Watchmen - Page 2

Alex · 03-05-2009, 01:58 PM

My fear is that they haven't eliminated anything. That it is all on the screen but because of the nature of movies it really can't all be on the screen so it is a series of hints and references to what fans will know happened in the book (see several Harry Potter movies and the last two LotR movies).

I don't want a perfect on-screen recreation of the book. I read the book, I've already had that experience. More so since this is a visual book.

But I'll be seeing it (though I hear it is about 23 hours long -- really, 2:43 -- so that may be tough). Probably next weekend, though.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded · 03-05-2009, 02:15 PM

The "Pirate" storyline is being made into a cartoon feature. I'm not 100% sure but it might be included on the dvd release or alone.

innerSpaceman · 03-05-2009, 03:21 PM

I haven't read the GN, and I'm glad I'll be seeing it thru the (IMAX on Sunday) lens of whether it's a good movie, and not whether they did justice to the GN.

mousepod · 03-05-2009, 04:11 PM

Found this link through boingboing. Click on it and then hit "watch this movie". Brilliant! Watchmen as a Saturday morning cartoon.

Cadaverous Pallor · 03-06-2009, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mousepod

Found this link through boingboing. Click on it and then hit "watch this movie". Brilliant! Watchmen as a Saturday morning cartoon.

That was great! (Don't click if you haven't read it/seen the movie.)

JW - I would rather not know about the choices they made until I actually see it for myself. Guess that's just me. I've been avoiding as many commercials as possible, too.

JWBear · 03-07-2009, 12:30 PM

We're going to the 2:40 show today in the Director's Hall at The Bridge.

Tom · 03-07-2009, 06:41 PM

We saw this last night. I hadn't read it previously and in fact knew very little about it beyond very broad brush strokes.

That said, I found this to be one of the worst written and worst directed films I've seen in years. It was awful.

Alex · 03-07-2009, 07:01 PM

Are spoilers ok in here? There may be some in what follows, but I'll try to avoid anything really specific.

I will say that it is a very faithful adaptation of the novel. It does capture the look very well and pretty much if it is in the book it is in the movie. Obviously not every panel or word but pretty much all the foibles, quirks, and issues are touched upon.

And this makes it only a mediocre movie at best. I suspect I would have hated it if I weren't familiar with the book. Books can cover territory with a scope that just isn't feasible in a single standalone movie. Watchmen is essentially a half-dozen creation stories rolled into one thing with a minimal of plot driving things along until the very end when that minimal plot expands into something so big as to overwhelm what came before.

In moving Watchmen to film they apparently said "how do we fulfill the letter of the novel even if the spirit doesn't survive" when the question should always (in my never particularly humble opinion) be "how do we translate the spirit of the novel knowing that the body can't survive."

The literal approach of the movie would have worked much better as a 10-episode HBO series (I know, that is hardly an original thought). As it is, I quite honestly looked down at my watch at one point and thought "oh my god, we're about 100 minutes in and Rorschach isn't even in jail yet." Fortunately, the prison stuff is something that got cut back on. If nothing else the sex scene needed to be cut, I don't think giggling was the intended response to that.

Anyway, it just barely kept my interest throughout, and there were some crazy awesome visuals. But even when taken from graphic novels, movies are a different medium than books and tough decisions need to be made.

JWBear · 03-07-2009, 09:40 PM

I loved it! It was mostly faithful to he book, but there was a lot that was left out - mostly minor stuff that wasn't needed for the plot. The only major change was the one I mentioned upthread.

I think it did an excellent job in translating the theme and feel of the book to the screen.

The casting was perfect; with one disappointing exception. The actor who played Veidt was too young, to thin, and too boyish looking.

A lot more glowing blue penes than we saw in the book, BTW.

Moonliner · 03-07-2009, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWBear

A lot more glowing blue penes than we saw in the book, BTW.

Well I can't say that's getting me fired up to see this movie. How about blue (or other color) female bits?

03-05-2009, 01:58 PM	#1
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	My fear is that they haven't eliminated anything. That it is all on the screen but because of the nature of movies it really can't all be on the screen so it is a series of hints and references to what fans will know happened in the book (see several Harry Potter movies and the last two LotR movies). I don't want a perfect on-screen recreation of the book. I read the book, I've already had that experience. More so since this is a visual book. But I'll be seeing it (though I hear it is about 23 hours long -- really, 2:43 -- so that may be tough). Probably next weekend, though.
	Submit to Quotes

03-05-2009, 02:15 PM	#2
Bornieo: Fully Loaded Lego Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Disneyland, USA Posts: 3,704	The "Pirate" storyline is being made into a cartoon feature. I'm not 100% sure but it might be included on the dvd release or alone.
	Submit to Quotes

03-05-2009, 03:21 PM	#3
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	I haven't read the GN, and I'm glad I'll be seeing it thru the (IMAX on Sunday) lens of whether it's a good movie, and not whether they did justice to the GN.
	Submit to Quotes

03-05-2009, 04:11 PM	#4
mousepod You broke your Ramadar! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,635	Found this link through boingboing. Click on it and then hit "watch this movie". Brilliant! Watchmen as a Saturday morning cartoon. __________________ "Give the public everything you can give them, keep the place as clean as you can keep it, keep it friendly" - Walt Disney
	Submit to Quotes

03-07-2009, 12:30 PM	#6
JWBear Worn Romantic Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach California Posts: 8,435	We're going to the 2:40 show today in the Director's Hall at The Bridge. __________________ Unrestrained frivolity will lead to the downfall of modern society.
	Submit to Quotes

03-07-2009, 06:41 PM	#7
Tom Valued member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 541	We saw this last night. I hadn't read it previously and in fact knew very little about it beyond very broad brush strokes. That said, I found this to be one of the worst written and worst directed films I've seen in years. It was awful.
	Submit to Quotes

03-07-2009, 07:01 PM	#8
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Are spoilers ok in here? There may be some in what follows, but I'll try to avoid anything really specific. I will say that it is a very faithful adaptation of the novel. It does capture the look very well and pretty much if it is in the book it is in the movie. Obviously not every panel or word but pretty much all the foibles, quirks, and issues are touched upon. And this makes it only a mediocre movie at best. I suspect I would have hated it if I weren't familiar with the book. Books can cover territory with a scope that just isn't feasible in a single standalone movie. Watchmen is essentially a half-dozen creation stories rolled into one thing with a minimal of plot driving things along until the very end when that minimal plot expands into something so big as to overwhelm what came before. In moving Watchmen to film they apparently said "how do we fulfill the letter of the novel even if the spirit doesn't survive" when the question should always (in my never particularly humble opinion) be "how do we translate the spirit of the novel knowing that the body can't survive." The literal approach of the movie would have worked much better as a 10-episode HBO series (I know, that is hardly an original thought). As it is, I quite honestly looked down at my watch at one point and thought "oh my god, we're about 100 minutes in and Rorschach isn't even in jail yet." Fortunately, the prison stuff is something that got cut back on. If nothing else the sex scene needed to be cut, I don't think giggling was the intended response to that. Anyway, it just barely kept my interest throughout, and there were some crazy awesome visuals. But even when taken from graphic novels, movies are a different medium than books and tough decisions need to be made.
	Submit to Quotes

03-07-2009, 09:40 PM	#9
JWBear Worn Romantic Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach California Posts: 8,435	I loved it! It was mostly faithful to he book, but there was a lot that was left out - mostly minor stuff that wasn't needed for the plot. The only major change was the one I mentioned upthread. I think it did an excellent job in translating the theme and feel of the book to the screen. The casting was perfect; with one disappointing exception. The actor who played Veidt was too young, to thin, and too boyish looking. A lot more glowing blue penes than we saw in the book, BTW. __________________ Unrestrained frivolity will lead to the downfall of modern society.
	Submit to Quotes

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