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WATCHMEN WATCHMEN WATCHMEN OMG WATCHMEN!!
So yeah, I'm pretty happy with how the movie turned out. I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews, and I think the gist of it is this: the movie was basically a distillation of the graphic novel, retaining the most important parts in lifted-straight-from-the-page accuracy, although forced to shorten and compress some of the scenes and remove a lot of the stuff that strengthens the themes and adds to the development of they mystery.
Well, when isn't that the case?
This is a problem for many people who are not fans of the novel, or are even aware that the novel exists (hint: critics generally agree that Alan Moore's Watchmen is one of, if not the best, graphic novel of all time, and in fact one of the best novels of the past few decades- you should read it, it's good for you), although Lisa loved it... and I think Lauren enjoyed it as well? I'm not quite sure. I gather many people were confused as to what-all was going on.
For me, as a fan, while I'm sad that our friends at the newspaper stand got only a brief cameo, and many of the peculiarities of the Watchmen world were not visible to the audience's eye, and we didn't get near enough of Kovacs standing innocently in the background to facepalm when Rorshach was unmasked, in the end it was pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I got to watch all my favorite scenes in shiny live-action, and go in to flurries of fangirly adoration when Rorshach did something especially badass (or crazy, or funny, or terrifying), or when Silk Spectre and Nite Owl did something especially badass (or cute, I love those two... mostly because Dan is so goddam adorable), or when Archie did anything at all (cutest crime-fighting vehicle EVER)... or when Rorschach did something especially badass. Have I mentioned Rorshach is badass? And that I love him?
I approve heartily of the casting, especially the Comedian (although lol, Papa Winchester), and most especially Rorshach... where the fuck did they find that guy? With red hair and freckles he looks so much like Kovacs it's effing creepy. Also Little Kovacs was great. I am stating for the record that I approve of the ending change. I approve of the soundtrack, which captured a very important element of the novel- music is an essential part of how Moore delivers his message. And, finally, I approve of the fight choreography... this is related to my above mention of Rorschach/Silk Spectre/Nite Owl/OMG RORSHACH fangirling.
I don't think the use of slow-motion everywhere all the time worked as well here as it did in 300, but as it gave me more time to savor the sensation of my heart fluttering lovingly in my chest, I'm not going to complain too much.
...And then there was Dr. Manhattan's dong. His giant, swaying-back-and-forth, electric-blue distracting dong. I am not mature enough that I did not snicker every time it made its swaying appearance. But at least I'm not the only one in the audience that did.
The theater was an experience in itself. I dressed up for the occasion- in my white sleeveless collared form-hugging top with the plunging neckline, my black tie, black pants, black studded belt, black high-heeled boots, black pea-coat, and my slate-gray pinstriped fedora with my hair in a ponytail. I looked damn sexy if I do say so myself. We showed up an hour ahead of time, and I'm glad we did, because that meant we got to stand in line inside, out of the cold. The theater staff had gone nuts; they were all wearing Watchmen t-shirts and pins, and they were stringing up banners. Watchmen graffiti was plastered everywhere, although they were kind of adorably fail at it. "WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?" ran off the edge of the poster, so it read "WHO WATCHE THE WATCHMEN?", and the staff didn't seem to understand what was wrong with "THE END IS NEIGH".
So anyway. I had fun. (≠ ...Watchmen smiley? Yes? No? ^_^;;
So yeah, I'm pretty happy with how the movie turned out. I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews, and I think the gist of it is this: the movie was basically a distillation of the graphic novel, retaining the most important parts in lifted-straight-from-the-page accuracy, although forced to shorten and compress some of the scenes and remove a lot of the stuff that strengthens the themes and adds to the development of they mystery.
Well, when isn't that the case?
This is a problem for many people who are not fans of the novel, or are even aware that the novel exists (hint: critics generally agree that Alan Moore's Watchmen is one of, if not the best, graphic novel of all time, and in fact one of the best novels of the past few decades- you should read it, it's good for you), although Lisa loved it... and I think Lauren enjoyed it as well? I'm not quite sure. I gather many people were confused as to what-all was going on.
For me, as a fan, while I'm sad that our friends at the newspaper stand got only a brief cameo, and many of the peculiarities of the Watchmen world were not visible to the audience's eye, and we didn't get near enough of Kovacs standing innocently in the background to facepalm when Rorshach was unmasked, in the end it was pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I got to watch all my favorite scenes in shiny live-action, and go in to flurries of fangirly adoration when Rorshach did something especially badass (or crazy, or funny, or terrifying), or when Silk Spectre and Nite Owl did something especially badass (or cute, I love those two... mostly because Dan is so goddam adorable), or when Archie did anything at all (cutest crime-fighting vehicle EVER)... or when Rorschach did something especially badass. Have I mentioned Rorshach is badass? And that I love him?
I approve heartily of the casting, especially the Comedian (although lol, Papa Winchester), and most especially Rorshach... where the fuck did they find that guy? With red hair and freckles he looks so much like Kovacs it's effing creepy. Also Little Kovacs was great. I am stating for the record that I approve of the ending change. I approve of the soundtrack, which captured a very important element of the novel- music is an essential part of how Moore delivers his message. And, finally, I approve of the fight choreography... this is related to my above mention of Rorschach/Silk Spectre/Nite Owl/OMG RORSHACH fangirling.
I don't think the use of slow-motion everywhere all the time worked as well here as it did in 300, but as it gave me more time to savor the sensation of my heart fluttering lovingly in my chest, I'm not going to complain too much.
...And then there was Dr. Manhattan's dong. His giant, swaying-back-and-forth, electric-blue distracting dong. I am not mature enough that I did not snicker every time it made its swaying appearance. But at least I'm not the only one in the audience that did.
The theater was an experience in itself. I dressed up for the occasion- in my white sleeveless collared form-hugging top with the plunging neckline, my black tie, black pants, black studded belt, black high-heeled boots, black pea-coat, and my slate-gray pinstriped fedora with my hair in a ponytail. I looked damn sexy if I do say so myself. We showed up an hour ahead of time, and I'm glad we did, because that meant we got to stand in line inside, out of the cold. The theater staff had gone nuts; they were all wearing Watchmen t-shirts and pins, and they were stringing up banners. Watchmen graffiti was plastered everywhere, although they were kind of adorably fail at it. "WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?" ran off the edge of the poster, so it read "WHO WATCHE THE WATCHMEN?", and the staff didn't seem to understand what was wrong with "THE END IS NEIGH".
So anyway. I had fun. (≠ ...Watchmen smiley? Yes? No? ^_^;;
no subject
Date: 2009-03-07 07:22 pm (UTC)There were only a very few things that were glaringly odd to me, and usually for small reasons - and had nothing to do with the movie particularly as I assume they were present in the original. I think for me, the biggest wtf distraction was Ozymandias' cat-thing. Which is silly, but. The world itself was so very normal 70s/80s, with the exception of some unusually advanced technology for the time which I am willing to handwave away because that's normal (Archimedes, I'm looking at you). But wtf, there was no precedent for weird blue tiger thing. I don't understand what it is or why it's there or where it came from. ... I seem to remember there being one other very odd-to-the-point-of-irritating thing, but now I don't remember what it was.
Overall, though, I liked it. And I was surprised to find that I couldn't pick a favorite character, that each little scene that focused on one of them made me like them all so much as a result. I think I find Dr. Manhattan most lastingly interesting, but that may change.
And I'm glad they changed the ending because I don't know what the original ending was so that gives me even more reason to read it. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-07 08:28 pm (UTC)...
Maybe that is a slight exaggeration.
AHAHAHA, Ozymandias' weird genetically engineered pet. Yeah that's always been a WTF for me.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-07 08:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-08 04:25 am (UTC)The aspects you liked about the world of Watchmen are indeed large parts of why I love the graphic novel. Ozymandias' cat... probably should've been left out of the movie entirely, although fans would've complained; she essentially had a cameo appearance, and there was no time to explain her. What you did not get to see about the world due to the movie's time constraints were the technological advances beyond our world's technology of the time, pretty much resulting from, I think, Dr. Manhattan and Oymandias' influence. For one thing, all the vehicles are electric; the NYC newspaper/magazine/comic stand that made a brief cameo on-screen stands next to a recharging port... drivers park there and plug in their vehicles. Ozy's cat is genetically engineered; I'm pretty sure he developed the technology himself. She's present in more of the actual book, and actually explained, so... that's what that's all about.
I'm glad you enjoyed the characters... like Becca said, pretty much everyone who read the book likes Rorschach best, and I do. Love love love love love that man. The actor got him pretty much spot-on in the movie (all the actors did fantastic jobs with their interpretations of the characters), although, like V for Vendetta, the film did not allow enough time to properly explore how completely batshit insane he is. There isn't really a main character, but it could be argued that Rorshach is as close to one as you get... large chunks of the book are from his rambling, crazypants point of view, as narrated by his journal. Dan/Nite Owl has been and still is another favorite of mine... he's just so cute! *squishes him* Most adorable superhero ever. I keep forgetting how badass he is until he's beating the crap out of people. He really is just the biggest geek.
I would, of course, recommend the graphic novel to you. I think you would enjoy it... and I think it's a graphic novel that people who are not fans of the medium can enjoy, in the way that Cowboy Bebop is an anime that people who are not fans of that medium can enjoy. There's so much more going on there than just superhero comics. ...I'm sure Dar would be happy to lend it to you, when she's done with it. ^_^