Concerns about loyalty to the source material?

[Hole Shot]

One thing we have to accept is this will likely be an abbreviated version of the comic, a lot things will get cut because there's too much to put in one film.

But how much will get changed?

Watchmen isn't the typical comic book action story - It's a thriller, and a thought provoking one at that. It was also written for an adult audience, meaning a loyal adaption is going to have to be rated R.

Will it be dumbed down in the name of the almighty dollar? I can see an accurate adaption being a financial flop. Watchmen alone isn't a marketable title outside the comic book demographic, younger audiences won't be able to see it and those expecting a brainless comic book action flick will be in for a surprise.

The second thing, I fear being changed is the story's politics. Rorschach and Ozymandias are the extremes of both ends, but they both have redeemable qualities.

I want to keep a political debate out of this discussion, but being somewhere in the middle politically after working for one party for several years, I love how everybody's politics are f****d in Watchmen.

Regardless of your personal politics, we know Hollywood leans left for better or worse.

Will they have Rorschach's right wing views wash out the character's likeability? Or will his likeablity remain but his political views be removed?

And the same for Ozymandias, are they going to portray his far left wing views as his motivation for killing millions of New Yorkers in the name of world peace?

This is what is so cool about the ending. Remember Silk Spectre and Dr. Manhattan conclude that despite the drastic measures Ozymandias takes his plot might actually work. And then of course the power of that simple frame revealing Rorschach's journal.

Why I do believe that they won't stray from those two key themes is that film is not being modernized to reflect today, it still takes place during the same time as the comic and the film will be released post-Bush Administration so the country, hopefully, won't be so polarized.

 

[Ryudoz]

One thing we have to accept is this will likely be an abbreviated version of the comic, a lot things will get cut because there's too much to put in one film.

But how much will get changed?

Watchmen isn't the typical comic book action story - It's a thriller, and a thought provoking one at that. It was also written for an adult audience, meaning a loyal adaption is going to have to be rated R.

Will it be dumbed down in the name of the almighty dollar? I can see an accurate adaption being a financial flop. Watchmen alone isn't a marketable title outside the comic book demographic, younger audiences won't be able to see oy and those expecting a brainless comic book action flick will be in for a surprise.

The second thing, I fear being changed is the story's politics. Rorschach and Ozymandias are the extremes of both ends, but they both have redeemable qualities.

I want to keep a political debate out of this discussion, but being somewhere in the middle politically after working for one party for several years, I love how everybody's politics were f****d.

Regardless of your personal politics, we know Hollywood leans left for better or worse.

Will they have Rorschach's right wing views wash out the character's likeability? Or will his likeablity remain but his political views be removed?

And the same for Ozymandias, are they going to portray his far left wing views as his motivation for killing millions of New Yorkers in the name of world peace?

This is what is so cool about the ending. Remember Silk Spectre and Dr. Manhattan conclude that despite the drastic measures Ozymandias takes his plot might actually work. And then of course the power of that simple frame revealing Rorschach journal.

Why I do believe that they won't stray from those two key themes is that film is not being modernized to reflect today, it still takes place during the same time as the comic and the film will be released post-Bush Administration so the country, hopefully, won't be so polarized.

I sincerely hope Hollywood doesn't mess with the political themes presented too well and I think that, as you stated, the period in which the movie will be based may be enough. However, there was still a big stink raised in the Middle East in how 300 portrayed the Persians, so they may not be able to win no matter how they do it.

As for the R, I sincerely hope they get it, because I think it could rob the story of quite a bit of it's weight. Especially in how Veidt goes about his plan. I think seeing the streets of NY littered with the dead remains of people and the engineered alien would further add to the gravity of Ozy's actions, and how it would provoke quite a bit of thought and gravitas to the situation of what to do with Veidt once they confront him. I don't think that it could be portrayed as powerfully if it was PG-13 (but I could be wrong).

I do have a concern about how what they cut out in terms of the characters. Since the entirety of Blake's time in the story is in flash backs, I wonder how much of that they will commit to in the movie. I can see them cutting out or at the very least expediting quite a bit of his scenes. Almost reducing him to nothing more than a glorified cameo. Doc Manhattan's origin is also something I think has the potential to be gutted severely, which would really deprive people of how his character has evolved from the ambitious clock maker he wanted to be. I think it's very important to his character to show his progressive apathy towards human life as he continues on, only to have his faith and compassion for humanity restored by Laurie.


In the end, I'm as equally excited about the movie as I am cautiously optimistic about how it will turn out.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I think they're going to go for the R rated film and will be as faithful as possible. This is Zack Snyder we're talking about. The man who gave us 300 for crying out loud. Things that get cut out will most likely get cut out due to time.

 

[Noir]

One thing we have to accept is this will likely be an abbreviated version of the comic, a lot things will get cut because there's too much to put in one film.

But how much will get changed?

Watchmen isn't the typical comic book action story - It's a thriller, and a thought provoking one at that. It was also written for an adult audience, meaning a loyal adaption is going to have to be rated R.

Will it be dumbed down in the name of the almighty dollar? I can see an accurate adaption being a financial flop. Watchmen alone isn't a marketable title outside the comic book demographic, younger audiences won't be able to see oy and those expecting a brainless comic book action flick will be in for a surprise.

The second thing, I fear being changed is the story's politics. Rorschach and Ozymandias are the extremes of both ends, but they both have redeemable qualities.

I want to keep a political debate out of this discussion, but being somewhere in the middle politically after working for one party for several years, I love how everybody's politics were f****d.

Regardless of your personal politics, we know Hollywood leans left for better or worse.

Will they have Rorschach's right wing views wash out the character's likeability? Or will his likeablity remain but his political views be removed?

And the same for Ozymandias, are they going to portray his far left wing views as his motivation for killing millions of New Yorkers in the name of world peace?

This is what is so cool about the ending. Remember Silk Spectre and Dr. Manhattan conclude that despite the drastic measures Ozymandias takes his plot might actually work. And then of course the power of that simple frame revealing Rorschach journal.

Why I do believe that they won't stray from those two key themes is that film is not being modernized to reflect today, it still takes place during the same time as the comic and the film will be released post-Bush Administration so the country, hopefully, won't be so polarized.

I made a damn "Read before you post" Sticky for a reason.

It is an R rating.
The script will be as faithful as possible.
the only changed about Ozy is his armor which will be actual Egyptian armor.
The politics/themes/and symbolism will be left in tacked.
Rorschach's political views remain.
The only cut for sure as of now is "The Black Freighter" sub-story.

 

[Hole Shot]

I made a damn "Read before you post" Sticky for a reason.

It is an R rating.
The script will be as faithful as possible.
the only changed about Ozy is his armor which will be actual Egyptian armor.
The politics/themes/and symbolism will be left in tacked.
Rorschach's political views remain.
The only cut for sure as of now is "The Black Freighter" sub-story.

No doubt you're doing you're work, but I want to have a discussion regarding certain aspects of the film and go in depth, not just read a FAQ sticky.