Watchmen

Hey all, I saw this move this weekend!! I will give you my opinion (as someone who is a HUGE fan of the book) as non-spoilery as possible, but to be fair, I'll put it all in tags:

Spoiler

First things first, you can't really compare a movie to the epic awesomeness that was the book. The actors they picked were great at portraying the characters, everyone fit, and for that I was impressed. For being such a long movie (over 2 1/2 hours) I'm surprised at how much they seemed to leave out or just gloss over. There is SO MUCH going on and so many back-stories and side-stories that I'm sure it'd be impossible to cover everything. We had a few friends with us who had not read the book at all, and at the end of the movie said "What the heck happened?" and "What was going on?" And here's a big kicker for you book fans. THEY CHANGED THE ENDING!!! They blamed the destruction of New York etc. and the millions on DR. MANHATTAN! Er, what? I never saw any squid alien that's for sure. That being said, was it a good action movie? YES. It was quite violent and graphic (as to be expected) and definately entertaining. I think we were just so excited and had such high hopes that I can honestly say, well, it wasn't as awesome as I wanted it to be. Still good, still worth seeing on the big screen or IMAX. I'll read the book again.

And I'll try and think of more later, anyone else have anything to add??

OtherPplsDrama;52350 wrote:
And I'll try and think of more later, anyone else have anything to add??

Well, I did not read the book, and I was one of those people going, "what happened?" I tend to be a chick-flick girl. But I do enjoy some random movies for a girl with my tastes (see the Twilight thread for more info on my taste). :) I liked the idea of it...and really enjoyed the opening. But I felt like for such a long movie (my butt was very numb at the end)- I did not feel fully connected to any part of the story. Perhaps if I had read the book before, I would have had a better appreciation.

needsalife;52352 wrote:
I liked the idea of it...and really enjoyed the opening. But I felt like for such a long movie (my butt was very numb at the end)- I did not feel fully connected to any part of the story. Perhaps if I had read the book before, I would have had a better appreciation.

I agree. The parts I bolded make a lot of sense, it's what I would expect someone to think having only seen the movie. Read the book!! It's amazing :)

I saw this on Friday night and am still digesting it. I read the graphic novel but am not a crazy obsessed fanboy about it. I think the "unadaptable" was made adaptable and I really can't imagine it any other way. I reallllly liked this movie but didn't love it. There were great moments/scenes but the film itself I would only call very good, not great. I can't wait for the blu-ray, which is rumored to be 4+ hours to take in a second viewing.

I've heard bad things about the movie. So, I think I'm going to go pick the book up tonight. I have a feeling I'll like the movie more if I read the book first. (It usually works that way.)

Insider;52378 wrote:
I've heard bad things about the movie. So, I think I'm going to go pick the book up tonight. I have a feeling I'll like the movie more if I read the book first. (It usually works that way.)

Absolutely. I'd recommend reading the book first, as I would have been LOST if I didn't have some idea of what was going on lol.

My husband and I went to see this on Saturday, I made it to the first 20 minutes, and slept through the rest of the movie:) As much as I love comic movies, this one was very hard to follow, and I guess I was pretty bored!

I saw it today. I liked it. It wasn't perfect...I thought the action scenes (in particular, the hand-to-hand combat) could've been a little better. AGAIN SNYDER: Just cuz it looks pretty doesn't mean it's of any sort of redeemable quality. The trailer was almost better than the movie - and that's a bad thing. Overall, I definitely did like it though. The actors were great, the costumes looked spot on. But wait - didn't they blame it on Dr. M in the book too? I thought that's how the book ended too (it's been a while since I read it...)

RockSteadyVybes;52517 wrote:
But wait - didn't they blame it on Dr. M in the book too? I thought that's how the book ended too (it's been a while since I read it...)

Nope. Ozy had manufactured some alien-squid type thing. Manhattan had nothing to do with it in the book. (Other than going along with it after the fact)

OtherPplsDrama;52543 wrote:
Nope. Ozy had manufactured some alien-squid type thing. Manhattan had nothing to do with it in the book. (Other than going along with it after the fact)

I've got to give the ending a re-read. I kept reading all this crap about a giant squid being left out but I honestly don't even remember it! haha

Bacchus;53129 wrote:
Walking out of Watchmen.

Awww, that's too bad. But regarding the dad there with his young boys----It's NOT A KID'S MOVIE!! Duh.... Well, no one walked out of our lil old theater when we watched it...(and yes it was full)

OtherPplsDrama;53214 wrote:
Awww, that's too bad. But regarding the dad there with his young boys----It's NOT A KID'S MOVIE!! Duh.... Well, no one walked out of our lil old theater when we watched it...(and yes it was full)

Did anyone fall asleep?

LilysMom;53218 wrote:
Did anyone fall asleep?

Not that I know of. Then again, I was into the movie.

OtherPplsDrama;53222 wrote:
Not that I know of. Then again, I was into the movie.

I LOVE comic book movies, especially XMen 1 and 2, I hated 3! But this movie was so hard to follow, I had no idea what was going on. Where they were, what time they were portraying, hell I had a hard time figuring out who the people were. What was up with The Comedian beating the crap out of Silk Spectre?

LilysMom;53223 wrote:
I LOVE comic book movies, especially XMen 1 and 2, I hated 3! But this movie was so hard to follow, I had no idea what was going on. Where they were, what time they were portraying, hell I had a hard time figuring out who the people were. What was up with The Comedian beating the crap out of Silk Spectre?

That's the point though - Minutemen and then Watchmen: Two different time periods. I thought it was clear when they were flashing back and when not. It was portrayed exactly like the comic was. I didn't think it was hard to follow. Oh, and also - my girlfriend was like "Why is he blue." Me: "Just wait." Ten minutes later: "What's up with the blue guy?" Me: "DUDE WAIT. THEY'LL TELL YOU!" ughhhh i shouldve just went alone!

RockSteadyVybes;53225 wrote:
That's the point though - Minutemen and then Watchmen: Two different time periods. I thought it was clear when they were flashing back and when not. It was portrayed exactly like the comic was. I didn't think it was hard to follow.

Well RSV, you mind was probably not as cloudy as mine. That was what kept confusing me, now I remember..haha! Who was the watchmen and who was the minutemen? See It kept going back and fourth with weird scenes thrown in. I love Malin Ackerman(Sp)but my goodness she is really doing alot of sex scenes lately.

I'll come clean. I hate comic book movies. Period.

Bacchus;53230 wrote:
I'll come clean. I hate comic book movies. Period.

I am still taking you to see Wolverine with me!!!!;)

LilysMom;53228 wrote:
Well RSV, you mind was probably not as cloudy as mine. That was what kept confusing me, now I remember..haha! Who was the watchmen and who was the minutemen? See It kept going back and fourth with weird scenes thrown in. I love Malin Ackerman(Sp)but my goodness she is really doing alot of sex scenes lately.

She was topless in "The Comeback" as well, which I thought was a REALLY FUNNY show! Minutemen: Captain Metropolis One of the founders of the Minutemen, Nelson Gardner, originally suggested that a group of heroes pooling their resources could be more effective than a handful of individuals. As an ex-Marine lieutenant, Captain Metropolis was motivated by ending "social ills" such as promiscuity and anti-war demonstrations. Gardner insisted that his motivations were not selfish or fanatically conservative. In 1974, Gardner was decapitated in an automobile accident. Hooded Justice As the first costumed vigilante, Hooded Justice utilized sheer brutality to stop a bank robbery as his first act of heroism. His identity was never revealed, but due to his large, body-builder type figure, many conjectured that HJ was actually former circus strong-man Rolf Muller. After Justice stopped her rape at the hands of the Comedian, Silk Spectre (Sally Jupiter) posed as his girlfriend to calm suspicions that Justice was a homosexual sadist and protect the image of the Minutemen in the 1940s. When the Minutemen began to be questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee, Hooded Justice vanished, leaving many to conjecture that he died at the hands of the Comedian. Silhouette Ursula Zandt, a Jewish Austrian immigrant who escaped the rise of ****** in Austria, joined the Minutemen as Silhouette. Ursula often baited Sally Jupiter about her Polish roots, which Jupiter outright denied. She was later expelled from the group when it became public knowledge that she was a lesbian in 1946. Six weeks after her public outage and expulsion from the team, she was killed alongside her lover by an old adversary who sought revenge. Hollis Mason After being inspired by an article on Hooded Justice's first appearance in the New York Gazette, Hollis Mason, an average policeman, became the first Nite Owl and joined the Minutemen. He helped to lead the team for many years, and eventually wrote a tell-all book about their endeavors called Under the Hood. His book contained the first public mention of the Comedian's rape of Sally Jupiter. Once Doctor Manhattan became a public mainstay, Mason retired from hero work to open a garage, passing on the Nite Owl mantle to Dan Dreiberg, a long-time fan. Mason was killed on Halloween in 1985 when he was confused for Dreiberg by a mob of Knot Tops gang members and beaten to death for the release of Rorschach from prison. Sally Jupiter Upon the advice of her agent, Laurence Schexnayder, Sally Juspeczyk quit her career in burlesque dancing/waitressing and became a crimefighter. After one of the first meetings of the Minutemen, Sally "Jupiter," as she preferred to be called to mask her Polish heritage, was sexually assaulted by the Comedian. Hooded Justice intervened, resulting in bad blood between the two men. Sally later fell in love with the Comedian, even having a child by him while still married to Schexnayder, eventually becoming the root cause of their divorce. Her dancing background and acceptance of **************** comics drawn of her are indications that she is a victim of low self-esteem as well as a woman who desired aggressive male attention. The original Silk Spectre trained her daughter, Laurel Jane, early on to take up the mantle and be a better hero than she could ever be. She eventually retired to a rest home in California, letting her daughter take care of the crimefighting. Dollar Bill Dollar Bill was originally a star college athlete from Kansas, employed as an in-house superhero by one of the major, but unnamed, national banks. While attempting to stop a raid upon one of his employer's banks, his cloak became entangled in the bank's revolving door and he was shot dead before he could free it. In Under the Hood, Hollis Mason's tell-all book, Mason described Dollar Bill as an honest, friendly young man, and rued the stupidity of capes because of the incident. Interestingly enough, Dollar Bill's clear commercial motivations (public identity, hired by a bank) are never commented on by his peers or the subsequent generation of vigilantes who all seem to regard him as a worthy hero - even Rorschach, who condemns Ozymandias for his commercialization, laments Dollar Bill's untimely death. Mothman Mothman Something of a minor character, Byron Lewis was one of the costumed adventurers that appeared after the appearance of Hooded Justice. Lewis used special wings to glide in the air while battling crime. Lewis was frightened by the idea of the second World War. He was one of the four Minutemen to remain on the team after the deaths of Dollar Bill and the Silhouette, the Comedian's expulsion, and the Silk Spectre's retirement. Lewis was investigated by HUAC, and had difficulty clearing his name due to several left-wing friends. The pressure from these investigations is considered to have precipitated his alcoholism and subsequent mental health problems that eventually consigned him to a sanatorium in New England. He is not a main focus of the storyline, but appears in flashbacks, at one point reduced in later years to fragile sanity, unnerving the second Silk Spectre. He is regarded fondly by most of the Minutemen, and the first Nite Owl sends Dreiberg to visit him, uncostumed, on his behalf. The Watchmen was the "next generation": i.e. Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl/Dan Dreiberg, Rorschach, Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt, Silk 2/Laurie, I guess you can throw in The Comedian again too. HOLY TOO MUCH INFORMATION BATMAN

Nice job, RSV!

OtherPplsDrama;53322 wrote:
Nice job, RSV!

Yeah thank you for that, after reading it almost sounds like these are real people. I am having a hard time with the comedian though, if he is running around sexually assaulting all these women, How is he a good guy? I am sure I will watch again when it comes out on video to get a better understanding.

LilysMom;53337 wrote:
I am having a hard time with the comedian though, if he is running around sexually assaulting all these women, How is he a good guy?

His character is quite complicated. There is much more to his story in the book. But, with all these "heroes", there are different definitions for "good" and "just". They all have somewhat different moral compasses, but it does make each character seem like a real person, with mistakes and personal conflicts.

OtherPplsDrama;53340 wrote:
His character is quite complicated. There is much more to his story in the book. But, with all these "heroes", there are different definitions for "good" and "just". They all have somewhat different moral compasses, but it does make each character seem like a real person, with mistakes and personal conflicts.

Because The Comedian isn't exactly a good guy! His morals became very gray very early on...esp when he went to work for the Government. I think what made Watchmen stand out so much was that the characters felt real and that it told an opposite story from what other comics were telling. What happens when the masked superheroes almost worsen society? Or society is undeserving of their heroics? That's what draws me to Watchmen anyways. All this talk I think I need to just go buy the book now!

RockSteadyVybes;53434 wrote:
That's what draws me to Watchmen anyways. All this talk I think I need to just go buy the book now!

I can't wait to read it again! We've had ours loaned out to friends on and off the last few months lol

LilysMom;53228 wrote:
I love Malin Ackerman(Sp)but my goodness she is really doing alot of sex scenes lately.

And god bless her for it! The more I reflect back on the movie the more I like it (still don't love it) and want to go catch it again. As with many people I loved Rorscach and got goosebumps over the classic "You're trapped in here with me" line. I keep reflecting on the Manhattan monologue on Mars. Moving, especially with the haunting score. And I'd like to see it again just for the opening credits, "Times are a Changin'" scene. Maybe its because I am an unabashed Snyder fan. the original Dawn of the Dead is one of my all time favorite movies and I didn't think the remake would even touch it but Snyder won me over with the opening scene then cut to opening credits/news montage over "When the Man Comes Around".

El Rey;53459 wrote:
And god bless her for it! The more I reflect back on the movie the more I like it (still don't love it) and want to go catch it again. As with many people I loved Rorscach and got goosebumps over the classic "You're trapped in here with me" line. I keep reflecting on the Manhattan monologue on Mars. Moving, especially with the haunting score. And I'd like to see it again just for the opening credits, "Times are a Changin'" scene. Maybe its because I am an unabashed Snyder fan. the original Dawn of the Dead is one of my all time favorite movies and I didn't think the remake would even touch it but Snyder won me over with the opening scene then cut to opening credits/news montage over "When the Man Comes Around".

I like Snyder, but don't love him. I liked Watchmen, but didn't love it. (well...i liked it a lot) Snyder's "Dawn of the Dead" was awesome though. I really have to give him props. The opening scene was amazing. Usually, I balk when movies are remade when they don't need to be, but he took a horror classic and truly modernized it for a new audience. It was so amazing, and borderline scary (which is great for me, because I'm so desensitized by horror). "300" is a piece of shit to me though. I didn't even make it through the whole thing. The opening credits of Watchmen were so amazing though. The use of that Dylan tune? Perfection.

The movie was amazing. I saw it the first day, but did not notice the thread. If it weren't for the Dark Night and X-Men 2, I would definitely say this is the best superhero movie I have seen. It is a bit long, and a bit more understandable if you have read the comics, but I was blown away with the movie as a whole.

Dartagnan;53875 wrote:
The movie was amazing. I saw it the first day, but did not notice the thread. If it weren't for the Dark Night and X-Men 2, I would definitely say this is the best superhero movie I have seen. It is a bit long, and a bit more understandable if you have read the comics, but I was blown away with the movie as a whole.

I think The Dark Knight is still my favorite superhero movie of all time, but I think Watchmen is def. my second pick.