The Castlevania Movie: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

Olivia Bauer · April 19, 2009, 03:08:42 PM

No this isn't made up...... http://www.movieweb.com/movies/film/FIKiKOMQSN3sOR

I have to be honest... I have no clue how this is going to work...

The whole game you're just hitting things with a whip until an epic battle with Dracula. Movie material? I doubt it...

Joe · April 19, 2009, 05:14:51 PM

This has been lingering for a while. do i think castlevania would make a good movie? YES it would be awsome if done right. do i think Anderson will do it justice or even make a watchable fun movie? No.

Jim H · April 19, 2009, 06:39:37 PM

There's quite a bit of storyline in the Castlevania games once you get to Symphony of the Night and later. Even Castlevania III has a few cut scenes. There's good material for an adventure film set in the universe, but I have no hopes of it materializing.

Mr. DS · April 19, 2009, 07:55:22 PM

Joe said it, it has to be done right and it would be a hit. The plot lines are facinating to the game so I would hope they wouldn't stray much.

Andrew · April 19, 2009, 08:08:30 PM

Quote from: KeeperOfTheB-List on April 19, 2009, 03:08:42 PM
...you're just hitting things with a whip until an epic battle with Dracula.

This describes 90% of my dreams.

RCMerchant · April 19, 2009, 09:14:17 PM

Quote from: Andrew on April 19, 2009, 08:08:30 PM
Quote from: KeeperOfTheB-List on April 19, 2009, 03:08:42 PM
...you're just hitting things with a whip until an epic battle with Dracula.

This describes 90% of my dreams.

Oh,gawd...I wish you still had karma...

AndyC · April 19, 2009, 10:10:31 PM

There's always a chance it will work, and less plot in the game can give writers more room to work. But going by past video game adaptations, the odds don't favour it being any good, and with Anderson involved, it doesn't have much chance of bucking the odds. Could be worse, I suppose. At least it's not a Uwe Boll production.

Cthulhu · April 19, 2009, 11:41:11 PM

I seriously doubt that it will be good. Just check out the director's other movies.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1234893/

WingedSerpent · April 20, 2009, 10:49:42 AM

I just really can see the main action hero using a whip as the main wepon. Yes, Zorro had one-but he also realied more on his sword. Indiana Jones had one, but if memory serves me correctly-he ended up using his fists, and guns in a fight. The whip was more of a tool than a weapon.

Now, I haven't played any Castlevania games since the lousy one for the N64. But from what I've heard, many of the new games realie on more traditional mellee weapons and magic. (If someone can correct me, please let me know). If they use that, you might get a better movie..but then lose the iconography of Simeon Belumont.

I don't think this movie will work.

MilkManPictures · April 20, 2009, 03:17:52 PM

It's a good idea with a bad production team. Anderson is well known for screwing things up... there is no hope for this film.

Joe the Destroyer · April 20, 2009, 11:57:27 PM

One thing I said to many people after watching Resident Evil: Extinction is that Paul WS Anderson should have his fingers sliced off so he can't ruin another video game movie.

The thing with most video game movies is that no one takes them seriously. They think that since they don't have much of a plot to follow, or that since it's very hard to keep the plot close to the original plot, that means they can just give up and make up their own crap. Add in over-involvement from the studio in a panicked attempt to try to turn something into a "hit" (see also: Spider-Man 3) and you've got a recipe for disaster. What they really need to do for any video game movie is get someone who is a fan of the game that can make good movies to work on them, someone who's willing to tell the studio to just step off and stop trying to put pointlessly stupid things into movies. I think Silent Hill was about as close as it comes, and even that strayed a little from the plot.

Unfortunately, it'll probably have needless amounts of kung-fu, nonsensical explosions, and over the top action sequences in place of story, all courtesy of Paul WS Anderson.

Pennywise · April 21, 2009, 01:25:18 AM

The only way this could be a good movie would be if it was part-action/adventure and part-Hammer film. However, Simon Belmont has been gone from the series for some time, leaving the traditional androgynous hero (I don;t know the name of any of the current characters, sorry) to face off against Dracula in his haunted castle.

Anyway, I thought they had already made a Castlevania-type movie when they made Van Helsing.

Joe · April 21, 2009, 10:30:27 AM

QuoteUnfortunately, it'll probably have needless amounts of kung-fu, nonsensical explosions, and over the top action sequences in place of story, all courtesy of Paul WS Anderson.

i think you are mixing him up with Michael Bay. Anderson has one good flick under his belt and that is Event Horizon.

As far as the Castlevania Movie should go, i think it would be best if they did something like Dracula killed the belmont clan and Simon must go to stop him and on the way they're are a bunch of nasties that he must take down with a WHIP. but not just any whip a bad ass barbed mace chain whip. you can also equip him a dagger a battle axe and holy water which all stay true to the game. The original game is really good and even for the NES it is alot better than you would think. In fact i just bought it on the WII. Most i guess would think that is silly but its not just regular dracula. It should be as if we were in the realm of Castlevania and not in a regular setting we all know. what i mean is things would work differently and while some of the same elements are there it would still be different.

Kester Pelagius · April 21, 2009, 12:15:25 PM

Quote from: Joe the Destroyer on April 20, 2009, 11:57:27 PMThe thing with most video game movies is that no one takes them seriously. They think that since they don't have much of a plot to follow, or that since it's very hard to keep the plot close to the original plot, that means they can just give up and make up their own crap.

I hate to break it to you but this is Hollywood's SOP. It's not just video game adaptations. It's Hollywood's attitude across the board.

Did you see the remakes of THE FOG, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, or what the Sci-Fi Channel did to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA?

I also heard the remakes of PROM NIGHT and HALLOWEEN were pretty bad. And the reboot of STAR TREK looks to be following the same pattern. Sure the look of the uniforms is there, Spock looks like Spock, but the rest of the crew are the new young centurions of Hollywood. Not cast according to type or character, but because they are young. Maybe I'm wrong but this looks like it's going to be the angsty Emo Trek that Hollywood thinks will appeal to a youth audience. And that's the problem. Hollywood is stuck in this mindset of chasing trends to make money rather than making good movies.

There's only ONE remake I can think of that actually stuck close to the original, PSYCHO. And that's reviled. I think Hollywood mis-cast that intentionally so they could use it to point to as proof that being respectful of a property isn't financially sound. Which is all Hollywood really cares about, the money, not the story, and certainly not faithfully adapting anything once they turn it into a "property".

Joe the Destroyer · April 21, 2009, 02:52:15 PM

Quote from: Joe on April 21, 2009, 10:30:27 AM
QuoteUnfortunately, it'll probably have needless amounts of kung-fu, nonsensical explosions, and over the top action sequences in place of story, all courtesy of Paul WS Anderson.

i think you are mixing him up with Michael Bay. Anderson has one good flick under his belt and that is Event Horizon.

Have you seen Resident Evil: Extinction? He's becoming more Michael Bay-ish (sans hyperactive product placement). Maybe there weren't so many explosions, at least not as many as there were in RE:A, but holy god was there a lot of needless popcorn BS in place of story and especially out of place martial arts. I know not all of his movies are like that, but that's the one that cleanly sticks in my mind when I think of Paul WS Anderson.