What we learned from 'Watchmen'
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By Robert Dixter Apr 6, 2009, 18:16 GMT
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I agree with this article, I feel that Snyder should be congratulated on his attempt to include as much detail as possible but in the hands of more experienced director this could have been a truly great movie. I also feel that if Watchmen had been made by a non-American director that it may have been better. I found it patchy and poorly paced at times and yet in the comic the same scenes had a better 'feel'. I also felt that Snyder couldn't help but indulge himself in the inclusion of more violence (which had been altered from the comic).
The graphic novel has a lot to say about the use of violence but at times this film seemed to revel in it, the broken arm, machete attack and prison scene for instance which I felt missed the point. I also feel that since the publication of Watchmen other films and TV shows have incorporated some of the themes and issues from the comic, sort of trumping any great revelatory moments as exemplified in The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight was successful because it allowed different audience members to draw different relevances from it without alienating too many people, although The Dark Knight may be a little too efficient at times and could do with a longer cut to add a touch more character/audience engagement (which Warners wouldn't have sanctioned!).
Perhaps the Watchmen DVD will be a different cut and I will find it a better film, its a shame that Paul Greengrass didn't get his version made. Despite my criticism I did like the new twist at the end! This shows that sticking religiously to a source material isn't always best for the screen.
Wrong Wrong Wrong.
NO this article is suggesting that this movie couldnt have done well no matter what. Silly. If they had taken the time to make this film properly as a more of a drama than an Superehero movie. Have a proper director come in and in the trailers show the depth that wasnt in the movie, write a proper script this movie wouldve made money. Oh and this is watchmen it should not have cost more than 60 million dollars to make.
I disagree with all three of you.
1. None of you are filming makers, so don't pretend because you watch a film, and like/disliked it, that you have some knowledge and your opinion somehow matters (this includes the critic)
2. The movie was not unfilmable (which, critic, I know you aren't educated since this isn't even a real word). The story was where it needed to be.
3. Nerds, calm down. I'm really tired of always hearing up an uproar because someone made something they love. Get out the basement, play some tennis and calm down.
The Comic Book Era is over. Warner Brothers should have known that with Superman Returns, but they took another gamble to confirm it.
Nerds, go flee to thine comic book stores. (Don't worry, I'm one of you.) For the big screen is no longer ours.
Comic book heroes and villains have gone the way of urban professionals and soccer moms: if they don't care about it, it won't sell. End of story, good night, and, uh... no theater hopping.
Which is exactly why Iron Man 2 and Spider Man 4 will work but The Avengers and Green Hornet WON'T. The former are gambles just like Watchmen that really should not be taken, and the former are personality driven screenplays: without Robert and Toby, there's is no movie. Seriously, prove me wrong, I'd hate to be right about this prediction.
The former and the former, huh? Thanks, Robin Williams. (Three for those keeping score...)
...shaddap. :D
One error in my grammar doesn't mean I'm entirely wrong.
Is this your first time on a Blog? Yes, it does, actually.
My turn:
1) The basic core question of a drama -- Do I care what happens to the characters? The movie portrayed superheroes as basically ex-cops wanting to be vigilantes, so they'd don a costume to do what they wanted to do on the streets instead of what they were paid to do... and the story is about their 'grandkids' who were handed the mantle. I do it cause my daddy did it, no personal reason. It's clear that their hearts weren't in it. Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II could not be more flat. And it's unfortunate for Patrick Wilson, because he IS capable of intensity. He just isn't believable as a sqeaky-clean do-gooder. Malin Akerman did do some good work in the revelation of an important plot point later on (with the prior Silk Spectre) but I can't believe that the good Doc changed his mind about the world 'Because she asked me to.'
2) Good guy turned bad guy... I won't give too much away more than that, but I don't believe that there was any empathy for his former compatriates. Another wasted arc... I just couldn't care enough to like the ending. I got it, but again, if I can't relate, it's like reading lore about King Arthur than an genuine movie experience.
3) The only rounded characters were Dr. Manhattan, The Comedian and Rorshach, but as brilliant a job as these actors did, they still couldn't carry the rest of the ensemble on their shoulders. You believed Billy Crudup's detachment, you hated Jeffrey Dean Morgan but laughed at how nuts he really was, and Jackie Earl Haley was born for this role... watch out for that guy.
So, the recognizability of the superheroes may mess with some, but in my eye that's irrelevant: you can nail any role out of the park even if the audience doesn't know what the heck you are even talking about. There was magic in this cast, there was genuine moments. But the needle jumped the record at all the wrong points.
King Arthur is a genuine movie experience? You're missing a word.
Congratulations! We're both wrong! :D
At least you're going to die alone and afraid.
(It's not a personal attack, mind you, so will I.) Still, I'm going to fill your Pepto Bismol with pink shampoo when you least expect it.
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