Adaptation of video games as a phenomenon has existed for about thirty years, and all this time are considered almost a damned genre of cinema. There is a beloved among the people Mortal Kombat Paul Anderson and his own "Resident Evil" , There is "Lara Croft" with Angelina Jolie and the first "Silent Hill" , In the end, there are commercially successful "Detective Pikachu" And "Sonic".
But we will be honest, all these paintings stand out exclusively against the background of other adaptations, wretched to varying degrees. Why Hollywood is so difficult to translate the story from one format to another – the subject of a separate discussion. But the fact remains: most gaming film adaptations are flooded, the minority is prepared. But there is one project that has a reputation of the exception – "Castles" from Netflix. For several years now she has been praised in every way, and someone even claims that she is largely superior to the source. So what is this animated series so good, and whether he holds the bar stated by critics?
To answer these questions, we must remember what is Castlevania from Konami. Despite the confusing chronology and the ornate ENT, it is based on classic horror films about Dracula, only the eyes of the Japanese. In general, this part of the Hajzin culture finds a special response in the country of the rising sun. Writer Hideyuki Kikuti, having seen the films of the studio Hammer , I invented "D: vampire hunter" with his Gothic post -apocalypse. Mangaka Kota Hirano, approximately under the same influence, created the world "Hellsing" , where the Dracula in the service of the British crown shoots the Nazis-Kolyborgs.
Well, the developers from Konami simply gathered all the mythical creatures of the Earth, realized their own, settled them in a huge pseudo -European castle and sent a brave hunter there so that he first overcame them, and then the Supreme Vampire Swamplies. Castle, creatures, hunter, Dracula – these are four key components Castlevania, and at least three of them are in each part of the series. If not, then in front of you is some strange spin-off. Over time, a whole family saga with the participation of many characters was wound on the established formula, but the basis remained unchanged.
In fact, Castlevania has existed for fifteen years – this "Van Helsing" With Hugh Jackman. In the film by Stephen Somers, you can see the same mosaic from retro-storage based on Gothic literature, framed by the action, decorations of Gargantuan sizes and anime pathos. But Hollywood is very fond of milking IP with a developed fan base, and therefore talk about the official adaptation of the game series have come from the beginning of the zero.
On the network they write that Castlevia was supposed to put Paul Anderson, who by that time had already shot Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil. But something did not grow together somewhere, and as a result, instead of a studio blockbuster, it was decided to make a cartoon for a DVD release. It is noteworthy that in order to implement this idea, they attracted a very unexpected person – the commander of Warren Ellis. He had to write a script for a 80-minute cartoon, which could become both the beginning of the trilogy (if it burns out) and an independent work (if the successes are so-so).
It is noteworthy that Ellis, by his own admission, at that time only heard about Castlevania, but was definitely not a fan or expert in the series. Why the producers chose it at all – a riddle. But one way or another, it was he who in the end was responsible for the plot of both the unexpressed full -length and the animated series, which grew on its wreckage ten years later.
So, the 15th century. Principality of Valachia. The healer Lisa was too progressive for her time betrayed fire and anathema. Only now, unfortunately inquisitors, the woman was not a simple witch, as they believed, but the wife of Dracula himself. Upon learning of the execution of his beloved wife, the count had been furious that he declared war on mankind until complete destruction. First, night creatures arranged a massacre in one individual city, and after the highest vampires from all over the lands gathered in the castle to plan a full -scale genocide. Three involuntary allies are trying to stop the coming madness: Sifa's sorceress, Trevor Belmont, the last of the dynasty of hunters for evil spirits, and Alucard is the son of Dracula and that very executed Lisa.
Castlevania fans in the synopsis alone recognize the plot elements of several games at once. Here and Dracula’s curse , And a droplet Symphony of the Night , And in the second and third seasons you can find the details not so well -known Curse of Darkness. That is, the gaming ENT is really taken into account and adapted by the creators, which already distinguishes the Netflix project from the vast majority of film adaptations. Here the name is not applied for the sake of hype – the series is faithful to the letter of the original source. But hardly faithful to his spirit-primarily because of the screenwriter.
Alucard from the game and alukard from the series
Here it is worth explaining what kind of figure is this very Warren Ellis. He has a hit “Transmetropolitan”, and also not such chitic Supergod, Black Summer and much more, but he is more likely in the eyes of comic book enthusiasts. At the same time, his author’s handwriting is very recognizable, and in most scenarios you can trace the general leitmotif – misanthropy. In the comics of Ellis, humanity as a whole appears to be a gathering of stupid, aggressive and led cattle, among which only units stand out for the better, but they are not without sin. Even in the mainstream series from Marvel, he managed to drag his signature gloom, and even Castles inherited it in full.
So in the first season, much more attention is paid not to the battles of Trevor Belmont with the evil spirits of all stripes, but to the lawlessness of the churchmen. The most colorful and worked out character is the bishop invented by Ellis – a hypocritical fanatic, intoxicated by power. First, he executes a woman that she preached progress, and then, because of his self-confidence and ignorance, hundreds of people become food for night creatures. However, the inhabitants of the Wallachia are hardly displayed by innocent victims-this is a brainless herd, ready to expel or send anyone who is at least somewhat different.
Trevor, Sifa and Alucard fight with Dracula not so much for the sake of salvation of local ones as because the fate of the planet in general at the stake. Although the heroes often wonder if the prince of vampires is wrong in his desire to cleanse the earth from hairless monkeys. The same Belmont has enough reasons to dislike the people – the entire dynasty was not the ghouls and ghouls, but the dark peasants. After all, as you know, only the one who is able to win him is worse than the monsters, and it is not at all necessary to be a witcher so that you are spilled in the back. In general, the mother was burned for Alukard for anything, and now he should still unite with a person whose ancestors on a regular basis arranged the genocide of his type. And only Sifa does not hesitate in his desire to do a good deed. Well, for the time being.
If not yet obvious, for family viewing of Castles is definitely not suitable
Such moral ambiguity makes the first one and a half season of “castlevania” deeper and more acute than one could expect even with the most optimistic mood. But this can turn away from the series of fans of the game franchise. Indeed, in fact, Warren Ellis utilized the setting in order to once again raise the topics close to him. Only now they have a rather weak attitude towards the original source.
On the one hand, Castlevania opens a really wide scope for interpretation – the tonality in games is very conditional, at least a thriller, at least horrors, at least a drama. But on the other, it is hardly the series at least someday was a cynical. Romanticism is rather close to her – just take a look at the baroque work of AMI Kojima, constant illustrator Castlevania. Yes, Ellis's story is deeper, and the characters are more humane than in games. But at the same time, sometimes there are simply doubts that before us are those characters.
First of all, this applies to Dracula. Of course, in 123 years of its existence, the character went through all possible interpretations, including the tragic antihero, he managed to visit more than once, but the version from Kastlovani claims to get into at least the three most depressed. Even a Dracula-Belmont from a very controversial dilogy Lords of Shadow did not look so sorry for the fact that he loved to climb.
Half of his screen time, the King of bloodsuckers sits in front of the fireplace, looks at the fire with empty eyes and repeats that humanity should die. As the Alucard observes, his whole war is the longest suicide in history. There is only one scene for the entire series, in which Vlad is https://sister-site.org/spacewin-casino/ shown a truly formidable night predator – and that flashback. Ellis ruthlessly deconstructs the main antagonist, deliberately shows him to a tired old man, and not an open villain, as he was in the games. But whether this move was worthure to belittle the central figure in the entire "castle"?
Sometimes Dracula is allowed to be cool. But only sometimes
However, the rest of the characters to follow it is much more pleasant. Trevor, Sifa, Alucard, as well as improvised Draculas Isaac and Hector boast of a memorable design, clear motivation, and bright characters. In many ways, it is on the relationship of the heroes, their personal arches are held by the second and third seasons … because there is nothing more on.
As already mentioned, initially the “castlvy” was conceived as a full -length cartoon with a prospect of two sequels. And, judging by the miraculously surviving records from the Ellis blog, the scenario of the very full -length script was based on the first season that explains its strange duration – four episodes of twenty -three minutes. That is, the text was insisted and, most likely, was polished by the author for about ten years. Perhaps there were also notes for the sequel, but from some point, Ellis clearly had to work in much more short time and in much larger volumes.
As a result, somewhere from the second third of the second season, the pace of the narrative slows down sharply and goes to the turtle steps right up to the final of the third. Conflicts and upcoming ups and downs are outlined very clearly, but spin two to three times longer than. The viewer perfectly understands what should happen to the hero, but it does not happen. Then you might think that Ellis again decided to deconstruct some stamp and deceive expectations, but no-the main catch is that there is no catch.
But with all the scenario shortcomings of Castles, it remains an amazing show thanks to its visual. You can disassemble as much as Ellis reinterposed the works of the authors of Konami, but no less important is no less important how the animators from several teams were able to revive the drawings of ai kodzima. “Castlevia” formally cannot be considered anime, it is only created outside of Japan and was originally voiced by English -speaking actors. But if you score for formalities, the animated series from Netflix can easily devote most of the Japanese Title. Well, the action in it is just enchanted – there is nothing to paint here, you just need to look.
The series uses some heroes as if for not their purpose. So, the necromancer of Hector has a tragic background and the potential to be a very deep character. But for the plot, it is only important that it is a naive rag
So is it possible to eventually call “castlevia” the best gaming film adaptation? Well, it is definitely good in itself, regardless of binding to the original franchise – this is already a huge achievement. But how many comic book fans with the share of skepticism look at "Joker" Todd Phillips, so many fans of Castlevania will surely take the hostility of the animated series Warren Ellis. This, as is commonly called, is an author's reading, moreover, very specific. Everyone is better than the next brainless blockbuster of Paul Anderson with Mila Yovovich in the title role.