Watchmen Review
Score: 7/10
This film was impossible to judge on its own merits, because I was already familiar with the source material. For example, I thought Goode was a little too hammy playing Ozymandias, making it too obvious that he was the one behind the whole plot. But my friends said they didn't realize it until the end of the movie.
The plot was way too complex, especially for international audiences. Add that complexity on top of advanced storytelling techniques, a movie set in parallel universe and another time period, a familiarity with US History, and some unnatural comic book dialogue dialogue, and you have a movie that will leave a lot of Filipinos confused.
And I agree with Gerard-- way too gory. By the time they showed the two dogs fighting over the girl's leg, I was de-sensitized, and the scene had no impact for me at all. Rorschach's transformation into a psychopath didn't seem valid.
The acting for the most part was good, with a few standout performances. I liked Crudup, Morgan and Haley's work. Wilson played his part right, being the emotional heart of the story. Akerman seemed a bit stiff, and like I said, Goode was a bit too cheezy.
They really should have taken more liberties in translating the film. Not every comic is Sin City. I liked almost all the changes they made-- like the ending with the Manhattan Bomb, Nite Owl visiting Ozymandias at the start, the fight scenes, Nite Owl's attack on Veidt at the end. All good changes, and I wish Snyder did more of those.
What would I have taken out?
- Bubastis. No point, and looked REALLY fake.
- Veidt tricking Manhattan into the chamber at the end. So awkward. Manhattan arrives, Veidt steps away, Veidt "kills" Manhattan, Veidt back at the stairs (Owl and Rorschach haven't moved!), then Doc comes back in anyway!
- Diner scene with Owl/Spectre
- The 2 Nite Owls having dinner
What would I have modified?
- Manhattan goes to Mars. I don't think you should saddle your audience with that, copnsidering everythig else you're throwing at them. He could have just gone to some desert. Yes, this would have meant a big rewrite on the Spectre/Manhattan air trip.
- I'd have shortened all the Minutemen stuff. Just focus on Spectre I and the Comedian.
- I think there representation of the US-Russia conflict should have been mroe explicit. Instead of just showing a war room, they could have done news broadcasts. Again, the movie is already too complex, so they had to simplify. Plus, those scenes would have been boring to most audiences.
- Manhattan's origin sequence. The comic version was brilliant; the movie version was boring, and I think it wasn't able to effectively show Doc Manhattan's perspective of time. It just looked like flashbacks. I would have just shortened it.
- I'd probably get rid of the alternate history stuff too. I think most of the audience didn't even realize that.
- Music was too overpowering and not placed correctly.
I think Snyder tried too hard to be smart. Moore himself said that Watchmen was the opposite of cinematic, so why would you try to make a 100% accurate translation?
Still, I gave it 7/10, mainly because I'm a comic fan. Meaning, the plot wasn't complex for me because I'd read the book. The rhythm of the dialogue was something I was familiar with. SFX were great (except Bubastis), performances were terrific.
And its Watchmen! On film! I've been waiting for that for more than a decade!
The DVD release will be terrific.
This film was impossible to judge on its own merits, because I was already familiar with the source material. For example, I thought Goode was a little too hammy playing Ozymandias, making it too obvious that he was the one behind the whole plot. But my friends said they didn't realize it until the end of the movie.
The plot was way too complex, especially for international audiences. Add that complexity on top of advanced storytelling techniques, a movie set in parallel universe and another time period, a familiarity with US History, and some unnatural comic book dialogue dialogue, and you have a movie that will leave a lot of Filipinos confused.
And I agree with Gerard-- way too gory. By the time they showed the two dogs fighting over the girl's leg, I was de-sensitized, and the scene had no impact for me at all. Rorschach's transformation into a psychopath didn't seem valid.
The acting for the most part was good, with a few standout performances. I liked Crudup, Morgan and Haley's work. Wilson played his part right, being the emotional heart of the story. Akerman seemed a bit stiff, and like I said, Goode was a bit too cheezy.
They really should have taken more liberties in translating the film. Not every comic is Sin City. I liked almost all the changes they made-- like the ending with the Manhattan Bomb, Nite Owl visiting Ozymandias at the start, the fight scenes, Nite Owl's attack on Veidt at the end. All good changes, and I wish Snyder did more of those.
What would I have taken out?
- Bubastis. No point, and looked REALLY fake.
- Veidt tricking Manhattan into the chamber at the end. So awkward. Manhattan arrives, Veidt steps away, Veidt "kills" Manhattan, Veidt back at the stairs (Owl and Rorschach haven't moved!), then Doc comes back in anyway!
- Diner scene with Owl/Spectre
- The 2 Nite Owls having dinner
What would I have modified?
- Manhattan goes to Mars. I don't think you should saddle your audience with that, copnsidering everythig else you're throwing at them. He could have just gone to some desert. Yes, this would have meant a big rewrite on the Spectre/Manhattan air trip.
- I'd have shortened all the Minutemen stuff. Just focus on Spectre I and the Comedian.
- I think there representation of the US-Russia conflict should have been mroe explicit. Instead of just showing a war room, they could have done news broadcasts. Again, the movie is already too complex, so they had to simplify. Plus, those scenes would have been boring to most audiences.
- Manhattan's origin sequence. The comic version was brilliant; the movie version was boring, and I think it wasn't able to effectively show Doc Manhattan's perspective of time. It just looked like flashbacks. I would have just shortened it.
- I'd probably get rid of the alternate history stuff too. I think most of the audience didn't even realize that.
- Music was too overpowering and not placed correctly.
I think Snyder tried too hard to be smart. Moore himself said that Watchmen was the opposite of cinematic, so why would you try to make a 100% accurate translation?
Still, I gave it 7/10, mainly because I'm a comic fan. Meaning, the plot wasn't complex for me because I'd read the book. The rhythm of the dialogue was something I was familiar with. SFX were great (except Bubastis), performances were terrific.
And its Watchmen! On film! I've been waiting for that for more than a decade!
The DVD release will be terrific.
posted by butch @ 3/08/2009
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