Watchmen out 3/6/09!

[Dr Archeville]

Overall I enjoyed it (and felt it was very well cast), though I thought the different ending made even less sense than Moore's original (well, they both make little sense in light of event from a few years ago, but Snyder's makes even less). I honestly do not see why Snyder felt the need to change it.

[MBCE]

From it sounds, I'm glad I never read the books. It will let me see the movie without worrying about the source material.

Heck, I don't even know what the story is all about.

I hope it's going to be as cool as the trailers look though. That's all I ask for in a movie these days. Entertain me.

[Shadowboxer]

Okay, spoilers ahead.

Moore was pointing out that in order for nations to rally together, they must have a common enemy that threatens them. Furthermore, that enemy must be a true outsider, someone who is completely alien to them. History has proven this point again and again. The original ending exemplifies Moore's argument; what could be more alien than an actual alien? Remember, Moore was writing this during the Reagan / Thatcher era, when the (second) Cold War was in full swing. Moore is explaining, using comic book motifs, how global politics and public anxieties functioned during this period. This is just one interpretation, however.

Though the changes in the film may appear minor, those small changes may significantly alter the original themes in the text. For example, in the film Nite Owl and the Silk Spectre are depicted as being near-superhuman martial artists. In the comic, these characters are damaged people living quiet, near-miserable lives. Readers were meant to identify with these characters, not "worship" them by gazing at them through the Hollywood lens.

I don't begrudge people for enjoying the film, but I'd rather fight a giant, extradimensional squid than agree that the film is successful.

[Dr Archeville]

Yeah, but even Moore's original ending has some serious flaws. While not on the same scale, 9/11 showed us that one attack from an outside force can't sustain unification of all involved for very long.

[Ecalsneerg]

It's also not exactly going to rely on people who're fans of Watchmen to make a profit. Non-comic fans may not take kindly to giant mutant squid. I'm a huge fan of Watchmen and I found it a bit out-of-tone with the book, imagine what Joe Average going to see that new Batman-esque flick is going to think.

[Dr Archeville]

It's also not exactly going to rely on people who're fans of Watchmen to make a profit. Non-comic fans may not take kindly to giant mutant squid. I'm a huge fan of Watchmen and I found it a bit out-of-tone with the book, imagine what Joe Average going to see that new Batman-esque flick is going to think.

Aside from "why is there a giant naked glowing Smurf"?

I thought the Giant Squid fit perfectly -- Watchmen's a deconstruction of most superhero comic tropes, so why shouldn't they address "Alien Invasion"?

[Ecalsneerg]

I'm not actually sure why super-smurf is more acceptable than super-squid. I just think he is.

[N/A]

The book had two points to make. #1: In order to grow up, Daddy Superman needs to leave us to stand on our own. #2: Two warring entities require an outside threat to unite them in defense. The film, in a move of pure elegant simplicity, merely combined the two. The bratty teenager that is Humanity needs to grow up, by cutting the apron strings and separating from its parents. And demonizing those parents is a normal part of that process. It's unpleasant for the parents, but ultimately necessary for their child to grow up. I thought it was a brilliant move.

[Dr Archeville]

I've heard others say that. I don't see where they're getting it.

From the world's perspective, Manhattan was last seen teleporting away to Mars, upset over the cancer allegations. Then, he nukes cities. That doesn't say "grow up, stop the threat of nuclear war, play nice or I'll nuke you again" or "no, I'm not solving any more problems for you, do it yourself." That says, "I'm an inhuman god who nuked cities after people made me angry (one of the few human traits I still retain) by accusing me of causing cancer (and you have no idea if or when I'll do it again)." Ozy would need a faked message from Manhattan delivering a "you're on your own, grow up/be good or else" speech -- or something to indicate he wasn't just striking out like a blind idiot god -- in order to have the "parent" part of "demonizing the parent."

[MBCE]

Well, I finally saw the movie.

First off, let me say that I have not read teh comics and had next to no information about the storyline at all. Other than the fact that it was a comic, I had no information.

With that said, I must say I enjoyed the film. yes, it was gritty but I don't mind that. The story itself was very deep and that is something I like in my movies--a little thinking. Though to be honest, I like the superhero/comic genre mostly for the superb action sequences.

The only thing about the movie that I could have done without was teh sex scenes. Don't get me wrong, they were very well done, but it just slows down the action. It's a personal choice that scenes like those can be done off camera when they have little to do with the overall story.

It was a very interesting look at superheroes from a different perspective. Makes me want to read the comics now. I'll have to work on getting my hands on them. How many were there?

[Dr Archeville]

I was a 12-part miniseries, but about the only reliable way you can get it now is in TPB format. In fact, there are a few different TPB forms of it available.

[Lord Fell]

I have the original, first printing 12 issue limited series. I reread it when I heard that the movie was coming out. The first thing I noticed was that the series starts just a few days after my girlfriend was born, which made me feel kind of old.

The Nations banding together against the threat of Dr. Manhattan doesn't make as much sense as it does for them to band together against a threat of aliens. Monstrous Squid Men is something that armies could fight with tanks and jets. While Dr. Manhattan could nuke any city, anywhere, at any time, without having to set foot on the planet.

There is still an excellent parallel between the Watchmen books and the Bush administration. After 9/11, we were told that Iraq sponsored the terrorist attacks, Iraq was a threat to global peace because they were stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. So, the world rallied together and cheered on the USA as it occupied Iraq. However, the truth came out... Iraq had negligible ties to the Terrorist attack. There were no WMDs. To cut to the Watchmen metaphor, Rorschach's journal has been found, and it reveals that President Bush's giant squid is a hoax. Dick Cheney played the part of Ozymandias in the real world version... although he had his senior staffers catch his bullets for him.