Watchmen (2009)

[Edgy MD]

I'm in disagreement with all the publicitiy stating that this story was considered unfilmable, and half expect that it's there to lower expectations. Yeah, all adaptations are a challenge, because you have to find a way to satisfy folks already emotionally committed to the material, while pleasing those coming to it for the first time. Yeah, adaptations of complex material is challenging, because you have to cut some without losing coherence.

But adaptations from graphic novels have an inherent advantage in that you already have a terrific storyboard, which gets you a huge chunk of the way to the screen.

[Guest themetfairy]

We just ordered our tickets to see it in IMAX on Friday night.

[Guest themetfairy]

It's very well done, and a good adaptation of the complex graphic novel. Definitely try to see this in IMAX if you can - the visuals are fantastic!

[metirish]

Is it more than just visuals though? , I've not read the novel so would that make a difference in my enjoyment?

[Guest themetfairy]

It's not your typical action movie. The characters are interesting, flawed and complex. I don't generally like action films, but this is different - it's not mindless fluff.

I read the book, although I'll confess that I did a lot of skimming. But I can appreciate that the film took Moore's characters and plotlines and did a good job of making them accessible.

Plus the attention to detail was amazing - everyone looked just they way they did in the graphic novel, and the storyboards were reproduced fabulously.

My daughter, a stickler for detail, did not like how the movie was somewhat gorier and more sexually explicit than the book. I don't see that as being the flaw that she does. Just know that this movie definitely earned its R rating.

[metirish]

Thanks Metfairy.

[Guest themetfairy]

You're welcome

[Vic Sage]

flawed but definitely worth seeing. Captures the spirit, themes, characterizations of the comic, without sacrificing much in the way of narrative. I actually preferred some of the narrative "fixes".

But the cast, while spot on visually, were not uniformly great. Jackie Earl Haley was a perfectly psychotic yet sympathetic Rorshach; Denny made a great Comedian; Billy Crudup's vocal performance gives Dr. Manhattan the emotional distance required; and Patrick Wilson's Night Owl was a spot-on Clark Kent. But the women came off less well, as did the womanish Ozmandias.

Some tech complaints: the makeup was grotesquely fake, from Nixon's nose, to Gugino's aging. And having to stare at Dr Manhattan's big blue CGIed weiner (especially in the front row of an IMAX theater) was a bit much. And the music cues were REALLY annoying. Why does everyone try to evoke 60s anti-war themes with the same 5 or 6 60s classics? It was so cliched and "on the nose", that it was laughable. Something symphonic, or electronic like the brief use of Glass's KOYANNISQATSI, would've been more appropriate.

But that's more picking of nits than actual complaints of a significant nature. Overall, i thought it was as good as could be done to make the source material filmable.

[Edgy MD]

Vic Sage wrote: Why does everyone try to evoke 60s anti-war themes with the same 5 or 6 60s classics?

Word.

I'm guessing you refer to:

"Fortunate Son"
"Gimme Shelter"
"Rescue Me"
"All Along the Watchtower"
"White Rabbit"

and, um,

"The End"? That or "Run Through the Jungle."

[stevejrogers]

Vic Sage wrote: And the music cues were REALLY annoying. Why does everyone try to evoke 60s anti-war themes with the same 5 or 6 60s classics? It was so cliched and "on the nose", that it was laughable. Something symphonic, or electronic like the brief use of Glass's KOYANNISQATSI, would've been more appropriate.

Eh, All Along The Watchtower kind of works in with the title, and there aren't too many songs I would pick over The Times They Are A Changing for that title sequence montage. Problem I had was that the sequence was longer than the song so they had to loop back several verses, a little too much. Maybe just overlay an instrumental version after the last verse of song and come back with a "...for the times they are a changing" as the montage ends.

I agree though, they are overused. I want to say Scorsese probably helped that become the vogue thing to do with the way he uses classic hits as the soundtracks to his films.

[Vic Sage]

I agree though, they are overused. I want to say Scorsese probably helped that become the vogue thing to do with the way he uses classic hits as the soundtracks to his films.

but he didn't do that with AGE OF INNOCENCE, right? which is my point. The jarring anachronisms take you out of the story, and, even thematically, they're heavy-handed.

[dgwphotography]

I just finished watching this movie, and the visuals were fantastic, the story compelling (I didn't read the graphic novel), and the cast mainly top notch.

I have to agree with Vic regarding Nixon's make up - That had to be done on purpose, because Rick Baker was doing better make up 25 years ago...

[Valadius]

It was nice to see the graphic novel come to life, but the makeup person who did Gugino should never work in Hollywood again, and they totally murdered the ending from the graphic novel, which I thought was FAR better than the crap they chose to go with.