I Watched the Watchmen (Part 2)

After years of anticipation, the film is finally out, and I have finally seen it.

How would I describe it? Well... It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• watchmen
• zack
• snyder
• alan
• moore
• rorschach
• comedian
• dr.
• manhattan

[sportsbettingman]

As I bite my teeth together in my best Cheshire Cat smile while listening live to the punk music as The Watchmen movie makes its credits...I found it to be quite worth my time.

Like the smartish animal I am...I let the hype surrounding the film die out completely before viewing...and found it to be quite interesting and complex. I had no former love tie to a comic book, which may have added to my impressive recount of the film.

If all movies were this "bad"...things would be just fine!

[TheLogicJunkie]

Well, I just saw the director's cut, and it was even better -- things were apparently cut out of the theater version that were incredible, like when the old Nite Owl had a fight to the death with gang members who broke into his apartment to kill him.

But, yeah, you should read the original series -- they have it in a good bookstore. And if you want to see the director's version, you may likely have to buy it, because none of the video stores I called had it for rental.

[SlayerX34]

They could have released each chapter of the Watchmen Graphic Novel as a movie over the course of twelve months, just like the comic book originally was. That way, they could have had Tales of the Black Freighter, the news stand guy, less pressure on the actors to convey what is happening, and a more fleshed out story.

[TheLogicJunkie]

Yes, something like that would've achieved a story-verse that was much more organic and thorough than what they ultimately got. The film we did get was only truly compelling and art-worthy, in my judgment, through the opening credits and penthouse apartment scene. After that, its vital signs plummeted.

[TheLogicJunkie]

A.I. was actually a very engrossing movie to me, but that's because of its subject matter: I've always felt like the alienated little robot boy, all my life -- and I'd just been left for dead after almost four years by what turned out to be a Jekyll-and-Hyde girlfriend who was, for all intents and purposes, my one real human relationship. So by the end of the movie, I was totally relating to it, but abysmally sad.

[TheLogicJunkie]

You won't understand why he did Eyes Wide Shut until you watch "Kubrick's Odyssey". But I do think that Cruise and Kidman were absolutely the wrong choices for the film.

[TheLogicJunkie]

I had a nasty bully "friend" in high school who was into snuff films and gory horror films, so I never much got into the zombie movies, what with people being torn apart, screaming, and their arteries exploding open and all that. That's just too much for me.

[SlayerX34]

I think it would have been cool if they released each chapter of the Watchmen Graphic Novel as a movie over a course of twelve weeks. That way, they could have included more story, such as the Tales of the Black Freighter, the new stand guy, and they could have fleshed things out more. And they could release two different versions of the ending, one with the giant squid for die-hard fans, and one with the Dr. Manhattan bombs.

[migca]

Thinking about many discussions like this one, I 'm drawn to a singular conclusion. Whatever it's perceived flaws, this movie has to considered a worthwhile and successful re-imagining of "Watchmen."

Otherwise, I can't imagine that so many avid, intelligent, long-time admirers of the original work would bother to debate the strengths and weaknesses of the film in such fascinating detail.

A flaming piece of standard Hollywood drek would have been quickly and thoroughly trashed, then forgotten.

[TheLogicJunkie]

Yes, that absolutely makes sense. And, yes, I should have said "pacing", rather than "spacing", because that's what I meant -- you're right about that.

So, yes, you're describing the kind of feeling I'm talking about, perfectly. It's exactly what Stanley Kubrick was such a master of, and it always filled his films with longing. (The only exception was Eyes Wide Shut, which I hated, because I saw no chemistry between Cruise and Kidman.)

The Watchmen comics operated on that pacing.