Who watched the Watchmen?

[Cheap_Trick]

I did. Went to the midnight show. Going to see it again in 90 minutes.

It

Kicked

Ass.

[Howler]

1. Very Cool!!!!

Mr Howler and I are going to go see it on Sunday.

[frylock]

2. going next week with some friends..

really dug the g-novel. can't wait to peep this!!

[Redneck Socialist]

3. I saw it this morning too. It's good.

I'd even go so far as to say it was very good, but I did find it curiously flat in places though.

[mackerel]

4. I won't be able to see it until tomorrow but some of my

friends across the pond have already seen it and describe it as "bloody brilliant!"

[Benfea]

27. Considering this was the "unfilmable film"...

...the fact that it was merely "flat in places" is nothing short of amazing.

[exboyfil]

5. Midnight show at opening

Great flick but not to the level of Dark Knight. Very true to the source material which may have been its limitation.

Music integration was just fantastic. Loved "All Along the Watchtower" and the opening credits are brilliant as a synopsis for the fanboys and fangirls. Going to the midnight shows puts me back into college again (ie dress up and have the entire experience). We had two college age women dressed up (one as Dr. Manhattan (blue pajamas and the hydrogen symbon on her forehead) and one as Silhouette).

Since my wife refuses to stay up for midnight shows, I went alone (she has never got the full SF Fandom experience so I am not sure how she would handle it). Read my copy of Watchmen while waiting for the movie to start. Real nerdy. I have never plugged into a fan base since moving to this community.

I would hope all fans were delighted, but I don't think the movie is going to be a big commercial success.

[mackerel]

6. I disagree on that score. I think it will become a cult classic and

make it's money down the road. I guarantee you it will be a big hit at comicon this year. This will also make a solid for Zack Snyder's career.

The Watchmen cult following that have already seen it feel that Snyder stayed as close to the novel as a director could have.

[exboyfil]

7. The problem is that only the first generation box office

is really considered in a film's success. Hard to compete with The Dark Knight's gaudy numbers.

You are right that Zach Snyder did a fantastic job with the source material. I understand a 4 hour version of this film exists (or could exist). That DVD is definitely going on my Christmas list (just like the LOTR). I want it to be integrated into a true film just like the extended LOTR - not bits and pieces of cut material.

Graphic novel fandom has grown tremendously from when I was a kid trying to hide my collection from my cool friends. In fact people like me have seemed to have taken over Hollywood. I still think there is not enough of us to move to the highest box office without a little something extra (ie Dark Knight and Spider-Man I/II). I got to think a whole bunch of folks are going to see Watchmen and think, what the heck is this?

[Cheap_Trick]

8. The director's cut is 3 hours and 10 minutes

It will debut on dvd in June or July. Following that at some point will be a 3 hr 25 mn cut with the animated "Tales of the Black Freighter" reintegrated into the film.

[exboyfil]

11. Thanks for the info

15 minutes for Tales of the Black Freighter? Is most of the missing material from the 2:40 and 3:10 framing material for Tales (ie interaction on the street corner?). Tales seems like it should be longer than 15 minutes just in story even.

[Uzybone]

10. I disagree on the commercial sucess part

I will see it next weekend, but I read that it drew $25 million on its opening day. I think it will at least match "300".

[DinahMoeHum]

9. An interesting piece at the link on Watchmen's origins

from Charlton Comics:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=300&topic_id=1164&mesg_id=1164


Before seeing this picture, I'm getting the graphic novel.

:smoke:

[shadowknows69]

12. Went Saturday night. Still mixed feelings about it.

The studios should have let Snyder go all "Lord of the Rings" like three and a half hours with it. So many vital plot points were missing IMO. No mention of Kitty Genovese being Rorschack's original motivation, no hint of the orgin of his mask, nothing about Hollis getting murdered, which basically was the plot point that got Nite Owl II to believe RS's mask killer theory. And I'm sorry but NO FUCKING SQUID!!!! Inexcusable.

[edhopper]

13. I disagree

I think changing the threat from the squid (which Moore acknowledged was an Outer Limits ripoff) to Dr. Manhattan made a better movie.
And though the Hollis death was important in the GN, it was not essential. I have a feeling it may be in the Directors cut anyway.
The more time passes since I saw it,and as i think about it, the better I like it

[shadowknows69]

14. Maybe the squid would have been silly

But I think they should have somehow duplicated the "alien threat" somehow. Also, Bubastis showing up at the end has no context at all. Here's this genetically mutated lynx we haven't met before, and Adrian's plot no longer has anything to do with genetic engineering. It's a throw in fot the fans that makes no sense to the average viewer.

[semillama]

21. I finally saw it yesterday and I agree with your points

While the squid would have been nice, the Dr. Manhattan ending did make better sense in the context of the movie (even gave him an easily understandable motive for leaving the planet in the end).

[Benfea]

25. No squid was a GOOD thing.

There are some things in comic books that would just be damned silly on the silver screen. The giant mutant squid was one of those things.

[Baikonour]

15. Amazing, amazing film.

Stayed about 99% true to the GN (had to leave a few things out for time purposes). The way it was filmed, the music, the cast, the acting. All top notch. Even if you haven't read the book, go see this movie.

And how bad-ass was Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach?

[shadowknows69]

16. Haley made the movie worth the 9 bucks to be sure.

The prison scenes were the most picture perfect of the whole piece, when compared to the comic.

"None of you seem to understand! I'm not locked up in here with you! You're locked up in here with me!!!"

Chills.

[edhopper]

17. So true

and it was worth the $15 I paid for the IMAX!

[shadowknows69]

18. Hate you!! I'd have to travel about 70 miles to see an IMAX

[Retrograde]

19. don't bother

unless you want to count each individual beard hair during the close-ups. I don't think a larger screen added much.

[mackerel]

20. "And how bad-ass was Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach? "

Total class....

[Benfea]

26. Haley's best performance...

...was the final scream of defiance in the snow. It's almost exactly as I imagined it from the comic, and it gave me chills. I actually felt sorry for that raving sociopath.

The line "None of you seem to understand! I'm not locked up in here with you! You're locked up in here with me!!!" was indeed as funny and as badass as I could hope, but his death was the best performance by far.

[Onceuponalife]

22. Finished the graphic novel a couple days ago

and now I'm ready for the film. Will have to wait another week, though. I heard that the newspaper vendor is relegated to cameo status which is disapointing. Does Dr. Manhattan get to rock out with his cock out? It IS rated R after all.

[Onceuponalife]

23. Have now seen it

It was pretty damned faithful to the novel which I appreciate. Dr. Manhattan in all his glory lol. They even had the newsvendor and the kid reading the pirate comic (the two Bernies)doing "the hug" at the end.

[Benfea]

24. Warning to those who haven't seen it yet:

Critics who read the comic generally gave the movie good marks. Critics who didn't read the comic generally gave it bad marks. This means that there are some things left out from the comic that really detract from the experience of watching this movie, but no one seems to be able to put their finger on what exactly that is.

If you plan on seeing the movie, <b>read the comic first</b>.

As a long-time fan of the comic, I thought it kicked ass.