DC Films The Watchmen Movie

[DarKush]

The reason why most people (the general audience) didn't like the movie is its CONFUSING! Especially at least 90% of the general audience didn't the source material.

I agree a lot with this. I have to wonder if some people went into Watchmen thinking it was going to be a standard superhero action fest and got instead a darker, R-rated deconstruction of heroes.

I really liked it when I saw it in the theater. It was visually stunning. I liked how all the heroes were rendered. The Bob Dylan opening was a haunting way to bring the audience into the alternate world of Watchmen. Snyder came probably as close as anyone to pulling off adapting the book. In fact I liked the movie's ending better than the comics. It felt much tighter putting the blame on Dr. Manhattan instead of this crazy alien invasion.

The only issue I had was switching out the Robert Redford joke for Ronald Reagan. I get it that people today might not have gotten it and Reagan was more familiar, but it made no sense. They should've kept the Redford joke and let people figure it out.

Other quibbles:
-I wish the film had used more 80s music and I'm not sure the fashion or look felt 80s enough for me.
-The makeup for Nixon was horrible. Though I did like the voice work for many of the McLauglin group people.

I do think WB erred by anticipating this film would be big, though maybe I thought it would've been bigger too back then. Looking back I'm not sure why I felt that way. While they were perhaps hoping for another Dark Knight, Watchmen has never had the kind of widespread popularity that Batman has.

 

[Fudgie]

I love the 80's music used. Luft balloons was the best one.

 

[metaphysician]

Part of why Watchmen the movie went over like a lead balloon is that its a deconstruction of comic book tropes, circa the mid 80s. The problem is, the average moviegoer is familiar with comic book *movie* tropes, circa the present. . . and all the modern CBMs are already heavily influenced by the reconstructionist comics that came after Watchmen. This kind of heavily cuts the potential relevance.

 

[terry78]

In essence people just didn't get it. And I hate to be that guy who uses the "they just don't get it" card, but it's true.

 

[sailorkrypton]

Honestly for me the film set actually looking 1985 was amazing.

 

[Steamteck]

For what its worth, I disliked the original comic but found the movie pretty engaging. generally I dislike deconstructions of genres I enjoy though.

 

[Kane52630]

10 years ago today... Snyder made his last good live action movie.

 

[Eddie Dean]

what's watchmen

 

[Mandon Knight]

The film is a more 'accessible' version of the GN, depth in both can be found, the GN, given the allowance that the writing allows enables a more extensive back story, I've not seen the Ultimate Cut, I've seen the Director's Cut and the extra time provides that. Personally, the film is a favourite of mine amongst the genre, it's shot structure, composition and story changes from the GN for me, work and improve. Love both and the film doesn't get the love it deserves.

 

[metaphysician]

Nah. Watchmen had a lot of good in it, but as an overall movie? Not good. For a movie to be good, it has to understand and dramatize the underlying story from the source material. Snyder is great at creating images, but he sucks at storytelling. Hence why it does things like change who says the "nothing ever ends" line, demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of the meaning of the source, and utterly changes the purpose of the line in the story.

 

[The Guard]

Snyder didn't write the script (well, most of it). David Hayter and Alex Tse and Roberto Orci did.

How does changing that line demonstrate a complete misunderstanding of the meaning of the source material?

 

[Batmannerism]

The film is a more 'accessible' version of the GN, depth in both can be found, the GN, given the allowance that the writing allows enables a more extensive back story, I've not seen the Ultimate Cut, I've seen the Director's Cut and the extra time provides that. Personally, the film is a favourite of mine amongst the genre, it's shot structure, composition and story changes from the GN for me, work and improve. Love both and the film doesn't get the love it deserves.

I loved the Director's cut. TBH I preferred the explanation that Dr Manhattan got pissed at humanity, rather than a giant psychic squid from dimension x destroyed NYC.

My one main gripe with the film was Dr Manhattan's physique - he never seemed like a bodybuilder in the comics, and dare I say it....glowing blue penis! Some things work amazingly on a page but need to be adapted for live action. Wasn't a fan of his voice either, he didn't sound like a god-scientist but more like a whiny *****.

All in all I think it was the best live action adaptation we could get.

I think a couple of better castings would have improved the film though. I love Malin Ackerman in comedy roles but she didn't pull off Silk Spectre ( although Carla Gugino did). Jeffrey Dean Morgan was good but I'm sure we could think of a better comedian, same for Ozymandias.
Pat Wilson had the right look for Nite Owl, but was a little too pathetic for my taste.

The one casting that was absolutely note perfect and in many places carried the film was Jackie Earle Hayley as Rorschach.

I give it 7/10. Probably Snyder's best movie.

 

[unholyrevenger]

The music they played was definitely not appropriate....

The music was on point. "Hallelujah, I can get it up" Dan

 

[STARMAN]

Watchmen is my favorite Snyder film. Love the look, the music, and the changes to the end.

 

[Karelia]

I never bought Watchmen when it came out, but I saw the steelbook fir $3 and decided it was a good time to get it. I remember liking it when I saw it in theaters, watching the director's cut, I really enjoyed it. I think it's still a great DC movie.

 

[Rorschach2012]

It’s one of the best superhero movies ever in my book

 

[FunkMiller]

It’s certainly Snyder’s best DC movie... but that’s kinda damning it with faint praise.

He did a good job of adapting the look and feel of the comic, but dropped the ball on adapting the story into one that works as a live action narrative, somewhat.

To be fair, Watchmen was always going to be a virtually impossible movie to get right, and fair play to him for having a go, that turned out to be partially successful.

I just wish he’d been stopped there...

 

[Lencho01]

I still love this...

 

[hellblazer103]

We all know from the get-go that Snyder simply wasn't the right guy for the job.

That being said, though, it's definitely full of more merits than a majority of his films, Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan nail their roles, it's often very visually pleasing (when you're not internally screaming at Snyder's fetish for slow-mo-CGI fights, at least) and it's kinda funny watching him continue to make faux-deep comic book movies ever since

 

[Grommers]

We all know from the get-go that Snyder simply wasn't the right guy for the job.

We do?

 

[Drizzle]

It's Snyder's best film, by default or otherwise. But I will say that the Director's Cut/Ultimate Cut was much better than the theatrical release. Crazy how it's been 10 years. I remember going to the midnight premiere like it was yesterday.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Still one of the great CBMs for me, especially the DC.

 

[Rorschach2012]

I think it’s one of the best CBMs but it’s not something I frequently rewatch. There aren’t objectively worse CBMs that I rewatch all the time.

 

[Jonwo]

Watchmen is a good attempt of what it is quite a dense graphic novel but I suspect the upcoming HBO series while not an adaptation will be better received.

 

[craigaat]

I suspect the upcoming HBO series while not an adaptation will be better received.

It will be.

Snyder gets a lot of criticism because he is/was one of the few big directors out there that would actually take risks when making films, and for that he at least deserves respect.