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There's a lot to be said about the recent movie, Watchmen, so people who have seen and plan to see it can talk about it here!

If you need a place to start: comparisons to the graphic novel? (I've never read the graphic novel, so that'd be fun to read.) Favorite moments, things that you didn't like? What profound meanings did you find in it? And because it probably deserves its own topic with you guys (or at least its own role in the end credits), what are your thoughts on Dr. Manhattan's p***s? (I actually thought his nudity was much more artistic and effective than him in his underwear.)

Finally, I leave you with this little bit of background from Wikipedia that I liked. There may be spoilers, so don't read ahead if you haven't read the graphic novel or watched the movie.



P.S. Sorry for the lame post, guys - it's late and I'm tired, but I wanted this thread to be available!

As per the movie itself, I thought it was visually stunning, but lacking in life. Don't get me wrong, the performances of the actor's were fine (particularly Jon and Rorschach, although I'd have gone a different route for Adrian.) But I'm not sure it worked as a movie unto itself. Its flaws I feel were remaining too faithful to the graphic novel in some areas while choosing to excise other more characterful bits for gratuitous violence, sex and seemingly arbitrary changes.

It didn't work enough with its medium. It was a half step removed from the animated motion comics they just put out...it's almost like explaining a joke and its punchline instead of actually telling it. If I had never read the novel, I'd have zero emotional investment in any of the characters. Everything just sort of...skimmed the surface. I mean, they were more than cutouts in the film but they were all built on a basic cliche and it didn't do much to make me feel otherwise. The closest they came were Rorschach and Blake.

My absolute favorite part of the movie was the opening montage, because Snyder actually makes it a film then instead of a moving book. Wonderful cinematic interpretation of the Minutemen material. And a favorite cameo.



Note Thomas, Martha, and Alfred in the background exiting the Gotham Opera.



And oh yeah, where the ******** is the squid?
(yes, I know it's in the director's cut. uneth will get this.)

I think one of my favorite things about the movie was all the tiny little details that fans of the graphic novel would pick up on. There were so many little things in the sets and silly little additions (Ozy's "boys" folder in his hidden files, Captain Metropolis and Hooded Justice appear to be flirting with each other at Sally's retirement in the opening credits, Ozy's plan being titled S.Q.U.I.D to make up for the lack of squid, etc.)

I don't think the movie was perfect, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I did love it, though and I'm eager to see it again.

From an objective movie-goer's standpoint it was just alright. The pacing felt a bit odd and I wasn't entirely happy with a few of the performances (Silk Spectre II and Ozy in particular who I don't remember who played them), but Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Rorschach and The Comedian respectively) were so perfectly cast and perfectly performed I felt it made up for it.

From my personal fangirl point of view I liked how closely it stuck to the source material and most of the changes worked for the film. A couple changes I wasn't happy about were the delivery of Silk Spectre II's paternal revelations on Mars, leaving out what happened to Hollis, and how Rorschach disposed of the kidnapper. For the most part the changes were minor and I saw no problem with them.

I was worried I was going to hate it. I was worried it wouldn't be able to translate to film at all. I was worried Zack Snyder was going to overuse slow-motion effects ala 300. I was pleasantly surprised to find that, while there was some slow-motion, it wasn't used to the point it felt tired and pointless. It worked rather well for most parts, in my opinion.

And those opening credits were probably the most fantastic opening credits I've seen for any film ever. They were just so visually stunning, perfectly executed, and set the scene so well.

BLAHBLAHBLAH I HAVE LOTS MORE TO SAY BUT TL;DR THERE WERE SOME PROBLEMS BUT OVERALL I QUITE ENJOYED IT

And him CHOPPING THE GUY IN THE HEAD FIVE TIMES!!! made it seem more of a RAAAAAGE thing, not a "hurr I just lost what shreds of sanity my mother didn't take from me and now I feel nothing for scum like you! n 3n" thing.

Well that's good to know! Maybe it's just that in comparison with how it was done originally it seemed angry, and I couldn't put myself out of the "I know what happens" mindset enough to have judged it as a standalone.

I'm glad that it came across right for you two (and hopefully other people who didn't read it before seeing the movie).

I haven't seen it or read the graphic novel, but I totally want to see it.
I don't care if I don't understand it, it LOOKS so amazing, and I'm such a sucker for the aesthetic of things, I have to go.

...yeah, Nixon is still the president. It's a period piece. Set in 85. Greatest year ever.

Also, the squid works SO much better than the Manhattan ending. The beauty of the Squid is that it needs to be an external threat, The Other. Something completely alien for the world to rally against. While Osterman may no longer be human, he's still very much associated with America and collateral damage to American property or not it stretches disbelief to breaking to think that the Russians would just let that slip. Not to mention, the death of the squid gives hope that a united Earth front will be able to defeat the feared future invasion. Even if America and the Soviets united, everything they showed in the film gives no indication that they'd think they could do a damn thing to Jon. So what's the point?

As someone who never read the graphic novel and never really felt any need to, I really think I could have liked this movie were it not so over the top. I think it had a lot of really great social commentary and interesting things to say. But, I think most of that was lost in the blood and guts and naked in an attempt to court the college-aged male who thought 300 was "totally freaking badass, man!"