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[Deadly Monk]

Thank god I never read the stupid comic book. Should be a good time. I probably won't let you know either way.

Your right. Now one character will be a raging psychopath to you and the audience only because the director must have been bored that day.

 

[ElNarez]

Seen it this morning. It is exactly the way I expected it to be. Not the Citizen Kane of comic book movies, but a very competent adaptation. The less obvious things from the comic are made much clearer. What has been taken away from the finale makes it more believable, but a lot less powerful.

Spoiler

(This is mostly due to the fact that you don't see Ozymandias facing the consequences of his actions when he finds out that what he did was ultimately meaningless, as men will always find ways to fight each other.) (Also, I hated Nite Owl going berserk after Rorscharch's death.)

Also, am I the only one who noticed that

Spoiler

the computer used to trigger the explosions is called S.Q.U.I.D. ?

 

[Creamium]

Just came back. Haven't read that many impressions in the thread yet, but my feelings are mixed. The first half is pretty incredible, but there are some really awkward and poor scenes starting from the point where

Spoiler

Dan and Laurie get together. The sex scene was cringeworthy. Halleluhjah playing in the background didn't improve on things.

Any important scene with Laurie in it sort of missed its mark because Akerman is by far the weakest link in this movie, acting wise. Laurie and Manhattan's scene on Mars wasn't half as powerful as it could've been.
On the flip side, the best acting work was done by Haley. He completely nailed it. Apart from a few weak lines, Gugino has also done a very good job.

The ending... I can live with it. I hated how there weren't any

Spoiler

shots of the aftermath and we didn't get the final conversation between Manhattan and Ozy

, but overall the compromise made was satisfying enough.

There are other obvious changes from the book, some I could tolerate, others not.

Spoiler

I missed Captain Metropolis. I always felt that Ozy had to stand on the side during the Comedian's outburst, now the entire monologue was aimed directly at him. I figure it was too hard to fit Metropolis in the script

Overall I'm pretty pleased as to how it turned out, but there are definitely some major flaws.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

J. Hoberman for the Voice:
Zack Snyder Didn't Ruin Watchmen
He just sapped it of its superpower.

The most eagerly anticipated (as well as the most beleaguered) movie of the year (if not the century), Watchmen is neither desecratory disaster nor total triumph. In filming David Hayter and Alex Tse's adaptation of the most ambitious superhero comic book ever written, director Zack Snyder has managed to address the cult while pandering to the masses.

More at the link, obvs.

 

[Kastro]

as a "visionary." That's a grateful studio's code word for "competent hack."

lol

 

[jett]

"The most eagerly anticipated (as well as the most beleaguered) movie of the year (if not the century)"

:lol :lol :lol

 

[Expendable.]

...there are some really awkward and poor scenes starting from the point where

Spoiler

Dan and Laurie get together. The sex scene was cringeworthy. Halleluhjah playing in the background didn't improve on things.

Any important scene with Laurie in it sort of missed its mark because Akerman is by far the weakest link in this movie, acting wise. Laurie and Manhattan's scene on Mars wasn't half as powerful as it could've been.

Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought that. Akerman is definitely the weak link and that sex scene was LOL-worthy.

 

[Solo]

Any Box Office Predictions? Being the first big blockbuster of the year, I'm going optimistic and guessing 80-85 million opening.

New Year's resolution: no box office predictions for Solo in 2009 :lol

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought that. Akerman is definitely the weak link and that sex scene was LOL-worthy.

That's really disappointing. Laurie is a such a great character and really needs to stand out among the rest of Watchmen's Sausage Fest.

 

[bggrthnjsus]

And he changed, CHANGED Rorschach's "origin" story. I completely forgot about that. Yeah, he basically turned him into an everyday pyschopath, which he's not. Not even close.

damn that sounds pretty shitty, and would explain a lot of the negative reviews complaining of the lost themes. so i guess snyder missed the point in his slavish dedication

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

damn that sounds pretty shitty, and would explain a lot of the negative reviews complaining of the lost themes. so i guess snyder missed the point in his slavish dedication

N'gai said it best, really. If you distill Watchmen to just its plot, you miss so much of what made that plot interesting; the world and the characters around it.

 

[Blader]

That's really disappointing. Laurie is a such a great character and really needs to stand out among the rest of Watchmen's Sausage Fest.

IMO, she isn't, she's easily the worst character of the entire book. Hell, the only reason Moore included her was to have a female superhero in the plot, and it shows.

 

[dmshaposv]

Well the mixed reviews were a given. :lol

I'll get to watch it tommorow on Imax. Oh well, going in with low expectations.

 

[ChoklitReign]

Anticipations...dropping...must...resist...backlash!

 

[Kastro]

IMO, she isn't, she's easily the worst character of the entire book. Hell, the only reason Moore included her was to have a female superhero in the plot, and it shows.

agreed.. she's a moody bitch. what was her attraction to a giant naked blue dude anyway? kinda weird.

 

[wRATH2x]

New Year's resolution: no box office predictions for Solo in 2009 :lol

I'm not expecting it to do Dark Knight numbers either :lol

 

[patrickthehedgehog]

agreed.. she's a moody bitch. what was her attraction to a giant naked blue dude anyway? kinda weird.

speak for yourself!

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

agreed.. she's a moody bitch. what was her attraction to a giant naked blue dude anyway? kinda weird.

I didn't say she was a gal I'd like to sit down for dinner with. I think she's a good character. The Comedian has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, but he's a pretty great character.

 

[gantz85]

Thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought that. Akerman is definitely the weak link and that sex scene was LOL-worthy.

But she's so hot : (

 

[Kastro]

I didn't say she was a gal I'd like to sit down for dinner with. I think she's a good character. The Comedian has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, but he's a pretty great character.

true.. maybe it's just cause she's female. it's easier to be a male and be badass even if you're a rapist.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

true.. maybe it's just cause she's female. it's easier to be a male and be badass even if you're a rapist.

now you just sound sexist

 

[Kastro]

sorry, i didn't mean to. i just mean that she doesn't do anything particularly "badass" so that on top of her being moody and depressing it makes her hard to like.

i just realized that's the "threesome" chick from entourage. mind blown

 

[Blader]

I didn't say she was a gal I'd like to sit down for dinner with. I think she's a good character. The Comedian has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, but he's a pretty great character.

That's because there's depth to his character. Laurie, on the other hand, is pretty one-dimensional.

Sally Jupiter is the more interesting woman in the book.

 

[Baker]

And he changed, CHANGED Rorschach's "origin" story. I completely forgot about that. Yeah, he basically turned him into an everyday pyschopath, which he's not. Not even close.

I'm fully aware that I am all by myself on this one, but I'm glad he did that. I dunno why, I just didn't like Rorschach's origin story. I'd much rather him be a straight up psychotic (progressively) instead of a wah-wah head with mommy issues.

 

[Big Icarus]

agreed.. she's a moody bitch. what was her attraction to a giant naked blue dude anyway? kinda weird.

Why is any woman attracted to any male in Moore's works. As much as I love his stuff, he clearly has no understanding of what interests women when it comes to men.

Hell. I never really found Sally's decision to stay with Dan particularly justified.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Why is any woman attracted to any male in Moore's works. As much as I love his stuff, he clearly has no understanding of what interests women when it comes to men.

I don't know how anyone reading his examinations of hot ladies boning the elderly in Promethea and LOEG can come to such a conclusion.

 

[Blader]

Or Abigail Cable having sex with a pile of moss.

 

[Apharmd Battler]

Picked up my IMAX tickets on lunch hour and taking half a day Friday. I can't wait!!

 

[DrForester]

He's continuing.

IT WAS CALVINMANDIAS

You might be right

 

[JayDubya]

I've grown to mostly not like Kurtz and his comic, but that is pure :lol .

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Just woke up. Will give full impressions after I get home from work later.

Apart from minor things in the last act the film was brilliantly done. Fanboys of Watchmen are going to suck his nuts for a long long time.

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

Thank god I never read the stupid comic book. Should be a good time. I probably won't let you know either way.

:lol :lol AAA would read again.

 

[traveler]

Thank god I never read the stupid comic book. Should be a good time. I probably won't let you know either way.

I'm getting the impression that it will be those who read the book that both love it the most and hate it the most with newcomers falling in-between. Newcomers will lack the appreciation for Snyder's visual fidelity and full understanding of the plot to really love the movie like the fans who will and, in addition, they'll miss the apparent thematic misunderstandings present in the movie and changes to the storyline that will drive the other side of the fanbase's reaction. So, yes, you might indeed enjoy it more than many a fan, but, similarly, I don't expect you'll enjoy it as much as equally as many fans.

Now, I haven't seen the movie, so I could be totally wrong. This is just the impression that I've got from reading much of the material out there at the moment.

 

[jax (old)]

My group consisted of

3 watchmen fans
2 non comic readers (myself and another)

And we all walked out thinking it was dreadful. It's almost too much like people feeling that they have to like this. This was the cinematic equivalent if eating cardboard. Very bland (despite the amazing visuals which dull over time)


I did like the actor who played roasch and john though. Everyone else was terrible. And I gotta say, it started off promising enough.

 

[Router]

Its ok guys. I'm sure you will all be saying that its the greatest film of all time ten years down the road.

This IS the new Blade Runner. :lol

 

[Kastro]

I did like the actor who played roasch

are you drunk?

 

[Catalix]

Apparently there's a clip of the Owl Ship arriving at

Spoiler

Karnak

available on XBox Live. Spoilers of course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CZ2f0KoWgU

edit: So this is the Hendrix part people were talking about earlier...

 

[Coin Return]

Did half the theater burst in to laughter when Manhattan's big blue junk showed up for the first time at anyone else's screening?

 

[traveler]

Its ok guys. I'm sure you will all be saying that its the greatest film of all time ten years down the road.

This IS the new Blade Runner. :lol

What? :lol

 

[JayDubya]

Apparently there's a clip of the Owl Ship arriving at

Spoiler

Karnak

available on XBox Live. Spoilers of course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CZ2f0KoWgU

edit: So this is the Hendrix part people were talking about earlier...

"All along the watchtower, princes kept the view..." fading into Ozzy and his monitor room...

That's a nice touch.

 

[8bit]

Its ok guys. I'm sure you will all be saying that its the greatest film of all time ten years down the road.

This IS the new Blade Runner. :lol

It needs several alternative cuts before the director's vision is truly realised?

 

[Expendable.]

Did half the theater burst in to laughter when Manhattan's big blue junk showed up for the first time at anyone else's screening?

Yep! and everytime after that...

 

[Lakitu]

Its ok guys. I'm sure you will all be saying that its the greatest film of all time ten years down the road.

This IS the new Blade Runner. :lol

I agree, they're basically saying the same criticisms that Blade Runner has previously received. Woo! I'm gonna love it.

 

[DrForester]

Apparently there's a clip of the Owl Ship arriving at

Spoiler

Karnak

available on XBox Live. Spoilers of course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CZ2f0KoWgU

edit: So this is the Hendrix part people were talking about earlier...

Rorschach is obviously a Cylon.

 

[bengraven]

Very briefly. Snyder totally missed the point of the book. Where the comic was a parody, the movie is legitimately awful.
They lost the squid to make the film be taken more seriously, but the rest of the film is an unintentional joke.

The comic as a parody? I think you missed the point of the book. More like homage, not parody.

 

[ten5ive9ine]

"All along the watchtower, princes kept the view..." fading into Ozzy and his monitor room...

That's a nice touch.

Urgh the soundtrack was entirely composed of the most base aural puns. It was the musical equivalent of threadless t-shirts. Which is why expect half of GAF to love it...

The comic as a parody? I think you missed the point of the book. More like homage, not parody.

A dry tongue-in-cheek look at how pathetic and ineffectual superheroes would be if they lived in a realistic environment. Maybe it doesn't fit your definition of parody but that's arguing over semantics.

 

[Kastro]

Urgh the soundtrack was entirely composed of the most base aural puns. It was the musical equivalent of threadless t-shirts. Which is why expect half of GAF to love it...

fighting words

 

[JayDubya]

Urgh the soundtrack was entirely composed of the most base aural puns. It was the musical equivalent of threadless t-shirts. Which is why expect half of GAF to love it...

...

All Along The Watchtower quotes bookended the pentultimate issue of the comic. So... yeah.

 

[ten5ive9ine]

...

All Along The Watchtower quotes bookended the pentultimate issue of the comic. So... yeah.

Yeah, so I would have accepted that one track. But fuck, 99 Red Balloons, Sounds of Silence, Times they are a-changing. Well done Snyder, you're so fucking clever.

It's not even that I dislike any of those songs, they just felt forced. Esp. 99 Red Balloons. They made my eyes roll hard.

 

[itsinmyveins]

Yeah, so I would have accepted that one track. But fuck, 99 Red Balloons, Sounds of Silence, Times they are a-changing. Well done Snyder, you're so fucking clever.

They don't fit in the movie or something?