--- title: "The Castle of Cagliostro: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-castle-of-cagliostro/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-castle-of-cagliostro" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Castle of Cagliostro (1979): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 8 reviews: 6 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like it, and the praise clusters on the animation: the detail of the hand-drawn work, the heightened colour of the painted backgrounds, and the momentum of the action, with the opening car chase and the mile-high clock tower named more than once. Several reviews treat it as Miyazaki’s feature debut and read it as an early sketch of the style he develops later. The gallant hero and the supporting cast, Fujiko in particular, also come in for warm mention. The reservations are about how it stands beside what came after. Total Film finds it the weakest of Miyazaki’s features, frenetic and cartoonish next to the later work; The Skinny notes the animation is at times crude; the Los Angeles Times, otherwise enthusiastic, calls it thematically slim. The spread is narrow, with no negative reviews, and the two mixed notices still admire the backgrounds and the set pieces. The disagreement is over depth, not pleasure. ## Los Angeles Times — Tracy Brown Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2021. The critic calls the film a must-see zippy adventure and visually stunning experience that rebukes greed and corruption, highlighting its memorable action sequences and beautifully painted backdrops. She notes it is thematically slim compared to Miyazaki’s later works but praises the gallant hero and capable supporting characters like Fujiko. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-07-30/lupin-iii-castle-of-cagliostro-hayao-miyazaki-review) ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. The critic calls the 1979 film wonderful and highlights its release on DVD/VHS. She praises Miyazaki's obsessively detailed and gloriously colorful animation style along with the film's manically energetic humor and good-hearted charm. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-castle-of-cagliostro-1798195076) ## IndieWire Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 March 2020. The piece positions the film as Miyazaki's feature debut that immediately announced him as a master filmmaker. It singles out the exhilarating momentum, meticulous animation detail, and heightened colors that make the frames worth studying. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/2020/03/stream-of-the-day-castle-of-cagliostro-1202218205/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 July 1992. The critic describes the film as a wild hybrid of visual styles and cultural references with a vibrant look and noisy variety in its settings, including a remarkable mile-high clock tower and underground reservoir. She notes the lively adventure and high-tech gimmicks while observing that the dialogue sometimes has a martial-arts ring. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/03/movies/review-film-a-wolf-a-princess-a-castle-in-the-alps.html) ## Total Film — Philip Kemp Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2014. The earliest of Miyazaki's features is the weakest of the boxset, feeling frenetic and cartoonish compared to his later work. It stands out for an impressively dynamic opening car chase. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/hayao-miyazaki-boxset-review/) ## Eye for Film — Gator MacReady Rating 5/5. 21 October 2005. The critic calls it one of the best anime movies ever made, rivaling anything from Disney or Pixar, and praises its hand-drawn charm, inventive direction, and thrilling adventure sequences. Miyazaki's debut is singled out for its strong sense of setting and refusal to be missed by fans. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-castle-of-cagliostro-film-review-by-gator-macready) ## Collider — Joseph Ornelas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2023. The critic praises the film as a timeless, ahead-of-its-time adventure story with innovative action sequences and gorgeous visuals that hold up decades later. It singles out the influence on filmmakers like Spielberg and the early signs of Miyazaki's signature world-building and sense of wonder. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-castle-of-cagliostro-miyazaki-steven-spielberg/) ## The Skinny — Keir Roper-Caldbeck Rating 3/5. 24 October 2012. The critic praises the playful, frenetic adventure with its cliffhangers and beautiful backgrounds mixing fantastic and retro elements, while noting the somewhat crude animation. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/the-castle-of-cagliostro) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-castle-of-cagliostro.md