My WATCHMEN Movie Review
I just watched WATCHMEN last night, IMAX at the SF Metreon 10:45PM showing.
Bottom line: READ the graphic novel before you watch the movie–you WILL appreciate what an incredible job they’ve done putting together the movie.
I read the Watchmen comics a couple of months ago in anticipation for the hype for this movie. I thought the comics were put together fantastically: amazing details and aesthetics, well thought out storyline, and I guess I loved it most for its social commentary about our world, its people, and how we behave.
The movie did the novel justice! You can tell that they put a TREMENDOUS amount of thought into every portion of the movie–there were no accidents for anything that they did in the movie. They summed up a lot of the information brilliantly (using the intro to the movie to summarize visually what had happened with the first generation Minutemen), and knew which portions did not need to be included in the main movie storyline. For example, they chose not to explain how Rorschach chose his costume, which is secondary information to the main conflict and purpose of the movie. And as much as I understand the brilliant parallel illustrated in the comics, I’m sooooo glad they didn’t have the “Tales of the Black Freighter” included!!!
The MUSIC for the movie was AWESOME! As my Thierry put it: “1st thought, wow, the music licensing bill for watchmen must have been huge.”
I’m glad that the movie writers decided to modify the original storyline to use something more uhhh modern and I guess believable (”believable” is in a relative sense) ending. Even so, they were able to capture the same effect, the same message in the movie. (Brent and I were saying that this might have been an ending that actually made more sense than the comics. But… it was the 80s–what can you expect? hahah)
I think without reading the graphic novel, there’s a chunk of respect for the movie that would go unnoticed. This was THE unfilmable graphic novel, after all. It’d also seem too long and probably confusing at parts.
Parents really shouldn’t bring their kids to this movie, lest to learn a lesson about checking movie synopses and ratings before going to the theater :x
<3 Roscherman (but… not in that way… you know what I mean.)
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2:06 PM
SUH-WEET. I’ve been fiendish about it for months and since the opening, all these people are telling me it sucks. I keep telling myself that it’s because their pantywaist weenies and are looking for an action film, when it’s really something else. I’m going to try and catch it tomorrow. I have high hopes.
9:48 AM
Ooohhh, hahaha
I actually can’t stop thinking about it since I’ve seen it! I think you’re right–it’s TOTALLY more than just your average super hero movie.
My friend told me about an article that came out maybe 2 weeks before the movie came out which said that WATCHMEN would be THE movie that would show audiences a more mature, more serious side. As my friend said, Dark Knight kinda set it up with a serious undertone, but people may or may not be ready for the “realness” of WATCHMEN’s heroes (e.g. cynical rapist, son of a whore, etc.).
*shrug!* I looooovvveeee social commentary stuff!! :)))
I think I might want to watch it again!!
1:07 AM
I loved they way they bridged different generations throughout the movie, both with props (like the floppy discs) and with music