Tse's script

[Soup]

Are you one of those who prefers a Sex-on-the-beach cocktail to a pint of lager?

I don't drink.

 

[Captain Carnage]

I know there's a script dated Nov. 10 2006 that returns the setting to Cold War 1985, and I know what's in it (and no, I cannot share).

But apart from this change and the added Nixon/Soviet hostility references as a result, it's essentially a carbon copy of Tse's first script from last summer, which I've already seen linked to on this very site.

And with today's news here at SHH concerning the casting call for lookalikes of historical figures to appear in the movie having gone out... figures who, in the main, appear in this recent draft... it seems increasingly likely that this is the version that'll be hitting our screens.

Forget just the beginning... does nobody else here have a beef with numerous parts of Tse's script?

All too many, in actual fact:

A cliched opening montage over Bob Dylan warbling The Times They Are A Changin' (admittedly, a new addition in the Nov '06 version) Hardly cutting edge film making.

Trading The Minutemen for The Watchmen... and, probably worse still, The Crimebusters for The New Watchmen? Isn't this the ULTIMATE in dumbing-down, which effectively loses all the subtle meanings behind the use of the term WATCHMEN which Alan Moore chose for those very reasons? IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE THE NAME OF THE TEAM(S).

The greatly rewritten Rorschach's journal - gone is the deeply disturbing yet darkly poetic prose of the book, replaced with a hackneyed, watered down Rorschach Lite. He doesn't even speak right (I must investigate further... You're joking, of course... far too 'normal' sounding)

Action scenes seemingly shoehorned in throughout. And a chase sequence, as NYPD 'copters pursue the Owlship around the Manhattan skyline after the prison break?

The absence of the entire hoax alien invasion plot. Having Veidt frame Dr Manhattan for the global destruction wreaked by energy beams fired from his Antarctic fortress, so that Manhattan himself then becomes the focus of mankind's continued terror.

THE kicker - having Dan finally kill Veidt because... it's what Rorschach would've done. And having him doing it by bringing the Owlship crashing through a window on remote control, whereupon it then lands on and squashes the life out of Ozymandias? Typical Hollywood the-bad-guy-gets-his neat ending for the villain of the piece. No morally ambiguous loose ends allowed in comic book movies, I guess.


Now, I don't know whether or not it's a case of Snyder genuinely NOT getting Watchmen, despite his claims to the contrary, OR the fact that he's had to compromise and bow down to the studio in order to stay attached to the project (the money men chose him on the back of 300, remember, and I as sure as hell bet that the Studio Suits DON'T get Watchmen).

I know that change is a necessary, often unavoidable evil in the adaptive process between page and screen. But the changes we're talking about here seem so arbitrary, designed to do nothing else but dumb-down a superlative comic book and transform it into a so-so movie when Watchmen on screen could be... SHOULD be so much more than that. Obviously this is aimed at attracting as mass an audience as possible; Warner Bros isn't gonna spend $100M+ just to please a few rabid fanboys.

But I fear what we're gonna end up with will be Watchmen in name only.

It won't do for superhero movies what the original did for superhero comics. It won't be a brave, thought provoking example of powerful storytelling on film... but just a big old dumb R rated actionfest with Men In Tights and no substance. Nothing special. An opportunity wasted.

Unless this script has undergone, or will undergosignificant revision... that's exactly what'll we'll get. And no amount of 'interesting' casting choices will make it any better; the actors are going to be hampered by this material and will find themselves on the receiving end of a backlash from fans in the aftermath, the same as everyone else involved. The only hope for possible change is that, if enough dissent is demonstrated at places such as this very board you're at now, the anti-buzz will get picked up by someone with access to the production and could very well filter back to the powers that be involved in this project... to Snyder himself possibly.

Time is against us.

Thanks for reading.
I leave it entirely in your hands.

 

[Compi716]

That sounds...horrible.

God, I hope the script has been changed since.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Oh dear....

 

[Johnichi Chiba]

I feel confident that Zack has been making significant changes to Tse's draft. He's been continuously writing and re-writing things for a while now.

 

[Captain Carnage]

I hope so. I really do.

Some confirmation of that would be good to see... but I shan't hold my breath.

 

[Johnichi Chiba]

I've seen some video interviews with Zack a little after 300 was out and getting critical acclaim and whatnot. The hosts had asked him what he was doing recently and he mentioned that he spends most of his days drawing panels from the graphic novel and writing more of the script, so I'm hoping that meant he was adding and "fixing" certain things concerning Tse's draft.

 

[sad lieutenant]

Forget just the beginning... does nobody else here have a beef with numerous parts of Tse's script?

All too many, in actual fact:...

A cliched opening montage over Bob Dylan warbling The Times They Are A Changin' (admittedly, a new addition in the Nov '06 version) Hardly cutting edge film making....

The greatly rewritten Rorschach's journal - gone is the deeply disturbing yet darkly poetic prose of the book, replaced with a hackneyed, watered down Rorschach Lite. He doesn't even speak right (I must investigate further... You're joking, of course... far too 'normal' sounding)...

INDEED!

Finally, someone else who is as belligerently opposed to the stoopid fawking invententions of Alex Tse.

Stay on this board, brother. I need a kindred soul to weep and gnash teeth with if the time comes to do so.

 

[IKnowSomeJudo]

I remember reading an interview with Snyder around that time, December maybe early January, in which he boasted how Tse "pretty much nailed the script". Nov. 10? That's gotta be it. In that case, this movie is gonna suck harder than VfV, LXG & From Hell combined.

 

[sad lieutenant]

Now it's dawning on me...

I remember reading an interview with Snyder around that time, December maybe early January, in which he boasted how Tse "pretty much nailed the script". Nov. 10? That's gotta be it. In that case, this movie is gonna suck harder than VfV, LXG & From Hell combined.

True, but what else is the dude gonna say? "Alex put in some cheesy, inexcusable crap like a helicopter chase scene. And he white-washed Rorschach entirely. But other than that, it's pretty OK!"

 

[IKnowSomeJudo]

True, but what else is the dude gonna say? "Alex put in some cheesy, inexcusable crap like a helicopter chase scene. And he white-washed Rorschach entirely. But other than that, it's pretty OK!"

Well, a simple "we're still working on it" would have sufficed. What worries me though is that, what we may see as inexcusable crap, he probably thinks it's "awesome". Just look at 300; there's plenty of unnecessary deviations from the original GN like the stupid subplot with the Queen and washed-down characters.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

The helicopter scene was there even in the version of the script done during the Greengrass version. It was probably asked for by the studio to have a bit more action in the movie. It will last a couple of minutes and it's harmless in the economy of the movie. So let's not make a big fuss out of it.

 

[Compi716]

I remember reading an interview with Snyder around that time, December maybe early January, in which he boasted how Tse "pretty much nailed the script". Nov. 10? That's gotta be it. In that case, this movie is gonna suck harder than VfV, LXG & From Hell combined.

Uch, no...

Why on EARTH did this Tse moron even feel the need to ADD? Who is he to think that he can honestly improve upon the work he is adapting?

 

[Rez]

Well, a simple "we're still working on it" would have sufficed. What worries me though is that, what we may see as inexcusable crap, he probably thinks it's "awesome". Just look at 300; there's plenty of unnecessary deviations from the original GN like the stupid subplot with the Queen and washed-down characters.

The difference between the two is that 300 was just a bunch of pretty images. The queen subplot was added because an hour long movie of fight scenes just wasn't going to cut it. Say what you will about it, but I supported the decision fully, and even rather liked the end result.

The true talent with Watchmen lies in what to leave out or change SLIGHTLY to still make a coherant story. And believe me, I am NOT a fan of the CHANGES I've been hearing about. There's NO POINT to changing up Rory... you can leave out a few of the most gruesome parts of his story if necessary(not), but changing his speech, his entire demeanor? Utterly pointless. And the changing of the end is just pathetic. The end is what MAKES the entire frickin book. It's one of the few parts of the book where every care should be taken to channel it to the screen word for word.

Obviously changes must be made, but this "In the spirit of it" bull**** is NOT cutting it. Watchmen is just as dense in visuals as it is with words, and given Snyder's attention to detail in the visuals of 300 that originally filled me with promise. Ditching the subtlety of images for exposition filled sentances has me back to square one here.

They better not **** this up.

 

[StorminNorman]

I have no problem with changing the Alien Invasion to Doctor Manhattan - IMO it works much easier and will help the movie in the long run.

Yes, the changing of the team names to Watchmen and New Watchmen do dumb down the material a bit - but lets face it, most people need the book to be dumbed down. Get over it.

Veidt getting killed is horrible and needs to be changed.

Changing up Rorshach's bits are not a good idea either.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Tse is a bit like an invisible demon isn't he? His name even sounds like that.

 

[Johnichi Chiba]

I don't think they should dumb this movie down even the slightest. This isn't meant for general audiences. If Snyder and co. are planning to dumb this movie down then its not going to be Watchmen.

 

[RemixSprites]

The only hope for possible change is that, if enough dissent is demonstrated at places such as this very board you're at now, the anti-buzz will get picked up by someone with access to the production and could very well filter back to the powers that be involved in this project... to Snyder himself possibly.

What are we waiting for?

 

[Captain Carnage]

I'm workin' on it!

Anyone here going to Comic Con soon who feels like standing up and takin' on Snyder-Man over this... make a name for 'emselves? In the meantime... who's got his email addy?

 

[StorminNorman]

Captain Carnage - your valid or not valid points are made mute by your hilariously militant attitude.

 

[RemixSprites]

Captain Carnage - your valid or not valid points are made mute by your hilariously militant attitude.

Stood up for his country, Veidt.

 

[Captain Carnage]

Never compromise.

Not even in the face of Snydergeddon.

 

[StorminNorman]

Stood up for his country, Veidt.

You're right, I now must change my avatar

 

[cryptic name]

Never compromise.

Not even in the face of Snydergeddon.

dude, you're criticising Snyder over a script that was done before his onvolvement. he's already stated more than once that the script has been rewritten. why don't you wait until we get some kind of updated script review or even a teaser poster before you bash him?

 

[sad lieutenant]

The helicopter scene was there even in the version of the script done during the Greengrass version. It was probably asked for by the studio to have a bit more action in the movie. It will last a couple of minutes and it's harmless in the economy of the movie. So let's not make a big fuss out of it.

You're probably correct.. And if a helicopter chase scene is the most offensive aspect of this adaptation, then I"ll eat my shoe.

My shoe is made of lemongrass-beef.