Daniel Laurence

At a time when antisemitism has reached its highest since the Holocaust, a movie that humanizes Nazis and muddies the waters of objective morality is tone deaf at best, and at worst it is the very same poison.

For a show aiming to showcase Judaism, I found it far too pandering to the public perception of Judaism, missing every major opportunity to showcase the actual Jewish experience. Ranging from mildly cringy stereotypes to shockingly tone deaf mistakes and omissions. Irrespective of that, the show itself was sometimes interesting and funny, yet just as often heavy-handed and unrefined. It seems like it’s trying to be the new “Keeping the Faith”, but failed miserably.

tl;dr Writing terrible. Viola Davis couldn’t save it. There was very little story logic, way too much telling and not showing, and an obvious lack of understanding of global politics, cryptocurrency, terrorism, military tactics, feminism etc. It felt like watching a school project with good camera. Viola Davis nails her role along with some other actors, but good acting can’t save such horrible writing.

There’s too much wrong with this movie to mention everything. It retained none of the writing, development, or consistency of the first film. If you like the first one, don’t waste your time. It had a fractured and random plot. Absolutely nothing in it made sense. It was deeply problematic and offensive to autism, feminism, and Hispanic people, the three groups they were theoretically trying to highlight. No more physical disabilities, no more tactics, no character development. Just a swarm of super-coder kids, and magical autism that is better suited to a marvel movie. It felt like fan fiction, written by AI, and then edited by interns. I wish I had the energy to keep going but that crap movie ruined my week. Cheers.

"Castlevania: Nocturne" left me deeply disappointed. I know it’s a completely different writer than the original Castelvania series, and I know Nocturne is not actually based on any of the games (just uses some of the characters’ names and time period), but it’s total lack of good storytelling is frankly insulting. First and foremost, the plot development in Castlevania: Nocturne is severely lacking. It feels disjointed and fails to provide a coherent and engaging narrative. The plot simply seems haphazardly stitched together. Even leaving the season on a cliffhanger is at odds with the original series’ dedication to a complete story. The lack of character chemistry is another glaring issue. In previous Castlevania iterations, the characters' interactions were a highlight, but in Nocturne, the chemistry among the cast falls flat. The relationships between characters feel forced and devoid of the depth and authenticity. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect is the inconsistent internal logic. Nocturne seems to disregard the established rules and lore of the original series and even within its own one season.

"Castlevania" is a masterpiece with excellent animation, a captivating storyline, and intense action. The exceptional voice acting and character chemistry further elevate the series. While there might be a slower moment in the middle, the well-crafted writing compensates for it, and the ending is nothing short of satisfying. If you appreciate dark fantasy and superb storytelling, "Castlevania" is a must-watch.