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Mike Watches the Watchmen
Posted by Mike
“None of you understand! I’m not locked in here with you! You’re locked in here with me!”
The Scoop: 2008 R, Directed by Zach Snyder, Starring Billy Crudup, Malin Ackerman and Carla Gugino.
Tagline: They watch over us… but who watches them?
Summary Capsule: Alan Moore’s ‘unfilmable’ magnum opus gets filmed.
Mike’s Rating: This movie is afraid… I have seen it’s true face…
Mike’s Review: I’m unique among most sequential art (that’s comic books to you lay people) aficionados, in that I don’t deify Alan Moore or his creepy magic beard as the second coming, and while I was just as blown away as anybody by his ridiculously intricate and layered storytelling in the Watchmen graphic novel, I was never of the opinion that to make a movie based on said masterpiece would ever be akin to heretical blasphemy. Now that the movie has been made, I want you to go look out the window, taking note that the world has, in fact, not stopped spinning, then pick up the dog-eared copy of the graphic novel and you’ll find it’s still there and did not burst into flames in a show of unbridled outrage. See? Everything’s ok. Now take a deep cleansing breath and go back to making fairy tale porn, Mr. Moore.
Alright, now that I’ve snarked at a comics legend, let’s talk about the movie. Set in an alternate 1985, (anybody else flashing back to Back to the Future Part II…? Not just me..? Awesome.) in which America and Russia stand on the brink of nuclear armageddon, costumed vigilante cum government spook The Comedian is thrown to his death from his penthouse apartment. Fellow crimefighter Rorschach takes it upon himself to investigate the murder, convinced that the trail will lead to a serial killer picking off costumed heroes. Said heroes, who have been forced into retirement since 1977, include Nite Owl and Silk Spectre, a couple of second generation heroes who find themselves falling back into adventuring, Ozymandias, the “world’s smartest man”, and Doctor Manhattan, a near omnipotent (and uncomfortably naked) superhero who is losing touch with humanity.
When I first viewed the trailer for Watchmen, I was gob-smacked at how pretty it was, but a bit worried as well. The original Watchmen comic was, after all, better known for it’s mind-blowing epic story and zillions of intertwining sub-plots. I feared that the story would be back-burnered in favor of sheer spectacle. As it turns out, Zack Snyder does an amazing job bringing Moore’s four-color creations to the big screen. It’s a shame that Alan Moore insisted on having his name removed from this one, actually, because it really is a great film that offers some terrific action sequences and special effects without sacrificing any of the essentials of the story. The characters are larger than life, yet flawed and believable at the same time. They’re human beings, whose motivations are explored and fully realized. Rorschach’s story is exceptionally scary and heartbreaking at the same time, and his character definitely got the most cheers during the opening-night viewing I attended.
Perhaps the biggest triumph of the movie is the way it portrays just how cool it is to be a superhero (being able to take a room full of tough guys, playing with ultra cool tech gadgets, getting the girl), while at the same time showing how such a life can eat away at your sanity. In a world where we have flicks like Batman Begins and Dark Knight, the superhero deconstruction myth is not exactly a new idea, but Watchmen did it first and this movie proves that it did it the best. The fight scenes are brutal and well choreographed. The effects are gorgeous and various scenes are almost perfect recreations of the comics book panels. The soundtrack was especially well done and made for a great time stamp of the era being portrayed, particularly during the opening credits sequence. Even the infamously tweaked ending elicits the same shock and speculation. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it even makes more sense than the original and makes the comic ending seem a little silly. That being said: please send all flames to Cheshirekat5865@gmail.com.
The only real complaint I’d have is that certain scenes seem overly lascivious and ultimately gratuitous. I know I might run the risk of being labeled a prude here, but do we really need to watch two characters have graphic sex in slow motion for a full minute? That same scene was dealt with discreetly in the comic with silhouettes and I felt that to sit through this unnecessary scene for so long took me out of the story a bit… and yes I found the inclusion of Doctor Manhattan’s package more than a little distracting.
If that kinda thing doesn’t bother you, or if you don’t mind staring at the ceiling for a couple of scenes I highly recommend this, whether you’re a fan of the comic or not. I’ll go so far as to say this is the most intelligent superhero movie made in recent memory, and this is with Dark Knight still fresh in my mind.
The Blue Man Group’s new 'nude emo' look didn’t go over well.
- Ozymandias’ German accent when he’s not in public?
- How much Nite Owl and Silk Spectre look like Clark Kent and Lois Lane?
- Tears for Fears “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” playing in Veidt’s lobby?
- Doc Manhatten’s package? Yeah, if I was packin’ that much heat, I’d walk around naked all the time too.
Intermission!
- Nathan Fillion was considered for the roles of The Comedian and Nite Owl.
- Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were both previously scheduled to direct.
- The first official image from director Zack Snyder – a test shot of Rorshach holding The Comedian’s button – was actually hidden in a trailer for Snyder’s previous film, 300. It features the film’s associate producer, Wesley Coller, wearing a makeshift mask in front of a composite New York backdrop, and was created as an experiment by Snyder to establish the mood and look of his proposed Watchmen project. Snyder’s wife, Deborah Snyder, bet him $100 that no one would discover it, while he was convinced that someone would find it almost immediately. He won.
Groovy Quotes
- Nite Owl: At least I’m not the one still hiding behind a mask.
Rorschach: No, you’re hiding in plain sight.
The Comedian: Here I am spilling my guts to my arch enemy. Truth is, Moloch, you’re the closest thing I have to a friend. What does that say?
Silk Spectre: Breaking into a national security prison is not the same thing as fighting a tenement fire.
Nite Owl: You’re right. It’s more fun.
Lee Iacocca: And we all know ‘free’ is just another word for communist.
Rorschach: Funny story. Sounds unbelievable. Probably true.
Rorschach: You keep calling me Walter. I don’t Like you.
Dr. Malcolm Long: Oh… why not?
Rorschach: You’re Fat.
Rorschach: None of you understand! I’m not locked in here with you! You’re locked in here with me!
If You Liked This Movie, Try These:
Sequential art? Geez, it’s like someone thought that graphic novel didn’t sound pretentious enough.
Here’s this alternate look for the Watchmen.
http://www.nerdcore.de/wp/2008/03/16/peanuts-als-watchmen/
I think you did an excellent job with this. My only disagreement is the soundtrack. I think it needs points deducted for sometimes being too forced (”Hallelujah”, anyone?). It’ll be fantastic to own and listen to seperately, but within the movie I think were some changes needed.
Nice to hear from you again, Mike! Were you in hibernation for the winter?
“Sequential art? Geez, it’s like someone thought that graphic novel didn’t sound pretentious enough.”
Yeah, Will Eisner did.
I saw the movie today. It was great.
It’s not as good as the comic, but that’s to be expected (and the comic had a better ending).
I think in the end, it was just a pretty good [B]abridged[/B] version of the comic, and that’s about the best we could hope for.
Though, one minor complaint is that, yes, Veidt acts like a Bond villain in this movie.
First, 20 cool points to Tetsu for the last name. You’re not that bartender I once met with the regular Deinonychus tattooed on one arm and a skeletal mirror image on the other arm, are you? Because she was… scary, but hot.
Second, Heather is right that Hallelujah was way forced. Great song, but not that version and not in that scene. Between that and Nite Owl’s “O” face, it was about as sexy as Limp Bizkit covering “Black Velvet.”
Oh, right. Heather. I’ll give you that one, as I was very obstinately looking anywhere but the screen during that scene so I couldn’t really judge how well the music fit. Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” playing during the opening credits sequence was still pure gold, though.
Tetsu-When you say “better ending”…well…shoot. I don’t want to ask a question that would spoil it for people. All I will say is I never really liked “the creature” and I prefer the movie’s means to the end.
Drew-Aw come on what about MY cool points? And it’s my REAL last name! Also, thanks to you I keep envisioning Night Owl’s face superimposed over Drew’s “oh! Oh! OH!”. This will haunt me forever during that scene. I don’t know whether to thank or loathe you for it.
Mike- Wasn’t the that most. painful. scene. ever? ARGH!
Well anyway am I the only one interested in seeing the director’s cut? ‘Cause I think I’d sit through the original almost-3-hours movie to see what else Zack Snyder had envisioned.
I prefer the movie’s ending because SPOILER BELOW!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
In the movie I love that Nite Owl was there to witness the final confrontation between Doc and Rorschach. In the graphic novel, Nite Owl isn’t there for it and just learns about it off-page (if he finds out at all) because meanwhile he and Silk Spectre II are busy doing it just because they’re both alive, which, for the record, was way too 60s-hippie-love-and-peace for me. And just ridiculous next to all the loss that–within the context of the scene–has happened and is going on.
SPOILER OVER
Both the film’s ending and the graphic novel’s ending have their strong points, and I like each for different reasons, but at least at this time in my life, I feel more attached to the film’s ending.
OH, ONE MORE SPOILER BELOW
It was a huge pathos for the audience to see, hear, and practically feel Nite Owl go after Ozzy and beat the crap out of his face. It was a pleasing/heartbreaking way to pay respects to the fallen friend.
Drew- I don’t think so. That really doesn’t sound like me at all. LOL
Heather- I don’t have too much trouble with the soundtrack, but I will forever associate “Boogie Man” with The Comedian gunning down protesters.
Well, the ending is a matter of taste, after all. But, to me, It just seems like a phony alien attack fit the purpose better than what the movie did. But, it also relied on a number of subplots that the movie didn’t have, and wouldn’t have had time for. So, I see why the changed it.
[...] a second opinion? Check out Mike’s review of Watchmen here! Whoever said purple is the new gray was seriously [...]
[...] for a second opinion? Check out Mike’s and Lissa’s reviews of Watchmen! Whoever said purple is the new gray was seriously [...]
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