Who's Watched The Watchmen?

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

So, after countless mixed reviews from just about everywhere else, i decided i want to know what Wrestlezone thinks of it.

Here's how i felt, and i want to know who's seen Watchmen, but never read the book, and your impressions, as well as those who've done both. First off, is my experience:

Now, I for one, made sure to read reviews by people who've actually read Alan Moore's groundbreaking epic masterpiece, so as to prepare myself for the things that would piss me off the most.

The majority of them made the point of saying that the ending was obvious, as well as significantly different to the origianl, and the overall feel of the story no where near reaches the apocolyptic feel of Moore's book, and of course, it completely omits certain elements altogether.

Since David Hayter was one of the people invovled in the writing of the screenplay, i decided to give the movie a chance. He'd given me well over a decade's worth of quality entertainment as Solid Snake, so i thought i'd back him with Watchmen as well.

Anyway.....

I then went to watch the movie at my local Odeon, and some 2 3/4 hours later, i came out feeling........ surprisingly satisfied.

I actually enjoyed the film quite a bit. The pace was well done, and while they are quite a few things glossed over entirely or significantly condensed, the main points still came across.

Here's one example for anyone who's read but not watched Watchmen yet: The news vendor and the black kid reading 'The Black Frieghter' appear on screen maybe twice, and nothing more. (Now, while not really being important to the plot at all, they were still a significant part of Moore's novel.)

The acting isn't going to draw any nominations for anything i imagine. The two characters that i feel anyone with taste will love, and fans of the novel probably love the most as well, are done perfectly. The other 4 aren't quite so much.

The fight scenes are the same as '300' except most of the characters are fully clothed, and it's in the streets of New York.

Anyway, i'm babbling. Who's seen Watchmen, had you read the book before hand (and if you hadn't but you've seen the film, will you read the book now?) and what did you think?

Discuss

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I thought most of the scenes involving Dr. Manhattan were incredibly boring. I though Silk Spectre & Ozymandias weren't as well rounded as they should have been. I thought the ending was a change for the better. I thought they'd have been better off focusing soley on Rorschach as the protagonist, with the others being in his story, instead of them all sharing it.

They also could have shaved a good 10 minutes off the thing if there wasn't all that stupid slow motion shit every few seconds.

I also think I'll appreciate it all the more once I've seen it again.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

A friend of mine from work actually ordered an animated DVD of the actual comic. It's not animated properly, just things moving around on the screen, and only one guy does all the voices, but it's the novel in its entirety. Split into episodes consisting just under 5 hours in total, it's been a good watch. The news vendor/black kid's bits are all in there, plus the lesbian cab driver, plus the novelist that goes missing crops up AND the two cops that follow Nite Owl and Rorschach around, and they have all of Rorschach's meetings with Dr Long in there as well. They even keep in the random quotes from Einstein and others from the end of each chapter as well.

As much as i enjoyed the film, i've enjoyed watching that maybe even a little bit more.

But otherwise, i more or less agree with you Jake. I didn't find Manhattan boring tbh, but yeah Ozymandias didn't feel right at all, and Silk Spectre wasn't great, but i found Drieberg acceptable, thought the Comedian was good (although other reviews didn't feel they captured the character properly), but Rorschach was dead on from my perspective, which to be honest makes up for everything else they missed imo.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I've read that almost all of the novel was filed, and you'll have the option of watching a 4.5 hour cut of the film on DVD. But I thought it was long as it was, so hopefully they paragraph it and make it into smaller chunks. With proper stop gaps in between.

It'll be intresting watching it with the animated Black Freighter inserted.

 

[secret titan]

When I went to see the movie, I was expecting something completely different. I never did read the novel, so I didn't really know the story behind the movie. I thought the movie was a little slow at times, but again it wasn't what I was expecting. I would see it again though.

In all, it was a decent movie.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Let me ask you then secret titan, did you work out who the villain was early on, or did you not work it out until it was revealed? Because that was something a lot of critics brought up.

Also, what was your favourite part? Mine personally, was Rorschach's flashback of how he 'became' Rorschach, with the German Shepahrds and the 6 yr old girl etc (don't want to ruin it for others by going into detail), but it was my favourite in the book as well.

 

[secret titan]

I honestly didn't know until it was revealed. Perhaps I missed out on some forshadowing or something, but it did indeed surprise me.


My favorite part was naked Dr. Manhattan.......... lmao!


Just kidding. I didn't really have a certain part that I liked better than others, but the Rorschach part was one of the best.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

One thing i thought was quite humorous, was that during the opening credits of the film, it shows the Comedian being responsible for JFKs assasination (shooting him from a position where anyone and everyone could see him, i might add).

Yet in the book, that never happens. Instead during one of Silk Spectre's flashbacks, she remembers a dinner held in Blake's honour, and during some of the dialogue, he's talking to Gerald Ford (i think), plus some of Nixon's advisors, and they're standing around joking, and Blake turns around and says, 'just don't ask me where i was when i found out about JFK'.

I found it funny that Snyder and Hayter decided to translate that into him actually killing JFK in the film.

I also totally forgot the 'Pagliacci' joke as well, so that made me chuckle

 

[LigerBomb]

One thing i thought was quite humorous, was that during the opening credits of the film, it shows the Comedian being responsible for JFKs assasination (shooting him from a position where anyone and everyone could see him, i might add).

Yet in the book, that never happens. Instead during one of Silk Spectre's flashbacks, she remembers a dinner held in Blake's honour, and during some of the dialogue, he's talking to Gerald Ford (i think), plus some of Nixon's advisors, and they're standing around joking, and Blake turns around and says, 'just don't ask me where i was when i found out about JFK'.

I found it funny that Snyder and Hayter decided to translate that into him actually killing JFK in the film.

I also totally forgot the 'Pagliacci' joke as well, so that made me chuckle

There's also another inference of him being behind the Kennedy assassination late in the books as either Manhattan or Veidt make mention of the Comedian and Nixon being "in Dallas without good reason" the day Kennedy got shot. Can't remember it off hand, paraphrased of course.