This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Like most people, my first introduction to the character of Lupin was the most famous of his feature films, 1979's 'The Castle of Cagliostro'. That may not be the most faithful to the manga of Lupin's feature films but on its own it was nonetheless a great film on first viewing and still is a personal favourite animated film of mine on top of being my personal favourite Lupin film.The first Lupin film, this film 'The Secret of Mamo' (its UK title), is a very good feature film debut for the character. It may not be the best overall of the films, but it is the very definition of first class escapism and staying true to its roots. Meaning that it is in some way the most faithful to the manga, being surprisingly risqué, with the sexual elements actually being present and not toned down, and actually having the characters quarrelling. 'The Secret of Mamo' is the boldest, the most ambitious and quite possibly the darkest Lupin film, and on the most part is successful in execution.It is not faultless. 'The Secret of Mamo' is let down by the third act, which does feel muddled and convoluted, not everything feels resolved and tonally it did feel at odds with the rest of the film, close to feeling like a complete different film. Unlike the rest of the film it did descend into strangeness and the science fiction elements were nowhere near as well executed as the action and characterisation elements, they were on point, the sci-fi elements came over as clunky and confused.Occasionally, the animation is a little rough. The character designs, like the somewhat odd one for Lupin, lack finesse and it doesn't always flow as well as it could have done.However, most of the animation in 'The Secret of Mamo' is fine. It is quite creative in the action, the attention to detail is impressive and the colours are both atmospheric and ethereal. The music score is dynamic and groovy, fitting beautifully with the action and story atmosphere.When it comes to the writing, 'The Secret of Mamo' is largely successful. It provokes a lot of thought and the wry humour and slapstick are genuinely hilarious. Apart from misgivings with the final third, the story is bold but also doesn't forget to be fun and exciting, particularly in the action-oriented parts (the helicopter, police and lorry chase sequence is terrific and classic Lupin). It is Lupin at his most ambitious, though you are also mostly admiring the execution rather than finding it overly-ambitious. Admired 'The Secret of Mamo' too for its tackling of interesting, mature and difficult subjects with cloning, honour, love and personal identity and doing it in a way that's thought-provoking and entertaining, with only the cloning aspect failing somewhat.Characterisation is on point as is the character interaction, Lupin is not at his most likable, no, but he nonetheless a fun and commanding lead character that carries the film well. Mamo is a suitably intimidating villain and poses as a real danger. Particularly shining are the supporting characters, particularly sexy Fujiko and hilarious Zenigata, though Jigen and Goemen are very cool as well. The voice acting is very good, notably for Mamo.In summary, not perfect but worth the discovery. Lupin's feature film debut is a very good one. 8/10 Bethany Cox

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 Secret of Mamo is a crazy, memorable, and pretty enjoyable Lupin movie.The first theatrical Lupin movie, this has some very solid animation for 1978, and some very interesting direction. Very colorful and lively. The soundtrack by Yuji Ohno is a blast too, and of course the original voice cast delivers.The story in this one is pretty crazy, and by the end it's pretty much pure nonsense. Lupin is up against a psychotic diminutive man with a god complex, and it leads to some very strange things. Including a cameo from Hitler, naturally.This movie has a fairly brisk pace for the most part, bad things just keep happening to the Lupin gang. One minute they're on the run from a freakishly large truck, the next they're being bombarded by bombs.Where this movie gets really weird is the characterization. Lupin is less cool and laid back in this one, in general he's pretty irritable and annoyed, even with his loyal gang. I have to admit, this makes Lupin less likable to me in this one.Fujiko has a pretty big part in this one, she's quite entertaining, although she does make some questionable decisions. Jigen makes out well in this, and Goemon is pretty cool like usual. Zenigata is great in this, tirelessly hunting Lupin down. But again, seeming a bit out of his usual anime character when he actually wants to kill Lupin.The movie in general is closer to the tone of the manga, with it's insanity and less likable characters.So, pretty much, this is a very memorable movie, it goes above and beyond into the realm of insanity, and it's quite entertaining. The classic dynamic that the characters usually have in the anime is somewhat skewed here though, and the story itself is not entirely satisfying.None the less, this is a wild ride that I recommend checking out.

Oh, what a huge difference a director makes. Where Castle of Cagliostro had atmosphere, inventive visuals, coherence and plot Mystery of Mamo has blandness, cheap backgrounds, confusion and silliness. It IS good for a single viewing and features a couple of pretty good action scenes but, I'm afraid, beyond that it's just as forgettable as any other random Japanese cartoon.Lupin III has been cloned and killed and the ever highly-strung Inspector Zenigata rejoices but it turns out that some being from another dimension in the form of a dwarf freak and a huge disembodied brain is behind the whole charade and involves the real, living Lupin III in some cockamamie plot. Don't even think about trying to follow this tripe.There's no charm or appeal to Mystery of Mamo and while there's plenty of visual humor and the characters we love, they deserve a better film. Go watch Castle of Cagliostro instead.