Watchmen

[Yari Rafanas]

Spoilers likely to riddle this thread.

I just wanted to know Althanas' opinions on the movie. I have read the graphic novel and enjoyed it quite a bit. I also enjoyed the movie, but have a couple gripes here and there. Has anybody else seen it?

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

I read the graphic novel back in August for the first time. Enjoyed it greatly.

I made the 2:55 showing at one of the local malls yesterday. I enjoyed the movie as well. I'd give it a solid 4 out of a 5, if I have to quantify my opinion with a number.

My biggest complaint was with the music selection. Bob Dylan for the opening montage = win. Everything else... Not so much (Sex scene inside Archie: I'm looking at you).

Going in, I was quite worried about the changes they made to the ending, but after thinking about it for a good fifteen seconds, I have to say I like the movie's ending just a wee bit more than, say, teleporting a giant squid into Madison Square Garden like in some versions of the story.

I also dug the swinging door shots when Rorschach went into the men's room. Poor Big Figure.

[Yari Rafanas]

The thing about the music selection is that most the songs used were straight out of the graphic novel. So while they seemed so out of place in some of the scenes, I almost can't be angry at them for being there.

The sex scene was long and awkward, in part because of the music. I would have much rather they cut some of the action scenes to make them shorter and make the sex scene almost go away in favor of adding a few other scenes. In particular, I would have liked to see some other characters fleshed out just a bit more. Nite Owl I's death scene would have been completely fine to squeeze in and would have helped bookend the movie a bit better.

Swinging door scene was pretty pimp.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

"Nite Owl I's death scene would have been completely fine to squeeze in and would have helped bookend the movie a bit better. "

It's probably going to be in the four-hour director's cut, so I'm not terribly worried.

Again on the intro, the Minutemen montage is probably the greatest opening four minutes I've ever seen on film.

[Yari Rafanas]

Again on the intro, the Minutemen montage is probably the greatest opening four minutes I've ever seen on film.

Fuckin' A. However, I think it was lost on people who haven't read the book. My buddy understood it was the past and whatnot but had no idea who any of the characters were really. Kind of a bummer.

[Godhand]

I liked the movie, but I felt it would have been a lot better if they hadn't killed off the best character right at the start. And then at the end they take out the second best character, so it was like someone took a shit in my cereal bowl and I went to rinse out my mouth with a water bottle but WHOOPS they took a shit in that, too.

[Ashiakin]

I've never read the graphic novel although I do plan to. I saw the movie thinking I probably would not like it, but I did like it (although I had some problems with it.) The writing seemed clunky in a lot of places and ultimately I think it tried to accomplish too many different things. The general presentation of the movie and the themes it explored were pretty excellent, though. I agree that the whole opening credits sequence with Bob Dylan was amazing. I also agree that they did their best to ruin Hallelujah with that creepy, bizarre sex scene.

Also, clear something up for me: The Comedian tried to rape Silk Specter I, but was Silk Specter II the product of The Comedian successfully raping Silk Specter I at some other time or was it just that they had consensual sex later?

[Cyrus the virus]

They had consensual sex later.

I'm seeing this today with a girl, ha. Probably not the best movie choice, but hot damn, I need to see this movie. That's dedication.

[Yari Rafanas]

Yeah, the creepy sex scene is not so creepy in the book.

[Christoph]

Having that music playing during the sex scene just made it fucking hilarious (no pun intended).

[Bloodrose]

I enjoyed the movie overall, but like probably anyone who's read the graphic novel, I have my gripes with it. The ending, missing sections of certain character's backstory, etc... The kind of stuff you're sitting in the theater waiting to see in the movie, and then noticibly realize is missing.

My biggest disappointment was their handling of Dr. Manhattan's backstory. Jon's non-linear exploration of his past was easily my favorite chapter in the graphic novel, and even though I knew they'd never come close to replicating that in movie form, I was still let down.

[Cyrus the virus]

I like all the Ror-in-prison stuff, I thought it was awesome. They casted him well, I thought.

I didn't like the near-blubber at the end, though. Pshhhh.

[Red Kochen]

I read the novel last year and loved it. Saw the movie on opening night and...thought it was pretty damn good, all considering. Certainly not perfect, but I think Snyder did a commendable job.

One of my main gripes was the fight scene in the alley with the Knot Tops. Dan and Laurie were waaaay too powerful for the normal human beings they are
supposed to be. I can understand that sort of thing with Veidt and the Comedian, but...meh. Also, while I liked seeing Bubastis, her entire reason for existing is more or less null with the changed ending. The presence of a giant blue cat will probably make a lot of peeps who haven't read the GN scratch their heads in wtf (even with the previous small mention of the Veidt industry being involved in genetic engineering). Hopefully the director's cut will explain things better, i.e. the origin of the inkblot mask...

I do think one has to really read the novel first before appreciating a lot of what was thrown in, though, like the pink Gunga elephant balloon, the newstand, etc..

[Saerilia]

After the horror of reading Eregon before seeing the movie, I think I'll read it afterward, then rewatch it if it bears rewatching. *shudders*

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

The difference between Eragon and Watchmen is quite simple:

The Watchmen movie had good source material to work with.

*titter*

[Saerilia]

Regardless, the movie bore a sad, pale resemblance, and then only in the characters and a couple of places they went. I spent the entire movie screaming at the television. Very bad...

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

Heh. Yeah, I did the same thing when I watched the movie "Sphere" after reading Michael Crichton's original novel. I wanted to cry. That's why I generally stay away from movies based off of books (and video games based off of movies, while we're at it).

But Watchmen does the graphic novel justice. While a lot of people might nitpick over what didn't make the theatrical cut, they'll get theirs once the four-hour director's cut comes out on DVD.

I also heard that the director's cut was going to see a release in theaters. Don't quote me on that though, anyone who wants to see Hollis Mason bite the dust, Doc Manhattan show off Mars to Laurie, and how Rorschach got his mask.

[Thursday]

Holy shit. It's Yari fucking Rafanas.

Anyway the movie was okay. The best we'll probably ever be able to hope for, but still not the best it could've been.

[Winterhair]

After the horror of reading Eregon before seeing the movie, I think I'll read it afterward, then rewatch it if it bears rewatching. *shudders*
Regardless, the movie bore a sad, pale resemblance, and then only in the characters and a couple of places they went. I spent the entire movie screaming at the television. Very bad...
Should've seen me in the movie theater.
I have yet to see the movie but I loved the graphic novel, so I probably will soon, from all the raving reviews everyone's giving it. I was surprised, though: the critics here in Phili only gave it two and half to three stars.

[Saxon]

Went to see The Watchmen yesterday. Was alright.

I had read the graphic novel about a month ago and enjoyed it very much. My two favorite characters were Rorschach and The Comedian, and I think they casted everybody incredibly well. Most of everything was played incredibly close to the source material. They didn't fuck with The Comedian's storyline, but they raped Rorschach's and turned him into a monster instead of a lunatic, which is why I liked him in the first place.

By the end of the prison break when they ruined Rorschach's interaction with the shrink and made up how he got his gear back just so he can do that snappy one liner, I was pretty much done with the movie. It took Dr. Manhattan's journey around Mars and the Comedian/Silk Spectre I/II drama playing out to get me back into the movie. Liked the plot shift in Ozymandias' from creepy alien that levels New York to Dr. Manhattan punishing the world for being foolish.

But, walking out of the theatre, I thought about what a friend told me what Moore said in an interview about the movie The Watchmen and agreed wholeheartedly. Alan Moore was right, he should never see this movie.

[Letho]

Watchmen kicked ass. Not perfect, but kicked ass. I can't wait for the director's cut. I could prattle on about things that could be better, but most were already addressed. So I just wanted to agree with most and say that it kicked ass. The Comedian and Rorschach in particular.

Also, thank you, Saxon. You were the one that recommended the graphic novel to me a while back during one of our rare IM convos. If it weren't for you, I'd probably see the movie before reading the graphic novel and that would be rather sucky.

[Max Dirks]

I really didn't like it.

It was more of a political commentary than Charlie Wilson's War and it dragged on far too long.

[Visla Eraclaire]

It was entertaining, well produced, and well-acted.

Is the subject matter really groundbreaking? Not these days. And I don't think that you get to trace back the pedigree to the time of the graphic novel.

Then again I didn't read that either... so.. meh