I swear there was a thread on this but couldn't find it hence the new topic. Please merge if you do.

Saw this last night for the first time. I was almost completely naive to the history of the comic and hence expected something along the lines of Mystery Men, except that it was following on from the predecessors (ie what happened to those heroes, one last battle etc). I found it to be far darker, edgier and much more sexually explicit than I expected. Lots of cool scenes and set pieces but it didn't quite gel together in a smooth coherent storyline. It started to feel like pages from different comic books stuck together.

I had originally thought the Watchmen were the Minutemen and that the comics had been based on these guys, with the film fastforwarding into the future. Almost disappointed on reading that this was how the comic actually went! Semi-surprised by the ending as I expected a deus ex machina type finish.

Did anyone else watch it, or seen it previously?

I've seen it in the past, as you say nice and dark.

Sadly though the only memories I have of it are of being disappointed, it just didn't seem to work for me.

seen it and it just doesnt stand up to the comic book. It was easy to see why moore wanted nothing to do with it.

Very dark and disturbing. It was the first bluray I bought, but it is the least watched. It really turned my stomach. After all the praise it got, and from the trailers, I was expecting something very different.

I don’t think any film adaptation of Moore’s works have met with his approval. Why he agrees the licenses if he is that protective of his artistic endeavours is beyond me.

I must confess I actually really enjoyed Watchmen, to the point that I actually bought it on DVD, which is something I very rarely do at all.

Like C_W I know nothing of the comics etc. so there are huge sections of some people's objections that pass me by. It is pretty damned gruesome, but most of the time that doesn't bother me.

And Silk Spectre II is just damned fine as well

He likes big cheques as much as anyone else and he's a bit precious.

The Watchman film is OK but they did throw out some of the important plot details from the book. I never really understood why they changed the nature of the 'disaster' at the end - the one they made must have been just as expensive to make CGI wise as the one in the comics - nor why they got the actor in to play Ozymandeus that they did - I rather doubt the man who was in theory the 'best possible human being' would be such a wimp.

Jon

According to wiki (well from last night so not perfect recall), it was difficult to get someone who ticked all of the boxes. I agree - he was too much of a wimp and needed to be taller at the very least.

I really glad you posted. I've not seen it, and I've never read the comics. In fact, I've not read any of Moore's comics. I have however, seen LXG and V. V was an awesome film for me on so many levels and will be one film I'm keen to show my children at some point depending on what happens to the world between now and my future kids being old enough. LXG was dire, but I still vaguely enjoyed it.

Anyway, I have a nerdier (than me) friend who told me not to watch it if I hadn't seen the comics as it was a bit of a mess for newbies, but I was intrigued then and maybe a little more so now. Thanks.

Thanks. I've not read the comics either but it was still coherent and I understood the plot etc. I loved some of the tunes that acted as the score.

I'm a big fan of the comic and like the film adaptation. It's main problem is that it sticks a little too closely to the comic (apart from the ending), but it's good to see a darker, grittier take on the superhero theme. Alan Moore gets no money at all from adaptations of his work. Apparently he was so horrified by what was done to LXG and From Hell that he said that he does not want to be credited on the films at all (Watchmen, Constantine, V for Vendetta, etc) because he doesn't own the rights to them and forfeits any money due to him as the writer.

This attitude has even puzzled people who've worked with Moore on the graphic novels:



Certainly I can see his point with regards to From Hell and the terrible Constantine, but they are comics after all and what works well in his densely plotted scripts doesn't always work so well on the big screen.

He has every right to be so, having created such literary masterpieces.

I hadn't seen the comic before seeing the film. The film was enjoyable in a dark and gritty way, up close and personal with all of the characters. I did think it was a bit drawn out though.

Yeah, it was about 45 minutes too long for my liking, but I kinda enjoyed it. Thought it was a refreshly different take on the whole superheroes theme. Thought it a bit odd that no one in the film mentioned to the blue man that he was naked though - I mean you would, wouldn't you...?!

"s'cuse me, mate, did ya know I can see yer big blue knob there?"


Not a film I'd rush to watch again, but it's worth watching.