Any early feedback on Watchmen?Follow

I'm curious if anyone has seen the movie (since it had a early opening of Thursday morning/midnight). I've read some preliminary reviews that were...as expected. And while I'm certainly not surprised that the average mainstream movie critic would be ill-equipped mentally to actually give a proper review of a graphic novel adaptation of this magnitude, I'm wondering if anyone on the boards has any feedback yet.

Don't spoil it though (or at least try not to). I've read the novel a dozen or so times, so it'd be hard to ruin it, but don't give any "butter" moments away, either. I'm going to see it Saturday at an iMax theater.

Edit: Changed title for clarity

Edited, Mar 5th 2009 2:51pm by Ryneguy

I saw it Tuesday in an advanced screening (the host said it was a worldpremiere, but I doubt that. Very strict security measures though, although I'm not sure if the statement that the security would be using nightgoggles was true or not) and I really enjoyed the movie. Visually very nice, the story was almost as good as the GN.

The two main complaints used in a lot of reviews would be that it was at times too slow (which it is, unfortunately, but that didn't bother me as much as some) and other times too reverent to the GN itself. It is not an exact copy of the GN, things are different, other things are exactly the same.

A third complaint would be that it is not really for people who haven't read the GN or are interested in superheroe movies. I do fully disagree with that one, good explanation of a lot of things, but I won't go any further, can't give any examples without perhaps spoiling the experience.

It is one to be seen though, I can't compare it to other superhero movies as there's not all that much similarity. I enjoyed it more than for instance The Dark Knight myself, or the Spiderman movies or heck even X-Men.

Alan Moore distanced himself from any movie made from his GN in advance, but I believe Dave Gibson didn't distance himself from this one.

I just got back from seeing it, why did they have to switch out Robert Redford for Reagan? it ruined the whole film for me :(

Never read the GN, but it was a pretty good movie. The action was neat, the storyline was really cool. Some parts dragged (Rorschach's "joke" near the cemetery... yawn...) but mostly it flowed nicely. Apparently they changed some of the ending, but it was still good (and, from what I heard of the ending in the GN, more believable).

What made it epic was the guys sitting a few seats down from me cracking jokes. These included:

"Poor guy had blue balls" (Dr. Manhattan)


"Dude! We keep seeing naked man ***. Where are the girl nude scenes?"
(followed by)
"Well, it's called 'WatchMEN'."
(Everyone in the theater bursts in laughter).

Totally worth going to see, although there is nudity (male and female) and a lot of violence. I liked it better not knowing the story's secrets in advance. People said the plot was complicated, but I didn't think so. Only thing I missed out on were some of the connections between heroes.

What was left unsolved, IMO, was how the heroes in the montage near the beginning died. When Rorschacht is first going on his investigation and thinking someone was picking off "masks" I kept thinking they would be tied back in to the story, but they never were. I guess instead it was just to show the tragic life cycle of heroes.

I've heard rumor of a lengthy Director version of the movie that includes additional backstory and information that was not fit into the theatrical version, but shot thoroughly during production (and edited for an alternate release).

I was absolutely tickled with how well the movie was put together, given the depth of the GN and the characters. I was very happy with their selection for an actor for Rorschach, as well as most of the characters. I think the only downside was seeing the movie in a theater that "claimed" to be an IMax theater but really was just an overly loud theater with no real benefit from what a real IMax theater is and terrible assigned seating.

Otherwise, I thought it was well worth the wait, and mainstream critics that push the movie to the wayside (as well as attempt to belittle Synder as a photocopier) are simply ill-equipped to properly critique a movie with depth of concept that doesn't include their preferred niches.

What I've heard was that there are going to be several versions released of the movie on DVD. The ultimate edition would be a 3 hours and 20 minutes edition of it, which should add almost 40 minutes to the movie.

That's the version I'm going to wait for myself, should be interesting.

Rorschach's joke is one of my favourite sections in the novel. The film didn't convey it very well. I was disappointed. The new ending is an improvement, though.




Silhouette (the lesbian) is shown murdered with her girlfriend, Mothman (with the moth wings) is shown being dragged into an asylum, Dollar Bill (with the dollar bill on his chest) is shown shot to death with his cape stuck in a revolving door. It skips over Captain Metropolis and Hooded Justice, but to be honest I think that was because of those character's very obvious homosexual subtext. They get dealt with mostly in literary interludes in the GN and don't play a significant part other than filler.

So, not really unsolved. It was the screenwriter's way of incorporating all the background which you otherwise find in-between chapters of the novel into a simple and informative opening montage. What's unsolved is what happens to Hollis Mason. That was one of the saddest scenes in the GN, and it's just cut completely out of the film. I really hope it's in the extended edition.

Can't remember the whole joke but it was about this guy going to see a doctor/psychologist? and telling him that the world was bringing him down. He asks the doctor if there is anything that can relieve him of his suffering. The doctor says that a clown just arrived in town and that he should go see the act to help raise his spirits. Suddenly the man starts crying and the doctor asks what's wrong; the man them tells the doctor that he IS the clown.

Yeah I know my delivery sucks.

A guy goes to the doctor saying that he's depressed and suicidal. The doctor tells him to go visit a world-famous clown who just arrived in town and that'll cheer him up, and the man says "But Doctor, I am the clown."

The delivery's everything, though.

hey guys.. check this out about watchmen.. so cool.. ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDHHrt6l4w

Oh sweet Jesus, that's hilarious!

I have never read the books and I am not a comic book fan but I saw this film today. The one thing I will say is oh my god, it is long. I took 2 rushed trips to the ladies during the film as it seemed to take near 3 hours and I had sipped a drink beforehand.

I liked the darkness of the film but I just did not "get it" I guess. Enjoyable and a fun ride but I'm not thinking the film was excellent. I'll forget it fairly easily. Overall 7/10 from someone green to the genre Well worth viewing but visit the loo first!