Mammoth Jones
Member
Great movie to me. Saw it in domed imax. Was godlike.
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Watchmen (film) is really good.
- Thread starter Mr.Swag
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Discotheque
Banned
on second thought i take the previous comment back
it's a pretty mediocre movie with bad actors. the only good performances out of this film were comedian and rorshach imo. and there were flashes of greatness in the movie such as the opening credits, or when the old guy got jumped and was having flashbacks as he fought back.
but it's too long, i know he was adapting a very weighty comic but it shouldn't have been so 1:1
it's a pretty mediocre movie with bad actors. the only good performances out of this film were comedian and rorshach imo. and there were flashes of greatness in the movie such as the opening credits, or when the old guy got jumped and was having flashbacks as he fought back.
but it's too long, i know he was adapting a very weighty comic but it shouldn't have been so 1:1
Wasnt it basically the same minus the...novel spoilers...
squid
Edit: nevermind, guess it is a bit different
I disagree. Matthew Goode was the worst casting choice of the film. You're not supposed to suspect Ozy of any wrong-doing. I don't know if it was a directorial choice or just the way the actor played the character, but Ozy in the film came off as disingenuous, like he was hiding something.
He also had a lisp.
I enjoyed the movie overall despite some change of details. It's ambitious.
Monocle
Member
Yeah, it's much better than it gets credit for. The violence is a bit jarring and the ending is pretty lacking compared to the comic's, but in general it's a fine example of a mature superhero film, worthy of emulation. And it has one of the best opening sequences in cinema history.
What? Can't hear you.
I hated the pirate stuff in the Graphic novel. Skimmed through it
abstemious
Neo Member
I have heard this several times and I'm not sure I get it. Admittedly I read Watchmen several years before I saw the movie, but aren't they thematically pretty much identical:
the nations of the world uniting against a more powerful/non-human foe
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
I still haven't watched the Director's Cut. I really fucking need to.
AlteredBeast
Fork 'em, Sparky!
I personally loved the movie. Saw it with a buddy of mine and we were geeking out the whole time. Only thing I disliked was the butt thrusting on the Owl...
IdreamofHIME
Member
It quite badly paced.
Way better than it had any right to be, considering the task.
That being said, it's still flawed.
One of the things that annoyed me the most: the movie seems to be glamorizing violence in the oddest of moments (yeaaah, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are on a date and having a blast kicking ass and... er, breaking limbs and shit... wow, the comic wasn't that violent, there, was it? man, it might not to be all that shocking anymore once we get to Rorschach breaking fingers for information), and then shies away from the horror of the mass murder at the end (squeaky clean disaster... phew! for a second there, I was worried it would actually register!).
That being said, it's still flawed.
One of the things that annoyed me the most: the movie seems to be glamorizing violence in the oddest of moments (yeaaah, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are on a date and having a blast kicking ass and... er, breaking limbs and shit... wow, the comic wasn't that violent, there, was it? man, it might not to be all that shocking anymore once we get to Rorschach breaking fingers for information), and then shies away from the horror of the mass murder at the end (squeaky clean disaster... phew! for a second there, I was worried it would actually register!).
Yeah same theme, different "antagonist." David Hayter made the right decision IMO as the novel form would not have worked at all on film.
that's only the end of the storyline. Watchmen delves much, much deeper than some comic booky conclusion. Fate, time, space, symmetric storytelling, the nature of the comic book medium, religion, metaphors...
The only point that the movie misses is one that was intrinsic to the original comic and the medium.
The original comic told its story in a way that was pretty unique, due to the parallel narratives, it was a way of telling a story that could only be done in the comic book medium. The movie does not tell the story in a way that can only be told in a film, it is instead a straight adaptation of the story itself.
In that way, the movie does lack one of the finer qualities of the original book, but at the same time that doesn't take away the adaptation of the story itself.
And yeah, the end of the film is a bit too clean compared the book. Its missing that amazing scene between Ozymandisa and Dr. Manhattan. I find it hard to believe such a scene was not shot or scripted...
abstemious
Neo Member
By parallel narratives do you mean the Black Freighter vs whats actually going on in the real world of the comic, or the different POV's that each issue had for the main characters? Both of these could be done in film.
Edit: I might be remembering incorrectly but didn't the graphic novel also go into more detail about the original Minutemen? Is that the parallel narrative?
It was an OK movie with great visuals and a couple of very good performances. Snyder shows both restraint with his style and too much respect for the source, and both work for and against him in the end.
For the monumental task that is adapting the whole thing he actually did a much better job that any would've expected I think.
It was a director thing for sure, his performance, costume and overall looks were all off. For typical American audiences he comes off as villain-y from the very moment you see him, which of course spoils the rest of the movie for the viewer who is paying attention.
For the monumental task that is adapting the whole thing he actually did a much better job that any would've expected I think.
It was a director thing for sure, his performance, costume and overall looks were all off. For typical American audiences he comes off as villain-y from the very moment you see him, which of course spoils the rest of the movie for the viewer who is paying attention.
Count Dookkake
Member
Only thing I would have preferred to see in the movie's ending, would be to see long shots of city streets as every human explodes in blue fire. Fire dissipates, leaving the streets covered with body parts.
Fantastical
Death Prophet
It's certainly a beautiful movie... I didn't love it, but I did enjoy it.
UnluckyKate
Member
it's amazing and even if not as deep as the comics, it's the best " super " hero movie out there
UnluckyKate
Member
I can't believe they cut the Original Owl final fight/flashback scene. It's godamn amazing. The rest of the directors cut is not really needed
Agree with this.
The movie definitely had some flaws (mostly the length), but overall it was a breath of fresh air, told a good story, and set the standard for a mature superhero film that only Nolan's Batman series has come close to. Everything had such depth to it, and I think it's such a shame nobody else seems to be striving to create more rich and sophisticated superhero movies, instead of the same formulaic, focus-grouped, one-note crap we get every damn Summer.
Watchmen was a deconstruction of superheroes , and one of the first to try to show such characters as they might exist in the real world.
Nearly all these characters were meant to seem ridiculous when presented within that context, barely removed from the clowns who now dress up as costumed "heroes" in real life. The only ones who actually had super powers were Doctor Manhattan, and arguably Ozymandias, yet everybody in the film danced around fighting like Neo in The Matrix. Everything in the film was highly stylised, when it should have been grounded in realism.
Many of the characters, plots, and themes explored in the comics were either glossed over, dumbed down or totally misunderstood by Snyder (he actually called the team "the Watchmen" for crying out loud). Some of it is there though, and it's nice to see it realised onscreen at all. Not an awful movie, but it's not good either.
Also, Goode was awful casting, as Veidt was meant to be almost 50 (born in 1939). He was meant to appear youthful fo his age, but Goode just looked young.
Liked it a lot. Still think Matthew Goode was miscast, but I'm over it.
When I read this, not really remembering the names of the actors in the movie I was thinking "if Matthew Goode turns out to be anybody other than Ozymandias I will be surprised." Definitely the only big miss in the entire film IMO as far as casting, everybody else ranged from good to perfect.
blame space
Banned
i read the book in high school and saw the film in college. i liked both. i'm really stupid though. the comic book is better at being a comic book and the movie just kind of iterates that feeling. dr. manhattan's backstory montage is one of my favorite movie moments.
I thought that updating the suit designs to match the rubber/leather fetish look that superhero movies have used since Tim Burton's Batman made perfect sense for an adaptation.
And unless you think the Matrix invented fight choreography, I'm not really seeing what's so "Matrix" about this scene besides some speed ramping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA0SarFs60w
Box of Bunnies
Banned
Yep. In fact ideally, a Watchmen movie should have been more in the spirit of the material than the actual word, being to superhero movies as the original was to comics. Instead we got the book used as a storyboard with a Snyder touch here and there.
MeBecomingI
Member
Agreed. I love the movie. Very good adaptation; David Hayter (and Alex Tse) did a really good job of translating the material the best they could given the restriction in running length of a standard movie. I'm also a fan of the changed ending, too. I know my brother and I had some minor disagreements with it, but I appreciated the grounded angle they took with it.
Also, Jackie Earle Haley was gold. And Patrick Wilson is my man crush.
Also, Jackie Earle Haley was gold. And Patrick Wilson is my man crush.
HalfBakedProphet
Member
I thought Rorschach, Nite Owl and Dr. Manhattan were are cast really well. Was a very good movie theater experience
Messypandas
Member
I loved pretty much every scene featuring Dr Manhattan. The talk show bit, Glass castle on Mars and such are pretty incredible. I also believe Snyder has a good idea for cinematography and fight scenes.
I think some of the hammy acting killed the film, mainly on account of the casting of comedian, silk spectre and veidt. Matthew Goode as Veidt was an unforgivable casting fuck-up as he had absolutely no subetly to the character. Thats and he looked like a whispy twig.
I think some of the hammy acting killed the film, mainly on account of the casting of comedian, silk spectre and veidt. Matthew Goode as Veidt was an unforgivable casting fuck-up as he had absolutely no subetly to the character. Thats and he looked like a whispy twig.
blame space
Banned
the comedian was perfectly cast. you're crazy.
abstemious
Neo Member
Just as you say the main thing i took away from the graphic novel was that it was a post-modernish look at superheroes. Both sets of minutemen were made up of various superhero archetypes and the various tropes of the medium were somewhat critically analysed. To me the movie did a pretty good job of bringing this to the screen and I'm not sure it really dumbed much down at all as I just don't really see the graphic novel as being all that much deeper. Both are 90% post modern critique of superheroes and a 10% look at utilitarianism at the end.
Even the stylised violence worked for me to a certain extent as it contrasted the passivity and literal impotence of the characters in their real lives with the characters they played when they dress up at night. The film did make them seem more competent with violence but it wasn't taken to the extreme. Almost all the characters still remained ridiculous in their own ways regardless of how well they could beat on prisoners.
Yep, there's the other extreme - Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian, who looked and acted like he stepped right out of the comic.
AlteredBeast
Fork 'em, Sparky!
Exactly, not sure what that other poster was talking about. The Comedian was absolutely perfect in the movie.
Ghost_Protocol
Member
Only problem was this was NOT a movie to see in theatres with a lot of people. It feels like it was meant to be watched at home where you can soak everything in.
OrlanisWorks
Banned
Other than Batman Begins, it left an impression. Other comic book movies like Spider-man and such, they didn't really leave anything more than, "Yeah, that was fun."
Watchmen was more like, "Aaaw shit, that's pretty cool. Possibly the end of the world. And I thought Rorschach was a beastly mother fucker, killing rapists and shit. Pretty much became a bit obsessed with that character for a few weeks after that. Sorta changed some of my moral views a bit.
It made an impression unlike any other film I had seen before, so I did find it good.
I liked it a lot, but I don't watch it often. I prefer the comic book. I don't like the licensed soundtrack at all, being most out of the reasons. I absolutely detest Bob Dylan. Shittiest choice of music, in my opinion.
Watchmen was more like, "Aaaw shit, that's pretty cool. Possibly the end of the world. And I thought Rorschach was a beastly mother fucker, killing rapists and shit. Pretty much became a bit obsessed with that character for a few weeks after that. Sorta changed some of my moral views a bit.
It made an impression unlike any other film I had seen before, so I did find it good.
I liked it a lot, but I don't watch it often. I prefer the comic book. I don't like the licensed soundtrack at all, being most out of the reasons. I absolutely detest Bob Dylan. Shittiest choice of music, in my opinion.
Somnium986
Member
Loved it. Read the graphic novel before the movie, but didn't affect my opinion. Was really surprised to see so many on GAF hating. The opening was epic, and is the only thing everybody can seem to agree on.Been meaning to give it a re-watch.
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