virtuousfox

There are 3 major problems with this show for its entirety: 1) un-Castlevania art-design & mythology: the most likable aspect of original game series is that it uses the mix of wide-range real-world folklores for its art-design & mythology, especially monsters. This show replaces it with generic uninspired wooga-booga meat-freaks straight from cheap American so-called "horror" B-movie.

2) Try-hard edginess in scene direction and dialogues: all characters behave and speak like moody edgy modern teenagers and their motivations largely juvenile, gore is splattered generously to feign some kind of sense of "adultness". As someone else said here: "there's some real mustache twirling levels of cartoonish villainy in just being so predictably evil".

3) Pacing: its runtime is unnecessarily prolonged with deliberately drawn-out scenes and substance-less dialogues while potential for putting more source game-lore is wasted.

The positive is that at least it has some connection to the core concepts of the source and production quality is high enough to not be embarrassing, like it often happens with these things. Certainly better than watching most high-budget Holywood movies.

This is especially sad if you're familiar with post-SotN/NitM Metroidvania-style games and Lords of Shadow remake duology that perfectly remade lore of the originals in the most cinema-ready way possible by actually creating 3D world where all real world's myths coexist and religions are much more than mere ideological cults.

Even though I find it more tragic than comedic, journey with these characters on their mystery was very engaging. Probably, more likely because of excellent acting, cinematography, editing and sound-work than complexity of the script itself, which is also quite competent. One of sleeper hits of 2020.

Despite some questionable decisions that other reviewers pointed out, story, acting, cinematography, score are all well-done. Ending is quite satisfying, surprisingly dark and optimistic at the same time.