(2009) ****
That’s right, you heard me. The book’s been around for over twenty years and the movie has been out for more than 44 hours, so if the Watchmen plot is still a mystery to you, skip this review. I hope the true fans who have already seen the film will comment up a spoiler-filled storm!
Background: You could with all fairness call me a Watchmen fanatic. I was exposed to Watchmen some time around 1991. The first reading of a borrowed volume blew my mind; subsequent re-readings continued mindblowing. When JPX and I first met he was pleased to see I had a custom-made Watchmen mug. My first copy of Watchmen finally fell apart last year, and I recently replaced it because I need to have it on hand to re-read and lend. It is one of my favorite works of fiction ever. RE: Handsome Stan’s comment on Dana’s post that the book seems tailor-made for a movie, I would say that it was the complexity, richness, and level of detail in the graphic novel that fed my fears about any possible movie. Oh yeah, and the layers of ambiguity. Different people take away different readings of Watchmen; I had to read it several times before I came up with my current take on it. I still change my mind about the meaning of the ending, and what might plausibly happen next.
My movie-going experiences: Friday 12am, Somerville MA. Goaded/encouraged into attending at this ungodly hour by a potent admixture of enthusiasm, cheerleading, blackmail, and of course the patented JSP derision and utter lack of faith in me. Attended with two recent converts to Watchmen, Mr. AC, 1 rabid longtime fan, and 1 other rabid longtime fan and his girlfriend. The crowd was mostly college students. One costumed fan in the audience, Rorschach. Overall impression of movie from my little group: positive, with a high correlation between rabid fandom and loving the movie.
Friday 6:30pm, Loew’s Boston Common. Attended with one of same rabid fans, another recent convert, and his girlfriend. The rabid fan and I both liked it even more second time, and the first time viewer rabid fan loved it. Gf said she liked it and got it. Costumed fan in audience: Silk Spectre.
That’s right, you heard me. The book’s been around for over twenty years and the movie has been out for more than 44 hours, so if the Watchmen plot is still a mystery to you, skip this review. I hope the true fans who have already seen the film will comment up a spoiler-filled storm!
Background: You could with all fairness call me a Watchmen fanatic. I was exposed to Watchmen some time around 1991. The first reading of a borrowed volume blew my mind; subsequent re-readings continued mindblowing. When JPX and I first met he was pleased to see I had a custom-made Watchmen mug. My first copy of Watchmen finally fell apart last year, and I recently replaced it because I need to have it on hand to re-read and lend. It is one of my favorite works of fiction ever. RE: Handsome Stan’s comment on Dana’s post that the book seems tailor-made for a movie, I would say that it was the complexity, richness, and level of detail in the graphic novel that fed my fears about any possible movie. Oh yeah, and the layers of ambiguity. Different people take away different readings of Watchmen; I had to read it several times before I came up with my current take on it. I still change my mind about the meaning of the ending, and what might plausibly happen next.
My movie-going experiences: Friday 12am, Somerville MA. Goaded/encouraged into attending at this ungodly hour by a potent admixture of enthusiasm, cheerleading, blackmail, and of course the patented JSP derision and utter lack of faith in me. Attended with two recent converts to Watchmen, Mr. AC, 1 rabid longtime fan, and 1 other rabid longtime fan and his girlfriend. The crowd was mostly college students. One costumed fan in the audience, Rorschach. Overall impression of movie from my little group: positive, with a high correlation between rabid fandom and loving the movie.
Friday 6:30pm, Loew’s Boston Common. Attended with one of same rabid fans, another recent convert, and his girlfriend. The rabid fan and I both liked it even more second time, and the first time viewer rabid fan loved it. Gf said she liked it and got it. Costumed fan in audience: Silk Spectre.
I still haven't gotten to discuss the movie in detail with anyone except Mr. AC. Twenty-four hours after the second viewing, these are my thoughts. I reserve the right to change my mind with more time and further viewings.
What I loved about the movie: The movie was true to the book in overall plot, look, sense of humor, and character development. I was pleasantly surprised how many scenes and plot elements were included. Good choice to tell the full stories of the main characters and delete the minor plotlines and characters. Casting in terms of appearance was perfect. Acting went from adequate up to amazing (Jackie Earle Haley). Special effects were awesome. The change to the ending accomplished the exact moral dilemma at the end of the book so I was cool with that though some rabid fans will not be. I also knew ahead of time there was a change (though not what) which helped me accept it at first viewing.
Two nitpicks, one very minor, one more bothersome to me. Minor: the sex scene on Archie is longer and more explicit than the same scene in the book, which sounds like a good thing, but actually felt awkward on screen in a way the scene in the book does not, and yielded giggles in the theater at both viewings. Less would have been more in this instance. My major criticism of the movie: the handling of Veidt’s fate. In the book we are left with stronger hints that Veidt might reap the consequences of his actions on a very personal/psychological/spiritual level, which bears on the argument about whether he did the right thing or not, and whether the others did the right things in response to his actions. Since that moral ambiguity is one of the reasons I think the book is genius, eliminating Veidt’s personal sense of uncertainty diminished the movie’s impact for me.
Justification for the grade: I hold ***** for masterpieces, movies I believe any alteration would affect adversely (Silence of the Lambs, Alien, Spinal Tap, The Godfather). I loved Watchmen, will see it again in the theater on IMAX, will own the extended version DVD and watch all the extra features (stay tuned for my review), will enjoy Tales of the Black Freighter, will probably cry every time Dr. Manhattan kills Rorschach. I am now a Watchman movie fanatic. But Watchmen is still not a ***** movie.
5 comments:
Absolutely wonderful write up AC and I wholly concur. This comparison may sound a little contrived but I thought the first of the Lord of the Rings series to go to film, The Fellowship, was true in it's spirit and lore. I felt the other 2 missed it in many places so I loved the first one even though there were misteps and obviously much left out from the book.
I had a similar experience with The Watchmen since it got the spirit of the comics right and captured the essence of some of the humor and overall feel, I could forgive much except that damn obligatory sex scene which in many ways simulated what Zak did in 300. There were many snickers in the audience in my theater too during that scene.
I thought the CGI Dr. Manhatten was perfect even though many fanboys didn't like that used the CGI for him. I felt like the spirit of what he was made it to the screen in spades and that was essential for me.
I hear the black freighter will be interwoven in the DVD release which I can't wait to see. I really missed that but it too was forgivable.
I felt the music was really great throughout but a little ham-handed and clumsy when they played Sound of Silence during the funeral scene, "hello darkness my old friend...". They did good overall, the music during Dr. Manhattan's mars visit was perfect which is my favorite part of the whole book, but one other over the top, beat it with a hammer choice was playing "everybody wants to rule the world" during one of the Ozymandias scenes. For the most part though the music was chosen to enhance with more subtlety than those choices.
Again AC I could have just said "ditto" for me on your take of the movie and I'm a huge fan as well however I had to through my 2c in there. :)
Awesome, awesome review, AC!!
As a recent Watchmen fan, I knew I was probably going to be easier on the film then the rabid fan. Although I am starting to think that the rabid fans may be the ones who are most satisfied with the movie. Someone asked me on facebook if it was a "superheros save the world" kind of movie. My answer was a big NO. It's such a dark, unique story - I'm glad they didn't shy away from that in the movie.
I agree with your takes on the clunky moments. I also felt that the chick who played Silk Spectre should have been older, but eh, I get the pick. I want desroc to see it, but I do feel that reading it first makes for a better movie experience. Can't wait to see it again!
I'm glad I know about the silly sex scene in advance. That's too bad, I always loved that scene in the book, with the fog and the flamethrower.
No definite plan to see this yet because I don't feel like braving opening weekend LA crowds. Think I'll aim for Tuesday. Which is tough, because I kinda want to go out right now and catch it...
Excellent review AC, I was waiting to hear your take on it. I have never read Watchmen but after seeing the film I purchased the book. I should be receiving it this week and I can't wait to tear right into it.
Again, excellent review.
Well written, AC!
Like Octo, I too am waiting for NYC opening weekend crowds to die down. However, the way I'm approaching this is akin to how I approached LOTR and Transformers: I feel like I've convinced myself ahead of time I'm going to like it, and I will concentrate on what is good about it, and ignore the bad, as long as it isn't TOO bad.
By way of contrast, this is also how I approached Epsiode I (shudder - and II, and III, come to think of it) and Superman Returns. Walking out of the theater, I felt good, and it was only through several repeated viewings and the sobriety of several weeks removed from the viewing that I was able to see the truth: those movies were crap.
Some brilliant moments, mind you, but mostly crap.
I feel like the same will NOT be true of Watchmen. The fact that it's not A-list dipshits (Angelina Jolie as Silk Spectre - it was rumored) PLUS the fact that the comic-within-the-comic is given an entire animated treatment on DVD, that all adds up to the director being passionate about, and devoted to, the material. (I won't waste everyone's time here with my heartbreak and anguish over the abortion of Starship Troopers - exactly how NOT to adapt a book into a movie. But I digress...)
All this encourages me, and makes me immune to any criticism I might hear. This is a monstrous undertaking, to convert this work to a cinematic medium, and had I been a fan since 1988, I would probably include it on my list of Brilliant Graphic Novel Shit That Could Probably Never Be Filmed, e.g. Crisis On Infinite Earths and Kingdom Come. But he did it.
Coming late to the party in terms of reading it, I find myself pleasantly psyched about it. So I'm going with that.
Incredible review, AC!
Now make sure you all jump in on Finish It Monday! Plug plug plug!
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