar". That was a nice touch.

'The Castle of Cagliostro' was Miyazaki's better Lupin outing because it had a big mystery behind it, exciting set pieces, clever twists and relationship developments between the characters, particularly between Lupin and Zenigata. Here Miyazaki was trying to cram something too big into something too small.

'Cagliostro' also had an anti-war message that wasn't as preachy, in a scene where Zenigata tries to get ICPO to move against the Count while the Cold War was going on and the American and Soviet delegates started fighting. That was important because it tied into the plot.

The ending had the main characters doing nothing exciting except ride around in the Fiat. I liked the Fiat in the movie, but in this episode it just bugged me.

The episode was just a bunch of creative ideas thrown around.

I'd have loved it if there were more Zenigata-centered episodes from that era. He's probably the most interesting character on the show.