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There is no way it was ever going to be true to the graphic novel.
- “Jon, everyone will die”
- “And the universe will not even notice”
I waited years for Watchmen to be made into a movie. I first read the graphic novel when I was a Freshman in High School. I thought it was brilliant when I first read it. I liked the concept of super heroes being all ed up. I also liked how many of these super heroes made decisions for the public at large based on what they thought would be good for them.
I never thought it would be made into a movie until rumors started popping up about Terry Gilliam, Darren Aronofsky and others wanting to take a shot at the material. While I was excited about the prospect, Alan Moore pretty much killed the idea by saying that Watchmen was unfilmable.
Now, Moore always es about his properties being made into movies. While I agree with him on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I really liked From and V for Vendetta. I think they, the directors, stayed true to the feel of the graphic novels. So, I didn’t know what to expect with Watchmen.
It appears Alan Moore was right.
After careful consideration since seeing the movie last night, I have to say that Snyder, while delivering a very solid movie, may have missed the mark on this one.
Now, I’m saying this with the point of view of someone how has read the graphic novel. And, before you go on to say that I’m one of those guys that screams “The book is better than the movie” and that I’m just a petty little fanboy . . . hear me out.
There’s quite a bit of stuff that’s missing or completely changed in the movie. This isn’t little stuff either. It isn’t like a certain character’s hair was different or a certain character didn’t say one of my favorite lines. No, not at all . . . there are certain things missing and changed that are of great consequence. I’ll get to that in a bit.
I first want to say that there were some things that Snyder hit dead on. And, one of his greatest accomplishments in the film was who he chose to play Rorschach. Damn, it’s as if that character leapt from the pages of the graphic novel right onto the screen. And, his capture by the police is pretty much exactly as it happens on the novel. Through it all, Rorschach is what really grounds this movie. In the end, you really empathize with him.
Dan Dreiberg is also very well cast. His character also lends quite a bit of weight to the film. His sequence at the end in Antarctica, although a departure from the graphic novel, saved what may have been a dead scene.
Dr. Manhattan is exactly what you would expect and I have to give Snyder credit for the CG effects. Also, I appreciated that his origin story was faithfully adapted.
The Comedian was also pretty good, and pretty much what you would expect from him.
But, I had a problem with pretty much every other character in the movie. Laurie (Silk Spectre II) was flat, and Carla Gugino (playing Sally Jupiter) pretty much just phoned in her performance. I was pretty disappointed in that. But, it was Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias that pretty much killed the movie for me.
He was just so flat and completely disconnected. His character was played as almost a direct copy of Dr. Manhattan. While Dr. Manhattan had a reason to be so disconnected with humanity, and his remoteness could be understood, the same can not be said about Veidt. He just came across as almost aloof and his last scene in the movie has looking almost psychotic. His wooden performance really ruined the experience for me.
Like I previously mentioned, there are some sequences in the movie that really, really work and stay true to the graphic novel. The Comedian’s raping of Sally Jupiter is a direct copy from the graphic novel as is the prison break out. There is also the flying love scene on Archie that most, if not all, fanboys will love.
But, there is plenty in the movie that doesn’t work. Veidt is the apparent villain in the film, and Snyder pretty much lays it out in the first hour of the film. There is absolutely no subtlety about this. And, that is one of the things I most hated about the film. Also, Captian Metropolis has disappeared in the movie and his role is adopted by Veidt, which was a foolish move in my opinion.
There is also the dynamic between Laurie and Sally Jupiter. Or, to be more precise, the lack of it. In the graphic novel, Laurie is pissed, bitter, and resentful. In the movie, you just don’t get that. There is no sense of anger in her, which makes her forgiving her mother at the end extremely unimportant.
There is also Dr. Manhattan talking about how the tachyons are interfering with his perception of the future . . . and he says this 20 minutes into the film!! By the time tachyons become relevant in the film, which is at the end, you have no idea what it’s all about. This was a huge mistake by Snyder.
But, the most egregious sin in the movie has to do with the squid. Those of you who have read the graphic novel know exactly what I’m talking about. It is not in the movie. And, it is a glaring omission. The event, or events as they are in the movie, that takes place has to do with replicating Dr. Manhattan’s power. That has nothing to do with the graphic novel.
This is not small thing. This isn’t about what a character might have said or not said. This isn’t about how a character might or might not look. It isn’t one of those petty fanboy things. This is huge.
This is akin to having an old guy give Moses the 10 Commandments instead of having a godly force strike them from the mountain side. This is akin to having Dorothy land on the White Witch instead of landing on the Wicked Witch of The West. This is akin to making Darth Vader a woman instead of a twisted old man.
This is huge.
And, I can’t get over that. I can’t ignore that. And, most of you that have read the graphic novel will not be able to ignore that.
For those of you that will go into the movie not knowing what to expect, I figure you will probably have a good time. It’s not a bad movie, but it’s not what Watchmen should have been.
There is no way it was ever going to be true to the graphic novel.
I'm not gonna read all that. Was the movie good?
Another over-hyped movie that cannot compare to the book. Happens every time. Should I read the novel and skip the movie? Or should I just watch the movie for entertainment value and not worry so much about the story? I don't get why some have to break down a movie into such detail. If it is entertaining and not boring then it works for me.
Or will I be totally confused by not knowing what the the movie is supposed to be about other than some super hero's need to decide on whether or not to save the planet?
This movie looked like anyways.
So you don't think it will do that well or will it smash records due to so many people needing to "escape" from reality?
It depends.
If you've read the graphic novel and are a fan of it, probably not.
If you've never read the graphic novel, then you'll probably like it.
It depends.
There's some nomenclature in the movie that might confuse you, but it could very well be enjoyable to those going in with out any knowledge of the graphic novel.
I was not disappointed with the film. At all. Not even a little bit.
It's been a good 13 or 14 years since I read the graphic novel, so I know damn well that I don't remember it well enough to recognize every little detail that's changed, but I knew there were some things missing. I was okay with that. I thought a few of the performances were iffy (including Ozymandias and Sally Jupiter, as peewee mentioned), but not so iffy as to take away from the film itself.
Overall, I walked in with pretty high expectations and was not let down when I left the theater.
The absence of the squid and the point of teleporting it from another dimension didn't bother you?
Blaming it all on Dr. Manhattan didn't bother you?
The several cities around the world that were attacked instead of it just being an isolated incident in New York City didn't bother you?
That's the whole point to the graphic novel.
No offense PeeWee, but having the squid in the film would have been f-ing re ed. That would've required about 30 more minutes of film, numerous explanations, more casting, further backstory, and a whole lot of pissed off people who hadn't read the comic leaving the theater going "A ing squid? That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen!" It was the right decision.
But yes, if the squid is what you wanted, then Moore is right and the comic is unfilmable.
It would have taken the same amount of explanation as what they gave for that thing Dr. Manhattan was building with Veidt.
That was another thing that really bothered me. The whole thing about relieving our independence on fossil fuels and what not is a bit anachronistic. It takes place in 1985 for christ's sake!! It's not taking place in ing 2009!
Lee Iacoca as the big bad guy representing the pesky auto industry threatening Veidt about his project for free energy was just flat out stupid.
Having Veidt mess around with dimensions in space would have brought the movie to a whole other level. It would have given it more weight.
It would have taken to time at all to bring that into the movie. Scaring people with a being from another dimension, as the squid was supposed to be, would have had great effect.
I think the point of the graphic novel was still in tact.
I never go into a film adaptation expecting it to capture every single detail from its source. You just can't. All you can do is hope the film comes close to what you loved about the source material, and Watchmen did that for me.
There's also that.
You're right. That does sound stupid.The whole thing about relieving our independence on fossil fuels and what not is a bit anachronistic. It takes place in 1985 for christ's sake!! It's not taking place in ing 2009!
Lee Iacoca as the big bad guy representing the pesky auto industry threatening Veidt about his project for free energy was just flat out stupid.
I wasn't expecting to have every detail.
You're missing my point and I don't think you read my initial post completely.
The omissions were pretty egregious.
And, the point of the graphic novel is only somewhat intact, not completely. The point of the graphic novel is that humanity will pull together when they have an unknown quan y that serves as a common enemy.
The squid represents possible creatures from other dimensions that can somehow make their way to Earth and possibly anihilate it. So, humanity has to put it's differences aside to work together and fight this possible threat.
I suppose you can make that point about Dr. Manhattan as a common enemy. But, like I said, if you're a fan of the graphic novel, it goes against the spirit of the novel.
Which still happens.
Dr. Manhattan is that unknown en y, he becomes that common enemy. It is a wholly different sequence of events than the end of the novel, I will grant you that, but I disagree that it fundamentally alters the large scale point of the film.
Ultimately, however, it's an understandable filmmaking choice. Would the squid have been more satisfying to the hard core comic fans? Probably. But everyone else in the audience would be pissed that a film otherwise grounded in humanity (firmly so, as a matter of fact -- Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach's mask are the only elements that are even remotely otherworldly) suddenly took a trip into 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea cheesiness.
Making Dr. Manhattan an unknown en y, after making that point that he's a celebrity super hero kind of makes that point invalid.
However, that's a whole other debate.
I don't think you're reading my posts too well.
I'm talking from a fan's perspective, their point of view if you will.
You really need to read what I'm posting.
I gaurantee you there will be plenty of fanboy backlash.
i would be for giant squids and/or great grey slugs appearing in any and all movies.
Not at all. He's presented as a celebrity superhero in the sense that he's well known and generally seen as beneficial, but throughout the film there is evidence of the countless ways in which this is being questioned. It's made pretty clear that people don't know what to make of him.
And you need to read what I'm posting. I, too, am talking from a fan's perspective. You and I obviously both saw midnight shows, and I can't think of anyone who would be willing to do that without being a pretty nerdy and dedicated fanboy/fangirl.
Will there be fanboy backlash? Of course. There always is. That's what they (we) do. I just don't think it is warranted in this case.
Oh well, I should've known you would take that position.
It is just like you.
It's not a matter of taking a position, it's a matter of taste. The omissions/changes were enough to dampen your enjoyment of the film. I, on the other hand, wasn't bothered. That's it.
I hate to break it to you, since you seem so fond of pointless arguments, but neither of us is right OR wrong. Disagreement =/= debate.
Okay.
You're right.
Blaming Dr. Manhattan and cheapening Veidt's plan using inter-demension beings to scare humans into cooperating with each other is just the epitome of genius.
And, dead dogs in an art gallery is art.
I have a feeling this is gonna go the way of V for Vendetta.....
an ultimately forgettable movie.
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