Perfectly adorable

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

I'll tell you this, Lupin definately was far different from "castle of cagliostro" because Lupin in this one was acting a lot more hornier and probably a lot more of being a enormous jerk then you ever imagine. Despite him being the usual clever goofball we know, he seriously wanted to get jiggy with Fujiko really badly and I'm being really serious here! They both would be cute together but both really have different personalities, so that it does show that theres a slim chance that they "might" end up together. Anyways lets put the lovey dovey stuff aside and i have to say the action was not bad. I wouldn't consider this movie or the other Lupin movies I've seen to be part of the #1 as The Castle of Cagliostro. It had a lot more taste in car chases and a lot of serious action towards it then this one. Mamo was pretty much a rip off of yoda with a white wig and only a brain, nothing really exciting about the villains part lol.This anime did however ketp me entertained like Lupin acting like an idiot was kinda funny to be honest. Definately wouldn't recommend children watching this at the same time! I give this 8/10!

It starts out with Lupin dieing… I kid you not; this is really how it starts. The guy had the same fingerprints, DNA, and even looked the same as him. And yet, after a while, you see him rather fine and alive moments later. It's rather creepy in a way. Then when we get to the story with Mamo, it gets even creepier and action packed with one chase scene after another.Lupin is none to bright, though he is a rather lucky guy. His addiction to women even breaks the trio up for a time when he picks Fujiko over his partners. He's irrational at times when not seeing the full picture and so it tends to get him into a lot of trouble that the others have to bail him out of. Fujiko is actually a rather good counterpart, using her sex appeal to make him do as she wants, and yet in this movie, it appears she actually does care for him a lot. It's rather interesting and changes a couple things, giving insight into why she pulls him around. In the end though, it seems that she is just a little to greedy.One thing that is actually rather interesting is that they did a rather good job at mimicking the idea of a Samurai in Goemon. I know people are going to go 'well hey! It's Japan and they know about samurai' but really, all the other times I see samurai in anime, they are actually not as well done. If you look at the long line of anime samurai, name one person that is the very idea of a true samurai from history. Can't get many, right? With one strike, he tries to take down an enemy, which is much closer to the original idea.I cannot believe that Zenigata is still alive after all he's gone threw. That guy gets into more problems then ever including surviving bombs being dropped on him.The opening starts with something rather odd, a women's egg being used for what I would think of as a cloning experiment. A good way to start if I must say for something that seems to be a cloning experiment story line. The artwork is rather lacking in detail and the characters become rather exaggerated with arms stretching out or legs turning into something close to stick figures threw parts of the shot. Still, it's not actually a bad thing. It gives the show character and comedy which works well with how the script is created. This is one of those shows that I'm actually saying the script is better with the somewhat cheap animation they have. It fits! Now another part of the show was a bit interesting as Lupin has a chase scene threw famous pieces of artwork and then runs into clones of both Hitler and Napoleon.The English voices are rather interesting, and I can't believe they really used Lupin's voice the way they did. I don't know exactly which version I watched on Hulu but I believe it's the Geneon version which has him played by Tony Oliver with a rather weasel like voice. He's cocky and annoying in most cases, not sounding like he was the majestic thief although, as you keep watching it, it does tend to grow on you. Inspector Zenigata has a rather good voice for a bumbling detective though he has a bit of a Texan accent. The script is pretty cheesy, though I heard it's like this for the Japanese dub too. I had to rather laugh when one of the American characters actually calls Jigen a democrat when he stands up to them about their politics.

Like many people my introduction to the character Lupin III was Hayao Miyazaki's early film 'The Castle of Cagliostro', I enjoyed that so when I saw 'The Secret of Mamo' for sale I was keen to watch it. Once again I found the escapades of Lupin and his compatriots Fujiko, Jigen and Goemon to be both exciting and amusing even if the animation wasn't quite up to that of Miyazaki's film. While the tone is similar it probably isn't suitable for younger viewers as there are sexual references and Fujiko is seen undressed more than once which some parents might not be too keen on… although the '15' certificate given to the film in Britain and Ireland should be a clue to its suitability!In this adventure it looks as if Lupin is no more as we see him hanged in the opening scene. His nemesis Inspector Zenigata isn't convinced that he is dead and soon finds him only for him to escape once more. Lupin then sets off to steal a jewel from the middle of an Egyptian pyramid, the jewel might not look like much but apparently it holds the secret to eternal life; a secret that the villainous Mamo is keen to acquire. Once he has the jewel Mamo's henchmen come after him in a long and exciting chase sequence featuring a helicopter, the police and a gigantic lorry. He also has to contend with the beautiful Fujiko who Lupin clearly loves even though she is working with Mamo and clearly isn't to be trusted. As the film reaches its conclusion there is more and more action and we learn how Mamo's plan works.I'd certainly recommend this to anybody who enjoyed 'The Castle of Cagliostro' who isn't too young as it is a lot of fun.These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles; the DVD I watched also features an English soundtrack for viewers who prefer their anime dubbed.

The first film version of the long-running successful manga series 'Lupin III', 'The Mystery Of Mamo' is non-stop action, adventure, and humour, brought to life with some brilliant animation, an excellent script, and some very good voice acting.Lupin is the greatest thief since his grandfather Arsene Lupin, but his lifestyle never affords him a moment's peace, especially with maniacally-determined Interpol Inspector Zenigata pursuing him anywhere and everywhere across the globe. Aided by his two friends, Jigen, who prefers a quiet life, sombre samurai warrior Goemon, and on-again-off again girlfriend and equally-skilled thief Fujiko, Lupin finds himself drawn into the world of Mamo, a mysterious billionaire, intent on achieving immortality. But is Mamo exactly what he appears? And how does the fabled Philosopher's Stone fit in? Now *this* is what animation is *really* about. It's about as far removed from the billion dollar cgi rubbish one usually sees in cinemas as it's possible to be. Every frame in 'Mamo' exudes genuine artistry, whether it's a peaceful Parisian cafe scene, or frenetic car chase through a sewer - yes, a sewer. Every musical motif creates genuine atmosphere, and every line of dialogue is there because it should be - it's not just a collection of lame one-liners for a cynical audience. If you find yourself on the edge of your seat, it's not because you're trying to fend off sleep from Disney-drawn dreck, but because you really find yourself wanting to see what happens next.There are imperfections within the story - certain plot points that are not entirely followed up, but nothing that ruins the central story. There is also a certain trade-off between characterisation and action, but Lupin III stories are not meant to be deeply introspective character pieces, just a lot of first class fun. They are also an ongoing series, so further revelations are to be had elsewhere.Probably the most well-known Lupin outing is 'The Castle Of Cagliostro', in many ways a more straightforward adventure with a more traditional action film-type ending. I think they're both excellent, but they're different beasts in temperament. 'The Mystery Of Mamo' takes a left-turn into the surreal, but it's still a cracking film that shouldn't disappoint - and definitely accessible to a Lupin novice.