Watchmen

[Perpetual Man]

Well it was enough to draw me back to the cinema for the first time in a looooong while, and I really enjoyed it. Yes I have read the graphic novel, and went with a friend who had not.

We both came out thoroughly entertained. I felt that Snyder had caught the heart of the comic, but that there were enough changes to justify it all.

This s not just a comic lterally translated to the big screen, it is as much an adaptation as Lord of the Rings, with things changed to suit the medium - most especially the ending - which dare I say I thought more logical than the original. The new ending works better on the big screen, while the original ending works better in the comic format.

It seems that Watchmen is splitting people into different camps, which is something that the original has always done!

 

[Marky Lazer]

I'm pretty sure Alan Moore disagrees.

 

[Shoegaze99]

Every line of dialogue in the comic is in the film, every frame of the comic is in the film. They comic has not been "translated" into a film. And since the two media are different, what works for one doesn't work for the other. Which is why Watchmen doesn't actually work very well as a film.

I agree completely. Had the work actually been adapted for film rather than just moved to different medium a much better film would have been the result.

 

[Fried Egg]

I've only just read the novel and I liked it. Now I'm fired up for watching the film.

I would have thought that adapting a graphic novel to the big screen should be far easier than adapting a standard novel for the simple reason that everyone's sharing the same imagery. In a normal book, everyone evokes their own mental imagery and any film adaption is bound to fall short.

That said, it is quite complex in structure, more complex than any film that springs to film. If they've adopted the same approach, I imagine it could be a bit much, especially if you've not read the novel before.

 

[HoopyFrood]

The first time I watched the film, I hadn't read the graphic novel. I was a little confused at the start, but I generally love films that have been adapted from comics and graphic novels, so was caught up in the visual aspects. By the time it had finished, I had been blown away by it and thought it the best film I'd seen in a very long time.

I then bought the graphic novel pretty quick-sharp, and possibly enjoyed that even more. I guess one thing that the film lacks is the really deep characterisation in the novel, and also the extra, peripheral characters add to the overall effect of the novel, particularly near the end when they're all gathered in the same spot just as Ozymandias implements his plan. And also the relationship between Walter and the psychologist, which isn't explored so much in the film; how much the psychologist is changed through his brief meetings with Walter.

I then watched the film again a week later, just because I loved it so much. I can't wait until it's released on DVD. It really was very faithful to the graphic novel, although I am somewhat glad that they changed the ending; I don't know how well the giant squid thing would've worked on screen.

It is just a brilliant, multi-layered narrative, with all these characters with very different perspectives on the world, and how such perspectives ultimately clash. I love Ozymandias, he was without a doubt my favourite character. And his plan of having to kill millions in order to unite the world and save billions...awesome stuff. And he has the best line ever, about "...doing it thirty five minutes ago". That's how it's done properly.

Even when a film and a book are so faithfully adhered to through adaption, I try not to compare and contrast them. Both have their merits and their disadvantages. I personally love both aspects of Watchmen, the book for its characterisation and its complex narrative lines, the film for being so visually brilliant and, for want of a phrase, breath-taking in its scope.

 

[Robert Bleasdale]

Watchmen was my allegorical first hit of crack. I bought it to familiarize myself because of the hullabaloo around the movie. I could not put it down. When I finished it I had to buy more, and more, and more. When it came out I saw the movie - and loved it. Despite my reservations and the ending, I still loved it.

When I finished all of my subsequent purchases I read Watchmen again, waiting for my next purchases. I don't really do super heroes, but Watchmen is different somehow. I've read all of subsequent, subsequent purchases. I wonder what I'll read next...

 

[Patrick Mahon]

Has anyone got the DVD of the film, which has just come out?

Just wondering how it comes across on the small screen? And are there any extras on the DVD that would make it particularly worth buying?

 

[ktabic]

I got my DVD of Watchmen over a week ago. Still a good film, although nothing compares to cinema sized screens. I'm partly convinced they have added a few small scenes for the DVD, although that is probably my memory rather then reality. Haven't had the time to watch any of the extras yet.

 

[Patrick Mahon]

The issue of extra scenes is confusing me, too. On the website, it suggests that the DVD has ?24? minutes of added scenes. But there's no mention of this on the packaging of either the 1 disc or 2 disc versions I looked at in the shops this morning.

Can anyone confirm/deny whether the DVD version(s) are longer than the version that was shown in the cinema?

 

[HoopyFrood]

My friend and I particularly have been eagerly waiting for the release of this; but when my friend went to buy it, he decided not to because we were hoping it would be the extended version. Another friend has a copy and it seems to be just the film as it was shown in the cinema (indeed, Wiki says its theatrical cut was 162 minutes; friend's copy says 155 minutes...) There also seems to be another version out at the moment that has extra bits in the form of "the making of" and whatnot.

First friend said that apparently the extended version will be released (conveniently) around Christmas time.

Ah...here's what Wiki has to say on the matter of the December release:

In December, 2009, an "Ultimate Collector's Edition" will be released. The five-disc set will include the director's cut of the film with Tales of the Black Freighter woven in, new commentaries by Zack Snyder and Dave Gibbons, the complete Watchmen Motion Comics, and over 2 hours of bonus content including Under the Hood, which was previously released on the Tales of the Black Freighter DVD.

 

[Lenovo]

Thanks for replying, everyone. It appears we have a decent cross-section of people here and a lot of well thought-out discussion.

 

[kevdragon]

I always meant to buy The Watchmen but never got round to it. Perhaps it's about time I did.

Kev

 

[rojse]

I first went to the cinemas to watch the Watchmen movie - it sounded like something interesting would actually be at the cinema. And I wasn't dissapointed, either. Although some parts of the movie were quite plot-dense, I picked up the story quickly enough.

After going to the cinemas, I had to read the original book, and fortunately, found it at the local comic store. The book was excellent, too (and got me into graphic novels).

I enjoyed both of them - Snyder done an excellent job with the film (and I thought the ending in the film was better than that of the book) but the book developed the characters better, and the backstories of the original Minutemen were quite interesting, too.

 

[Rodders]

I must get this. I've been meaning to for aa long while now as i've heard so much about it. I really want to read this before i see the film.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I've been unsure whether my eldest is old enough to watch the film - it's more dark and gratuitously violent, plus they change the ending, which was the whole point of the original story!

However, apparently there's a "motion comic", which is effectively a man narrating a slightly-animated version of the original artwork. You can buy it on Amazon, but it's also been uploaded to YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_AYqxzHii9hPFHWM2gC5pTknX2abkiAG

It looks interesting - but it's just a shame they didn't make more of an effort to make an animated film version, as with Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns.

Regardless, have recommended my daughter watch it as she'll not read the graphic novel. If she doesn't build up enthusiasm for it, am tempted to put it on in the evening for us to watch on the TV. After we finish watching Heroes.

I might have to negotiate with her - an episode of Watchmen first, then Deathnote after.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I've been unsure whether my eldest is old enough to watch the film - it's more dark and gratuitously violent, plus they change the ending, which was the whole point of the original story!

I've only seen the film - I looked up wikipedia to see what the original ending of the graphic novel is and it looks the same to my version of the film. What's different?

Regardless, have recommended my daughter watch it as she'll not read the graphic novel. If she doesn't build up enthusiasm for it, am tempted to put it on in the evening for us to watch on the TV. After we finish watching Heroes.

I might have to negotiate with her - an episode of Watchmen first, then Deathnote after.

She'll just rebel against you if you force her, don't do it

 

[Brian G Turner]

I've only seen the film - I looked up wikipedia to see what the original ending of the graphic novel is and it looks the same to my version of the film. What's different?

The graphic novel has a whole subplot about what was created to teleport into New York - a manufactured, alien monstrosity, to give the impression of an imminent alien invasion. It was all about the effect that would have on the world - to force it to unite, in the face of this external threat.

In the film, IIRC, giant bombs were exploded in multiple cities, and blamed on Dr Manhattan - so that the world would unite against him and he would be driven from Earth.

In the graphic novel, Dr Manhattan didn't need driving out - Adrian instead tried to prevent his potential interference with tachyon emissions. And the point was to unite everyone behind an unseen threat that would never materialise.

That's what makes the last scene in the editing room with Rorshach's journal so important - in the graphic novel, proving that the alien threat never existed would have entirely undermined Adrian's plan, and brought peace to an end.

In the film, I'm not sure it would have made much difference whether Dr Manhattan was directly to blame or not.

 

[Venusian Broon]

In the film, I'm not sure it would have made much difference whether Dr Manhattan was directly to blame or not.

Thinking about it what could the world could have done against him anyway, if they believed it was him destroying everything, as Dr Manhattan looks indestructible. Try and hide and research weird science against him I suppose...

 

[Last Action Hero]

I haven't read the comics yet, but I loved the movie alot.
But I will surely read the comic and graphic novel soon.

 

[logan_run]

I wish they used the charltan charectors in the film.