Costumes! Discuss them Here!

[Antonello Blueberry]

That's the point. Just as the costumes in the novel looked like the costumes from comics of the era (think skin-tight material, even on a rather pudgy Nite Owl II), they have designed these costumes based partly on the style of comic movie costumes of this era. Are nipples ridiculous on a superhero costume? Absolutely. That's exactly why they're included here.

That's Snyder's motivation for the nipples to be there. Thing is that Ozymandias' costume in the book didn't look like any other costume in comics and wasn't supposed to look ridiculous.
NitOwl on the other hand should have looked a lot less cool...
But I can live with those costumes.

 

[Axtech]

But nipples on the costumes isn't this era really. Spider-Man, X-Men, Batman Begins, Deardevil, these are comic book movies of this era and are all nipple-less. The nipples were the last era of comic book/Batman movies.

You're missing the point. Whether the nipples were in the last ___ years of comic book movies is irrelevant. They were there, and they were horrible. It's a bit of a satirical take on it. The point is, no one is raising any kind of fuss because there is a reason for the nipples in Watchmen, whereas in the Schumacher Bat-movies, they were pointless and completely ridiculous.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I understand and don't necessarily have a problem with the nipples, or Ozymandias's costume in general, but it would have been cool to see one a lot more like the GN, with some sort of drape-type thing.

 

[Project862006]

ozzy's attire in GN would look extremely cheesy on screen imo is why they changed it

 

[Closerframe]

Veidt looks amazing especially with the mask

 

[Killing Joke926]

That's the point. Just as the costumes in the novel looked like the costumes from comics of the era (think skin-tight material, even on a rather pudgy Nite Owl II), they have designed these costumes based partly on the style of comic movie costumes of this era. Are nipples ridiculous on a superhero costume? Absolutely. That's exactly why they're included here.

That and we're talkin' about Ozzy, who else? TEOL Kinda significant really: think the the nipples and the suit were used to visualize a breast plate like his idol Alexander the Great; the suit I admit doesn't look to egyptian (or not egyptian like in the book), but the whole comic stylized thing is more over to resemble a Roman or Alexander look IMO (also shows with the art deco looking ivy crown you'd find Cesar wearing).

 

[xero1186]

He BUILT AND DESIGNED A ****ING OWL HOVER-CRAFT, I believe he could design a chain-mail Owl-suit..
I just don't see him going:
"****, I just built this ship that hovers and is completely invisible to radar and looks like an Owl... But I'm sooo ****ing stuck on this owl-costume! Its perplexing how to design an armoured suit with pointy ears AND goggles!"

Smartest post I read in this thread.

 

[DarkReflections]

the rorschach and comedian costumes are freaking amazing.

 

[DDS]

Okay, now that I have finally seen Dr. Manhattan and the rest of The Watchmen in motion, I'm gonna chime in.

Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, and Comedian are perfect. Wouldn't change a thing. 10/10, respectively.

For the most part, I am perfectly satisfied with Nite Owl. However, I really wish that the cowl was modelled more closely after the design in the graphic novel (round goggles, exposed nose, horizontal head/"horns", and head dress). I would like the cape to come together at the front, but I understand if that would've been too restricting. As for the rest of the suit, I'm actually very happy with it. The story takes place in an alternate reality, so it's not much of a stretch that this seemingly techy suit could exist in the 80's. It's corny, overly designed, and it's very satirical of superhero costumes in modern day movies (whether that's intentional or not). Overall, 9/10.

Honestly, I wish Silk Spectre's outfit was a carbon copy of the graphic novel design, simply because it's so simple in nature, and easily adaptable. A skimpy, black underlayer. A yellow, silk overlayer. Sexy, simple, and faithful. Still, the suit they gave us keeps the basic look, and it's certainly a nice alternative. Overall, 9/10.

Much like Silk Spectre, for Ozymandias I would've preferred the look of the graphic novel. Royal, purple and golden cloaks. I do however, appreciate the direction Snyder went with (the ancient, Greek armor with sculpted musculature and nipples). Still, the colors are a bit too dark for me, given how vibrant I've always pictured the character. Not a bad design, but it could've been brightened up and stuck with the purple/gold palette. Overall, 8/10.

So, combining the characters together, we have an overall costume design rank of 56/60. That's an A- right there. Perfectly acceptable.

Definitely agree with all these points.

Something like this (credit goes to "Rust") would've been better for Ozymandias IMO, but what's in film still works...

 

[TheGreenMeanie]

Originally Posted by Noir View Post
He BUILT AND DESIGNED A ****ING OWL HOVER-CRAFT, I believe he could design a chain-mail Owl-suit..
I just don't see him going:
"****, I just built this ship that hovers and is completely invisible to radar and looks like an Owl... But I'm sooo ****ing stuck on this owl-costume! Its perplexing how to design an armoured suit with pointy ears AND goggles!"

Smartest post I read in this thread.

LOL I have to agree!

 

[RustyCage]

Originally Posted by Noir View Post
He BUILT AND DESIGNED A ****ING OWL HOVER-CRAFT, I believe he could design a chain-mail Owl-suit..
I just don't see him going:
"****, I just built this ship that hovers and is completely invisible to radar and looks like an Owl... But I'm sooo ****ing stuck on this owl-costume! Its perplexing how to design an armoured suit with pointy ears AND goggles!"



LOL I have to agree!

The owl costume DOES have pointy ears and goggles, and definitely seems armored in the way Batman's suit is. What was that guy ranting about exactly???

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I think they have done a great job of updating the costumes personally, the only ones that would work on the big screen from the book are Rorschach's and The Comedian's, and they are the most faithful, the others have been updated very well though IMO.

 

[nickyg641]

I'm coming in pretty late on this, but I only just read Watchmen last week.

Anyway, I voted Option 2: Good, but could have been more faithful. My favorites, like everybody else, are the Comedian and Rorschach, as they're pretty mich literal tranlsations from book to screen and they work great.

I like Nite Owl, but it annoys me that the goggles are square and the cowl has a nose. The round goggles are sort of the iconic look for the character. It shows up in all of his gadgets, like Archimedes, it's a basic part of owl imagery. Other than that, it's pretty cool.

As for Silk Spectre, it's a little too S&M for my tastes. The skirt in the book had a sort of elegance to it, which is kind of lost in all the vynil. But, like Nite Owl, it still looks great.

And Ozymandius's costume is okay, and I love the fact that it has nipples, but I think Matthew Goode should have bulked up for the role. His thin neck and face look strange with the bulky chest and arms of the costume, and he doesn't look like an Olympic gymnast.

 

[Sandman138]

Everybody talking about how "elegant" Silk Specter's costume was in the novel makes me really glad they changed it. Her costume in the novel was a Victoria Secret nightie over a corset and she was sent out to fight people with guns and knives as a teenager. There was nothing elegant about that. The costume was sexually demeaning for her. It was ****ed up and it ****ed her up.

 

[Mercurius]

Everybody talking about how "elegant" Silk Specter's costume was in the novel makes me really glad they changed it. Her costume in the novel was a Victoria Secret nightie over a corset and she was sent out to fight people with guns and knives as a teenager. There was nothing elegant about that. The costume was sexually demeaning for her. It was ****ed up and it ****ed her up.

What is just so funny about your comment on Silk is: you didn't happen to notice that it was supposed to be like that.

I suggest you carefully consider Laurie's relations with her quite peculiar (I'm putting it this way) parents, and the course of things at the end of the book.

 

[butabi44]

Everybody talking about how "elegant" Silk Specter's costume was in the novel makes me really glad they changed it. Her costume in the novel was a Victoria Secret nightie over a corset and she was sent out to fight people with guns and knives as a teenager. There was nothing elegant about that. The costume was sexually demeaning for her. It was ****ed up and it ****ed her up.

i agree that it was messed up and it also screwed with her own perception of her self, but think that's one of the things about the story that really makes us (the viewer) question the superhero genre as a whole, and that was the point of making WATCHMEN. with Laurie's suit being nothing but a silk nightie over a corset, that exposes some (if not most) of the rest of the genre of comic books, making those comics seem ridiculous.

also, it does show how, in their world, practicality in costume choice was pushed over for a sense of duty or worth, or in Laurie's case, acceptance by her mother. in Mason's UNDER THE HOOD, it is mentioned that Dollar Bill didn't want a cape, but got one anyway, and that got him killed. Mason also said that when he chose his costume, he wanted something that would protect this body, but allow freedom of movement; but he never said why his legs were exposed! :]

with all that being said, i think that the change from silk to leather on Silk Spectre's costume is a good choice made by Snyder and his costume designer.

 

[RustyCage]

My only issue, like someone else said, is Nite Owl's eyes being rectangular rather than round like an actual owls. Even so though, I'm still really impressed and I'll get over it.

I do like the 'nose' though. Cause, you know, owls have beaks. t: That helped make the costume make more sense.

And about Laurie's costume - to me it looks just as sexually flashy and morally demeaning as it should.

 

[alexdunn]

I do like the 'nose' though. Cause, you know, owls have beaks. t: That helped make the costume make more sense.

Yeah but Dan has quite the beak himself without the mask!

 

[Sandman138]

i agree that it was messed up and it also screwed with her own perception of her self, but think that's one of the things about the story that really makes us (the viewer) question the superhero genre as a whole, and that was the point of making WATCHMEN. with Laurie's suit being nothing but a silk nightie over a corset, that exposes some (if not most) of the rest of the genre of comic books, making those comics seem ridiculous.

also, it does show how, in their world, practicality in costume choice was pushed over for a sense of duty or worth, or in Laurie's case, acceptance by her mother. in Mason's UNDER THE HOOD, it is mentioned that Dollar Bill didn't want a cape, but got one anyway, and that got him killed. Mason also said that when he chose his costume, he wanted something that would protect this body, but allow freedom of movement; but he never said why his legs were exposed! :]

with all that being said, i think that the change from silk to leather on Silk Spectre's costume is a good choice made by Snyder and his costume designer.

My point was that making it S&M latex makes all these things more obvious to the audience (at least I would hope).

 

[Sandman138]

What is just so funny about your comment on Silk is: you didn't happen to notice that it was supposed to be like that.

I suggest you carefully consider Laurie's relations with her quite peculiar (I'm putting it this way) parents, and the course of things at the end of the book.

I totally understand that. I'm saying that people who are saying that this new suit is too sexually demeaning and that the GN's had elegance are a good argument for why they should have changed the suit the way they did.

 

[RAMORE]

What happened to pot belly owlman though

 

[Lobster Charlie]

You know, the more of Rorschach I see in the promotional materials, the more I think they somewhat messed up the mask. In the book, it explicitly states that the mask is latex with white and black fluids that move around but never mix.

In a lot of these magazine photos, his mask is obviously some sort of coarse burlap, and there is loads of mixing going on between the colors.

Thankfully the mask looks good in the footage we've seen so far, but it makes me wonder why they opted for such a poorly design mask for the promotional shots?

 

[Mercurius]

I totally understand that. I'm saying that people who are saying that this new suit is too sexually demeaning and that the GN's had elegance are a good argument for why they should have changed the suit the way they did.

Oh, that's easy: they "upgraded" it movie-wise to get it sexy almost without the cheapness of the original idea. It's for the yummy effect over crowds, without taking the original too much in its 80's regalia.

Laurie finds herself ridiculous in those garments, according the book. It is supposed to look awkward, but sexy. It is remindful of her mother's costume, and remindful of that attrocious thing with the Comedian.

So: in the book the costume is not supposed to be elegant nor in the spirit of good taste. It's downright sexy, and more than a tad perverted.

Putting all of it aside, let's say what is just the plain truth: Malin Akerman looks smoking hot in that stuff.

 

[BirdsDoThus]

CAT POWER as Silk Spectre. t:

Ha! I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Katsuro]

You know, the more of Rorschach I see in the promotional materials, the more I think they somewhat messed up the mask. In the book, it explicitly states that the mask is latex with white and black fluids that move around but never mix.

In a lot of these magazine photos, his mask is obviously some sort of coarse burlap, and there is loads of mixing going on between the colors.

Thankfully the mask looks good in the footage we've seen so far, but it makes me wonder why they opted for such a poorly design mask for the promotional shots?

I've noticed the same things. The mask looks perfect in all the footage we've seen, but in a lot of promotional shots it looks wierd. Luckily, what it looks like in footage is what's important, so all's good.