The Bloodless Crew went to see Watchmen this evening. I can't speak for the other two of us, but to my mind, I have to say that it was really, really good. I'm not sure about the commercial viability, as the superfans will likely be irritated, and those who know nothing of the novel will not get it. This is a bitch of a novel to translate to film, and compromises had to be made. However, I think that the best way to describe its success as a film is to say that it totally captures the feel of the novel. It's bleak, grim, and sad. What they did with the CGI of Billy Crudup's face to convey the infinite sadness and isolation of Dr. Manhattan, or the absolute purity of Rorshach, the vulnerability of the NiteOwl, and the total humanity of the Comedian... amazing.
Posted by binky at March 7, 2009 11:06 PM | TrackBack | Posted to MoviesI don't think I liked it as much as you - but I still liked it. I thought it had some notable problems (some of the music, Laurie) - but on the whole it was a good adaptation. If I was most impressed by anything it was that they were able to pull off Dr. Manhattan so well. Both he and Rorshach were very well done - and being about to do Dr. Manhattan well - that's impressive.
Posted by: Armand at March 8, 2009 12:16 PM | PERMALINKBut using Boogie Man for for the riot scene was prefect...
Posted by: binky at March 8, 2009 01:22 PM | PERMALINKOK, so I agree with much of this particularly the Ozymandias comments. However I disagree that Watchmen is an action film.
Posted by: binky at March 9, 2009 10:53 PM | PERMALINKEh, I get the point about Ozy, sure - but personally I think the point about Nite Owl is considerably more important.
Posted by: Armand at March 9, 2009 11:10 PM | PERMALINKYes. The sex in the movie was hot-ish, or at least supposed to be, despite his lame and greasy hairdo. In the book he is less.
Posted by: binky at March 9, 2009 11:15 PM | PERMALINKI thought it was supposed to be faux-super-heroes-y - and therefore not really hot (which it wasn't). My issue was just that they seemed to really want to make him a hero in the film adaptation. And that seems wrong to me.
Posted by: Armand at March 9, 2009 11:21 PM | PERMALINKI also did not think it was hot. However, it seemed that it was supposed to be. And the way the scene at the end with them in his apartment with her mom... it seemed like they were spun as the center, as normal, as the "why" other things had to be sacrificed, for normalcy etc. But I don't think that was the sense at all. In the book, they visit the mom, at her place, and are paunchy and not themselves etc. And he has a much bigger panzon, and is not at all appealing. The use of the song there has been getting a lot of attention, much of it negative, and I think I agree that it was bad. However, there is a small, nagging feeling, that by using that cliche song, that Snyder was trying to evoke the patheticness of the pairing... that he is lame and weak, and she vapid, and the song, what they would pick for such an interlude. I guess I hope that is a possibility, however it seems like the scene was played straight.
Posted by: binky at March 9, 2009 11:27 PM | PERMALINK