Watchmen - Now with SPOLIERS!

[grasshopper]

Mar 8, 2009 7:43:31 GMT -5 grug said:

Can we talk spoilery talk here?

Yes!

So let lose with what you wish to say. What you loved what you hated. Anything!

As for me, I'll start with what I liked:
The updates for the costumes were actually really good. And the original costumes looked great in their cheesyness.
The casting (for the most part) was fantastic. If that hack Ledger can get an Oscar for best supporting actor, then Jackie Earle Haley deserves the best actor award for Rorscharch. Seriously he was spot on fantastic. And the Comedian deserves a good nod.
The effects were quite nice. From the transparent nature of Dr. Manhatten and almost human emotions found in Rorschach mask, to the technology behind the gadgets.

What I did not like:
The violence. Out of all of my qualms, this one is the one that seems to keep coming back to be. Rorschach's violence was expected, but Silk Spectre stabbing a guy in the neck with a dagger? Sorry, that was really really out of place, and out of character. And cutting off that one dude's arms? That wasn't needed either, they could have stuck to the original blowtorch.
Ozymandias. The actor they had for him was downright terrible. The way he was originally portrayed in the comic was as a man in peak physical appearance and intelligence (essentially a god which is what he almost believed himself to be), yet for some reason they decided to cast someone who looks like Balki Bartokomous for his role. What the hell?
The complete lack of the B, C, and D stories completely killed off just about all of the emotion that the original story had. Being unable to see the state of the world through the eyes of ordinary people people such as the shrink or the news stand guy really made the story suffer. (Now yes, I can understand that length made them take out Under the Hood and the Black Freighter, but they could have still at least had the people meeting at the stand and talking.)
The characters did not feel human at all (except for Rorschach), thanks to the fact that they all seemed so superhuman. The alley fight was too much. The omission of lines such as the bathroom comment by Nite Owl (where he let a perp get away cause he had to go immediately), or about how he felt so impotent by the events in the world took away more of the humanity. Heck, even leaving out how he was serving drinks to everyone they rescued in Archie was sad.
The ending. I actually don't have a problem about the changing of the event. In fact, I think if makes sense for the film. But the pacing of it was terrible. Everything was going along fine, then all of a sudden everything seems incredibly rushed and then, poof, it was over. It just didn't fit into the slow pace that the rest of the movie had going for it.

So yeah, that was my view. Overall, it wasn't bad at all, it just didn't seem to have the emotional impact that the book itself had.

Oh, and from what I've been reading online, a lot of people seemed to be having real trouble with the blue wang, but really, was it that big of a deal?

Oh, and a funshine link for everyone: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDHHrt6l4w

[grug]

Hmmm, well I agree with you about the ending, in that I liked it, but it was a bit of a fizzler. I understand why they went that way, and in fact, in some ways I think it works better that the book as far as the story goes, except that the movie was obviously building up to this big thing, and it just seemed a little small for me.

I agree with you about the violence being unnecessary, but didn't have a huge problem with it. I would just say it wasn't really "right" but it didn't bother me the way it will bother some people and I can't really fault them for that.

I liked Ozy fine. That's just a personal taste thing though, I guess.

The B etc storylines were obviously cut for time, but I understand a lot of that stuff will be put back in with the extended cut release. Obviously they hinted at the news-stand and stuff, so I think it's quite likely that will be inserted, especially since the Black Freighter has been confirmed.

For me the only REAL complaint is that I'd like the ending to have been more impactful... Bigger BUT I can honestly not imagine a better adaptation ever being made.

Christ, look what we nearly had!

When Sam Hamm was scripting, early casting rumors included Robin Williams as Rorschach, Jamie Lee Curtis as Silk Spectre, Gary Busey as the Comedian, and both Richard Gere and Kevin Costner considered for the role of NiteOwl.

Tuuuuuurd.

I like Gilliam a lot, but think that if he directed the movie, it would have been a lot more "nod nod wink winky."

Michael Bay was offered it! Thank fuck he turned it down!

[Colossal Cockhole]

But if Michael Bay had taken it, just imagine all the random explosions! when Silk Spectre goes to serve coffee on Archie, THE POT EXPLODES! when Dan is drinking beer with Hollis...BEER BOTTLEs EXPLODES!!!

I really liked it. I don't think there was anything I had problems with aside from lame "symbolism" stuff (stream of fire shooting out of Archie at the end of the sex scene, for example.). Its funny that so many people took issue with the blue wang, whereas I'm impressed that they had kept so much wang in a major mainstream hollywood film. I think its funnier that I haven't seen it refered to anything other than "blue wang'. a friend of mine who wasn't happy with the wanging actually said that it was worse than Borat. I'm sorry, but I'm pretty certain that "300 pound Russian running and sitting on your face" wang is a bit worse than "blue and flacid due to scientific inquiry" wang.

Ending different yes, and sad for no squid, but thats ok. I want to say that I saw a nod to the squid though (I think maybe as the pattern on Jon's tie right as he was getting trapped in the chamber during the flashback sequence while he was on Mars). it was a green squiggly shape on a black tie. could be wrong. probably am, but until proven otherwise...

definitely want to see it again, but don't know when I'll be able to prior to it being released again.