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[AniHawk]

i thought this was a bad movie all around.

the pacing was bad, the dialogue was bad, the acting was bad, the cgi was bad, the music choices were bad, there was too much exposition, there was too much blue dong, the sex scene was embarrassing, the characters were one-note, the fight/action scenes were over the top, etc etc.

literally the only good thing about the movie was seeing silk spectre naked.

Haven't seen it, and assuming it's the same scene as the book, but isn't the sex scene supposed to be embarrassing/awkward?

 

[YYZ]

Regarding, Ozy's story:

Spoiler

They moved his whole backstory to when he was talking to the rich energy barons (right before the assassin), which felt slightly out of place and short to boot. There should have been a much longer explanation of Ozy emulating Alexander the great during the big reveal at the end.

Also, they really should have gotten an actor who was slightly bigger (i.e. more ripped) to play Ozy, or gotten Matthew Goode (the actor) to bulk up a bit. He had the height, but not the size. Comedian was 6 foot-something and 230+ pounds. Ozy basically presses him cleanly above his head AND throws him with enough force to shatter the glass. I'm sorry, but a skinny 6'2" dude just cannot do that.

It was believable that Ozy is a great fighter though, he's exceedingly wealthy and could have gotten all the training he needs to dominate anyone who wasn't equally well-trained. They don't really say much about that in the GN, but it's assumed he does all that during his transformation from boy to man.

 

[∀ Narayan]

Haven't seen it, and assuming it's the same scene as the book, but isn't the sex scene supposed to be embarrassing/awkward?

I felt it was dignified in the comic, actually. In the movie, it was just... strange.

Malin Ackerman is hot as Hell, though.

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

Huh? How was it turned into a joke?

It was a softcore porn dude. If it wasn't a joke, then it's the lowpoint of the film.:lol

 

[SpeedingUptoStop]

I'm still really surprised with how much they managed to put into this movie. When reading the GN, these scenes kind of slid by like "damn, that's terrible", but when you're in a theater with a bunch of people watching

Spoiler

a pregnant lady get shot, attempted rape, a little girl's remaining bones being nawed on by dogs, etc

it amplifies the intensity quite a bit.

I mean. look at this shit, people.

http://io9.com/5165227/the-version-of-watchmen-the-studio-wanted

So the first edit he had to deal with was updating Watchmen to the 00s and the war on terror.

It would have been an updated George Bush-era film, where the Minutemen team had been hunting down terrorists. But Snyder's love for Nixon's Watchmen involvement brought him back to the table, asking Warner Brothers to trust him that 1985 is the right way to start the movie, and "maybe we should just leave it the way it is."

Next up the higher ups wanted to know if they could do away with all that silly back story, and just focus in on Rorschach and his quest to uncover Edward Blake's murderer. Snyder told us about this tricky battle recently, saying;

The funny thing is when we were ready to shoot we had updated the script to equal the storyboards it was about 160 pages just monstrous. They [the studio] said, well we've looked at the script and we've identified three areas where you can cut. The Comedian's funeral (you don't really need to do that), and they were like Manhattan goes to Mars (nothing happens there), and you don't need to interrogate Rorscach. You don't need to know anything about his back story.

and the big capper

So now they've cut out all the character depth what's next? Well, good should win in the end, right? So why not

Spoiler

KILL ADRIAN VEIDT?

According to Snyder;

They said, you could take those three sections out of the movie and you could have a nice tight little story. And I said, [makes a face] 'Yeah eeeeh ok.' Then [the studio continued on] 'You know what else troubles us. You've changed the ending again and

Spoiler

Adrian lives? We really liked the old version where Dan like crashed the Owl ship and killed Adrian with it at the very end.'

And I said, 'Yeah that's really not cool. That's like the opposite of the movie.' I kind of held off. I didn't trick 'em, but I did wait quite a while before I actually said, 'We can't have Adrian die at the end, it's impossible. It's like a superhero movie, then, and a bad one.'

...I don't guarantee you, but I would wager a lot, that if this movie had been done somewhere else or some other way, those are the exact things that wouldn't be in the movie.

Seriously, goddam.

 

[Kreed]

I saw the film and thought it was a good adaption from the novel to film and I really enjoyed it. The only real issues I had were:

Spoiler

Conversation changes: I noticed they replaced Rorschach with Nite Owl for the Ozymandias conversation about the death of the Comedian. This is minor but I thought Rorschach's conversation with him in the novel was better. Also, I didn't like Ozymandias replacing Captain Metropolis as the "speaker" for the first meeting of the new Crimebusters/Watchmen. In the novel when the Comedian ruined the meeting causing everyone to leave and broke down Captain Metropolis and Ozymandias, it set the tone for Ozymandias being the one to kill the Comedian and "save the world".

Laurie / Silk Spectre: I felt the novel did a better job portraying her hatred/dislike of the Comedian after he tried to rape her mother. For example, when Rorschach came to visit her and Jon/Dr. Manhattan, in the novel Laurie and Rorschach have a very heated exchange when Rorschach refers to the rape as a "moral lapse in judgment". I think the film was weak in this area, which made the reveal of the Comedian being her father not that big of a deal.

The other issue I had was her and Jon's relationship, which in the novel was completely one sided with Jon caring about her and not the other way around (with the government wanting her to be with him to keep him calm/under control). I think this was better as it gave a more believable reason as to why Laurie so easily/quickly ran to Nite Owl for affection and made Jon seem more like an "unstable" person.

I also preferred Laurie's dislike of Rorschach and her initial skepticism of "hero murder conspiracy" better, but I'm assuming this was cut for time. Either way, compared to the novel version, Laurie just seems like "eye candy" in the film.

The ending: The Jon ending was definitely more "believable" than "the squid" as far as someone eventually "putting the pieces together", but I would have preferred if the blame had been put on someone/something else like in the novel. Putting the blame on Jon not only doesn't seem "fair" to his character who had just come to terms with accepting human life, but it also makes Nite Owl and Laurie seem even more heartless considering Jon was their friend/ally and they just let him take the fall. Jon also doesn't work well as an "impossible" foe considering he was once human. Jon being the culprit would just lead the US and other countries to just recreate accidents/what created Jon in the first place. I also preferred Nite Owl not being around when Rorschach got toasted by Jon. And like others I miss the "Nothing ever ends" line from Jon.

Otherwise I felt the other changes in the film were good. I never cared for

Spoiler

Nite Owl and Laurie being forced into hiding at the end of the novel or the police looking for them. And things like "Tales of the Black Freighter" and the newsstand guy would have bloated the movie. It would have been nice for Rorschach's shrink to have gotten the same treatment as the novel but I understand the time constraints. I also have to agree with what others said about Nite Owl and Laurie's fight sequences being too violent for their characters.

Either way I'd recommend seeing the film and reading the novel.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

oh BTW anyone find it funny that a movie set in 1980's sure had a lot of music montages from the 70's? :lol

AT least some of the 70s music was in scenes set in the 70s.

And All Along the Watchtower is from that reference in the comic-- the whole chapter is multiple allusions to that song.

 

[StormyTheRabbit]

Saw it last night. Favorite movie of all time.

Yes, I know what that means, its still my favorite movie of all time. This is like my "Star Wars".

Favorite movie of all time, bar none.

EDIT: More In Depth

I LOVEEEEEEEED it. I talked to various people waiting outside the theater and many of them had not read the book, while many had. I figured my theater was about 50/50 to those who had and had not read it.

From what I heard in the audience, they all loved it. Every joke, they laughed, everyone fell in love with Rorschach and the other characters. There were minor things here and there, the biggest for me was honestly how fucking huge Manhattan's dick was. But overall it was perfect.

I stopped comparing it to the book right from the start, and felt that even though most of it was rushed, it would cause me to want to read the graphic novel, exactly what Zack Snyder said he wanted to do.

 

[kingofrod]

The only embarassing part of the Dark Knight (for me) was when the Mayor asks Harvey Dent how he got Judge Cirillo (sp?) to "hear this farce" and Dent replies:
"Judge Cirillo shares our passion for justice; after all, she is a judge."

The Watchmen felt like I was seeing that scene over and over; almost everything in it is cringe-worthy. The little "silk stalkings" music (coincidence?) that starts playing when Silk Spectre II is checking out Nite Owl's ship, Silk Spectre I saying "I'm 67 years old" with a full-on look at her clearly-not-67 face, not to mention the embarrassing sex scene. Plus, I don't remember every Nite Owl punch giving guys compound fractures...

The worst part is that, even when the scenes matched up almost perfectly, something was lost for me. I'm not one of those people who automatically thinks the book is better than the movie (I read it to find out before saying anything), but maybe they were right in saying this one was unfilmable. Everything just looks so silly and campy on the screen where it seemed believable in the comic. I guess these are the differences between mediums, but I think it also shows the difference between directors who can show nuance and character in a comic book movie (Nolan) and action movie directors.

My review: I stopped trying to compare it to the comic book very early in my viewing. As a movie, it's boring, jumbled, and I can't imagine any non-comic fan enjoying this.

 

[Dead]

The only embarassing part of the Dark Knight (for me) was when the Mayor asks Harvey Dent how he got Judge Cirillo (sp?) to "hear this farce" and Dent replies:
"Judge Cirillo shares our passion for justice; after all, she is a judge."

NO MORE DEAD COPS!

 

[Atomic]

Early Box Office:

EXCLUSIVE STEVE MASON EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW - Watchmen (Warner Bros) - $25M, $6,923 PTA, $25M cume
2. Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail (Lionsgate) - $2.43M, $1,130 PTA, $70.13M cume
3. Taken (Fox) - $2.21M, $733 PTA, $112.8M cume
4. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) - $2.05M, $709 PTA, $120.56M cume
5. He’s Just Not That Into You (Warner Bros) - $1.3M, $532 PTA, $81.92M cume
6. Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience (Disney) - $1.27M, $995 PTA, $15.27M cume
7. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) - $995,000, $389 PTA, $130.43M cume
8. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Disney) - $865,000, $378 PTA, $36.1M cume
9. Coraline (Focus) - $725,000, $357 PTA, $63.07M cume
10. Fired Up (Sony) - $700,000, $389 PTA, $11.46M cume


Weekend might be around 62-65 M.

 

[McLovin]

Rorschach is one of the coolest badasses I've ever seen. That line he said in prison was awesome.. plus I lol'd when they where talking about the guy that wanted to be punished and what Rorschach did to him.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Then again, Hitler was a vegetarian only because of his gastric stomach problems.
Really cheap shot of Rorschach tying Vegans with Hitler.

Rorschach makes all kinds of leaps like that-- he's a right-wing nut.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Spoiler

Except that rather than facing an alien threat that dwarves the petty squabbles of mankind we get an enemy that is American grown and touted as an American super weapon, thus creating a situation where America's enemies could conceivably unite against the USA. Stupid.

Spoiler

You see the movie? He nuked New York. He appears to have turned against the US. WHy would they turn on the US?

 

[beelzebozo]

if there's one thing i felt that they got absolutely perfect, it was rorschach.

 

[xS1TH L0RDx]

Weekend might be around 62-65 M.

and what was this movie's budget again?


i'm going to see it again today, so pumped

 

[StormyTheRabbit]

Spoiler

You see the movie? He nuked New York. He appears to have turned against the US. WHy would they turn on the US?

Spoiler

Exactly, I'm not sure, but I think they also attacked other cities as well, so it appears that he was against everyone. I LOVE how "Godlike" they make John, almost making humanity unite against a fear of a a higher power

and what was this movie's budget again?


i'm going to see it again today, so pumped

100 Million or so. Yes, I typed that right.

 

[JDSN]

if there's one thing i felt that they got absolutely perfect, it was rorschach.

Yeah, the only part of Rorschach that I didnt like

Spoiler

was the childhood flashback, the kid had that look from the kid of the omen instead of the repressed anger or just plain rage from the comic, its a shame they took out the cigarette burn, it was more subtle than the cheek thing and showed his ability to adapt.

Also, The Comedian exists and he is Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

 

[beelzebozo]

Yeah, the only part of Rorschach that I didnt like

Spoiler

was the childhood flashback, the kid had that look from the kid of the omen instead of the repressed anger or just plain rage from the comic, its a shame they took out the cigarette burn, it was more subtle than the cheek thing and showed his ability to adapt.

Also, The Comedian exists and he is Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

all 100% correct, including your criticism.

and jeffrey dean morgan was indeed completely fantastic. i just always postulated that if a watchmen movie were ever made, rorschach would be the part that would be the most difficult to get right. oddly, that turned out to be one of the things that, as i said, they completely knocked out of the park (the few things i think work in the film without caveat)

 

[wRATH2x]

Saw it last night. Favorite movie of all time.

Yes, I know what that means, its still my favorite movie of all time. This is like my "Star Wars".

Favorite movie of all time, bar none.

EDIT: More In Depth

I LOVEEEEEEEED it. I talked to various people waiting outside the theater and many of them had not read the book, while many had. I figured my theater was about 50/50 to those who had and had not read it.

From what I heard in the audience, they all loved it. Every joke, they laughed, everyone fell in love with Rorschach and the other characters. There were minor things here and there, the biggest for me was honestly how fucking huge Manhattan's dick was. But overall it was perfect.

I stopped comparing it to the book right from the start, and felt that even though most of it was rushed, it would cause me to want to read the graphic novel, exactly what Zack Snyder said he wanted to do.

:lol :lol Come on!!!

I didn't see it yet but why don't you let it sink in for a couple of weeks.

 

[DrForester]

Spoiler

Except that rather than facing an alien threat that dwarves the petty squabbles of mankind we get an enemy that is American grown and touted as an American super weapon, thus creating a situation where America's enemies could conceivably unite against the USA. Stupid.

Spoiler

At the same time though the books ending expects us to believe that in the heat of the moment, Russia would not just kick America while they're down. While I agree Dr. Manhattan wasn't a very good route to go, I DO like that the movie had more than just New York get targeted.

I would have done something where a fake alien ship crashed and it's engine exploded or something

 

[beelzebozo]

i have to say that watching the movie made me realize not only how much the execution of the ending in the book sustains what is otherwise a pretty ludicrous and hard to swallow "bond-villain" (as someone else put it) plot.

Spoiler

when veidt reveals his scheme in the film, it just seems a little too dick dastardly or something.

imagining how much MORE silly this would have seemed with the ending from the book was really eye-opening to me. i discussed this with some people who hadn't read the graphic novel and they agreed that it would have been even worse.

but again, what makes the g.n. ending work is the flawless execution of what is otherwise a mildly silly climax (or anti-climax, if you will).

 

[Father_Brain]

Saw it last night. Spoiler-free impressions:

In short: a very mixed bag.

I've never been a big fan of Snyder, and I wasn't impressed with many of his stylistic choices. Way too much speed ramping and slow-mo in the fight scenes; also, most of the heroes come off as superhuman due to the stylized choreography and over-the-top editing, even though Dr. Manhattan is the only one who actually has powers. I was also a bit annoyed by how some lines of dialogue were moved around and shifted from character to character. Some of the omissions in the script were also disappointing, although that was inevitable.

That said, the most controversial change, involving a key plot point of the ending, actually worked quite well. I honestly think the original ending would have been hard for audiences to buy, and would have necessitated more setup by way of scenes not involving the main characters.

So, aside from the ending, I wasn't a fan of most of the changes Snyder et al. made, and most of my favorite scenes were extremely faithful to the comic. However, there were also quite a few scenes that were just as faithful to the source material, but which didn't work, either because they just don't translate well to the medium of film, or because Snyder and/or his cast (especially Malin Akerman) aren't good enough to pull them off.

Not bad, not great, but a fascinating example of a director's reach exceeding his grasp. I wish I could see the Paul Greengrass version that almost got made a few years earlier, just to make a comparison.

 

[esbern]

^

you people who are expecting a direct translation of the novel are idiots

 

[Askani]

Spoiler

At the same time though the books ending expects us to believe that in the heat of the moment, Russia would not just kick America while they're down. While I agree Dr. Manhattan wasn't a very good route to go, I DO like that the movie had more than just New York get targeted.

I would have done something where a fake alien ship crashed and it's engine exploded or something

I think that's what made it better though in the book. In the movie,

Spoiler

they turn it into something man made. Dr. Manhattan being a human that got caught in a human scientific accident that became something else...but something that came from and was linked to humanity. The reason I liked the whole squid thing so much in the book is because it appears to be something that happens from completely outside the scope of humanity. Nothing from earth, nothing from man...an inconceivable thing that came from an inconceivable place and that has no kind of connection to anything and that could come back at any time.

I think it loses some of the scope.

 

[JDSN]

Ugh,

Spoiler

Young Rorschach is Snyder's son

, I guess that explains why the kid seemed like he was trying to hard.

 

[Shaheed79]

They're picks for Roschek and Comedian were excellent I have to admit. First and second act were so competently done that even the annoying and sniveling hardcore fans of the graphic novel had to lay off the intense geekdom of "That's not how it happened in panel 128!" bullshit. Third act wasn't as polished and dragged a bit but it still had some good parts. Overall I give it a 4/5 for fans of the comic and 5/5 for super hero based movies. Only the Dark Knight Returns stands taller.

 

[KingGondo]

Just read the review on Slate--she complains that Rorschach only has his mask off for a short time in the movie, "thereby muffling one of the only compelling performances in the film." His mask is only off for maybe two chapters in the graphic novel, too--and much of the time,

Spoiler

unmasked Kovacs is flashing back to stories where he still has his mask on.

I mean, how do you even respond to criticism like that--it's like most of these critics have an idea in their mind of what Watchmen should be, and when it doesn't conform they criticize the original story as a poor directorial decision.

 

[Father_Brain]

^

you people who are expecting a direct translation of the novel are idiots

Please read what I said, and don't put words in my mouth. I wasn't expecting a 100% faithful translation, and as I wrote, many of the most faithful scenes simply didn't work for one reason or another. I just didn't find most of the changes that Snyder did make to be improvements.

 

[beelzebozo]

Please read what I said, and don't put words in my mouth. I wasn't expecting a 100% faithful translation, and as I wrote, many of the most faithful scenes simply didn't work for one reason or another. I just didn't find most of the changes that Snyder did make to be improvements.

i agree with you completely.

 

[Napoleonthechimp]

I haven't read any of this thread but...

I thought the movie was okay however they made the mistake of attempting to exactly copy the graphic novel into film. The story as it was told was made for comic books and the film version of it should have been altered and trimmed for that particular medium.

 

[Future PhaZe]

This movie will be a slap in the face to families that don't do their research. Everything advertised about the movie suggests perhaps something a little darker than a Dark Knight but I think they'll be in for quite a surprise with the brutal killings...nudity...etc.

:lol

 

[StormyTheRabbit]

The only other thing I am going to say is that Watchmen went out when it was written, and made Superheroes a cultural thing. It tied our normal lives into a "What-If" world where superheroes were more cultural than anything.

And I think with the music, the dialogue, everything, Zack Snyder accomplished that. There was NO ONE in my theater that didn't just smile and go "yeaaaaaah" when Hallelujah was playing while Nite-Owl and Silk Spectre boned.

 

[AndresON777]

They nailed the comedian and dreiburg but I hated the bat voice of rorschach. I didnt like the Doc's voice either, he sounded like one of the alien preachers in mass effect.

Overall an enjoyable flick but I'm glad I read the GN first.

Ozy was horrible too

 

[BeEatNU]

I went to midnight showing last night, I came out pretty unsatisfied. I didn't read the book but the movie felt a bit meh

 

[GuessWho]

it was pretty good, but not great. 7.5/10 too many awkward moments, and the music choices were simply laughable.
btw can anyone tell us non-readers what is the difference between the movie and the gn's ending? thx

 

[adamsappel]

This movie will be a slap in the face to families that don't do their research. Everything advertised about the movie suggests perhaps something a little darker than a Dark Knight but I think they'll be in for quite a surprise with the brutal killings...nudity...etc.

:lol

Bad parenting is bad. IT'S RATED "R"! Considering how close I think a lot of PG-13 films skirt that edge, I would never take a young child to an R-rated movie nowadays without seeing it first. And I would certainly reject Watchmen as inappropriate for any non-teen.

 

[bionic77]

I went to midnight showing last night, I came out pretty unsatisfied. I didn't read the book but the movie felt a bit meh

I agree. I am pretty sure that this movie is just going to be too weird for the general populace and I don't see it having legs at all.

I didn't really see the need for the movie to be as graphic as it was. On the one hand I will never complain of gratuitous hot female nudity, but the sex scenes were really awkward and unnecessary. Just like showing Manhattan's blue dong every 15 minutes. Would it have been so hard for him to have worn shorts?

Only character I really liked was Rorschach and that was mainly due to the actor's delivery.

 

[Struct09]

One liberty that the movie took that I thought was pretty ballsy:

Spoiler

The Comedian killing JFK.

I'm surprised I haven't seen people riled up over that yet.

EDIT: Nevermind, explained below

 

[border]

One liberty that the movie took that I thought was pretty ballsy:

Spoiler

The Comedian killing JFK.

I'm surprised I haven't seen people riled up over that yet.

Probably because the graphic novel almost explicitly said he did it anyway.

 

[Struct09]

Probably because the graphic novel almost explicitly said he did it anyway.

Really? I've been over the graphic novel twice and didn't catch that.

 

[MisterHero]

One liberty that the movie took that I thought was pretty ballsy:

Spoiler

The Comedian killing JFK.

I'm surprised I haven't seen people riled up over that yet.

GRASSY KNOLL GRASSY KNOLL

 

[DrForester]

Really? I've been over the graphic novel twice and didn't catch that.

It makes mention to him being in Dallas that day.

 

[border]

Chapter 9, Page 20

Comedian: [to dinner party guest] "Nah, I'm clean guys. Just don't ask where I was when I heard about JFK."
Guest: "Ha ha ha! That's good! Dick'll love that."

 

[Struct09]

Chapter 9, Page 20

Comedian: [to dinner party guest] "Nah, I'm clean guys. Just don't ask where I was when I heard about JFK."
Guest: "Ha ha ha! That's good! Dick'll love that."

Hah, I remember that line, but it never clicked.

 

[Ermc_G6]

Saw it the other night.

I liked some aspects of the film, and disliked others, coming out to an overall verdict of "dislike"

I never read the book though, so Its hard to say if I just don't like the film, or the story all together.

 

[george_us]

The only thing I didn't like about Rorschach was that I thought he was a bit too expressive in his movements (i.e. a lot of head bobbing). I always imagined him to be fairly emotionless and even tempered in the comic, but other than that the actor who played him did a hell of a job. Can't really say the same for the rest of the actors (who ranged from average to horrible). His

Spoiler

death scene was actually better on screen than it was in novel in my opnion.

 

[AndresON777]

The only thing I didn't like about Rorschach was that I thought he was a bit too expressive in his movements (i.e. a lot of head bobbing). I always imagined him to be fairly emotionless and even tempered in the comic, but other than that the actor who played him did a hell of a job. Can't really say the same for the rest of the actors (who ranged from average to horrible). His

Spoiler

death scene was actually better on screen than it was in novel in my opnion.

Spoiler

not really he almost cries in the movie in the GN he's gangsta and just screams 'do it!'. I always imagined roschach to have a monotone weirdo voice...I didnt think he'd sound like christian bale

 

[birdman]

Spoiler

not really he almost cries in the movie in the GN he's gangsta and just screams 'do it!'. I always imagined roschach to have a monotone weirdo voice...I didnt think he'd sound like christian bale

Spoiler

At least in his Bale voice you can understand him. If anything I expected a more monotone from Dr. Manhattan, but that didn't detract from the movie for me.

 

[MisterHero]

It was amazing how Young Walter and Old Walter looked so similar and when he pushes Manhattan to kill him you can see him returning to the pain he suffered as a child.

I really liked that scene.