Watchmen (Imax)

One hour and twenty five minutes into the directors cut my friend and I discovered there was another hour and forty to go till the bitter end. Not wishing go to sleep on an upset stomach, I ejected this bad puppy. What a horrible, disjointed mess of a movie. Ok,so I never picked up a single copy of Watchmen. So what? Just because I'm unfamiliar with the saga does not mean I should be left dancing in the dark still trying to figure out the story line half way through the film. Obviously created for ardent Watchmen films. Anyone not part of this club, avoid this film like the plague!

And God created… Super-Heroes! Lots of them.. Sometimes too many by their own grace and fate. But every now and then (1986) great comic book artists like Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins got together to tell a story of disintegration, misleading doubts and ambition each all combined can be translate to self-destruction with that in mind we (comic book fans) were delighted to acknowledge : WATCHMEN! Together with Frank Miller’s Dark Knight and same Alan Moore’s “The Killing Joke” comic books were elevated to today’s Graphic Novels. Then come to most difficult part… how to translate to a movie the brilliant story and art from this book ? After a off-scene war between studios for the rights and several director’s options Zack Snyder (300) step in and has a simple mission to do the impossible. So he does… and in my opinion sometimes he is just a genius on this adaptation. I was impressed and I loved almost every single frame on this movie. He is so rich on the comic books details that is almost absurd but beautiful to look at it. I can stress enough my pleasure to see how this movie makes justice for the book. Off course you can’t translate every single page in images but Snyder came really close to that… It’s in my opinion one of the best ever to be so loyal to the original source in screenplay and images. Not even the Batman or Superman movies are like that because the keep changing uniforms and tons of color to fit modern values. The main difference of the Watchmen and other super-heroes flicks is simple: they are not famous! But that’s the way that should be… They are almost anti-heroes because they worked for the Government not really for noble values that leads most heroes well known. All of them have deep unsolved problems about themselves and in this reality they are retired is like they need the masks to cover shame of the human beings that they really are. It has a very few display of super-powers here most of them coming from Dr. Manhattan (my favorite) and Ozymandias. Of course is fun to see Rorschack mask constantly changing (unique) as he play sort of Sam Spade type of detective… brings the film-noir to the movie which brings elegance to the story. All the cast are great is so well done in my opinion from the opening credits from the music choices here also the incorporates the movie atmosphere. I just hope that DVD version will bring more scenes because I truly wished the movie was even longer…. But hey …. I’m very pleased!

That was such a disappointment. It was an incredibly boring film with lots of blue penises and rare action. Nothing happens for an hour. Nothing was surprising. All the "surprises" I figured out in about the first five minutes. What complex plot are you talking about? I understand that he wanted to be true to the graphic novel, but this was so boring I think it would have been okay to change something up. I want my wasted time back.

I never read the book so this movie had to stand on it's own and I was so hoping for a great movie. Yes it was cool to look at, and there were many great scenes, and it dealt with some weighty moral issues but in the end, which took too long to get to, I was terribly dissapointed. Like the little engine that could, this was the great film that couldn't. In the name of entertainment, cut the long drawn out artsy scenes and pick up the pace. The villians were not evil enough and the good guys not likeable and that is the problem with Watchmen the Movie.

I have just seen the film and immediately came home to read as many reviews as I could find, just to see if what I was feeling was something common to a large percentage of the population. I must say I'm pretty confused. I am also a fan of the novel and, although not completely immersed in the world of the Watchmen as many fans are, I thought the film was an artistic masterpiece created most lovingly from its masterpiece, prize winning novel counterpart. The ending left me feeling lost, confused, saddened and kind of scared. I realize that these feelings would probably have been ten fold had the film been created in the mid 80's when the novel had been first published, but I don't think it lessened the intent that much. I mean, it IS an alternate reality and I think that even though the Cold War is over, the idea of what happens is still pretty frightening, as is the psychology behind the choices made at the end. Yet, for all the horror of sociopath superheroes and aging, cancer ridden villains all anyone seems to remember is Dr. Manhattans blue penis. It's just so sad that all the hard work that was done has to come down to that. Does anyone realize WHY he chose to wear no clothing? Anyone even THINK about the reasoning? Of course not. A blue dick on screen, lets ignore everything else. Ignore the horrible truth behind the idea of the devestating plot. After the film, I felt dazed, like everyone else around me. Those final words were knives thrown into us, a true nightmare we'll never realize could have honestly come to fruition. But I think enough of us do. We were all dazed as I said. The audience was oddly quiet, I noticed people holding each other a little closer and trying to find laughter in tiny parts they could remember while they walked away. I needed a drink. A cigarette. And the hope that we will never become as angry, lost and desperate as the world that was depicted on that screen. Just how I felt after I read the novel. I don't know if thats a good thing or not. I do know I'll be going back to take another look. Try to find some hope I think I missed. Kind of hard to explain. The hero for me was Rorschak. I just dont want to think he was the ONLY hope in that film. I guess that's what devestated me the most, knowing he probably was. Kudos to the creators of the film for making something that left me feeling something other that the way everyone feels after a Batman movie. Just the kind of Hero movie we needed, really. Never bored, never lost and always intrigued. Thank you for a wonderful film. All those critics mumbling about Blue penis and latex outfits missed the point. But then, how can you sympathize with a world you've never really been a part of.

I just got back from watching it. Sorry - like graphic novels but never read this. It's a plot twister - it's well acted with the thrill of some local Vancouver actors in a few scenes that were filmed here, locally. Great effects, low key natural actors - for superheros - no one cranked it way over the end. The sound and effects very impressive. I found that the story was a live version of MR. INCREDIBLE. But that was a hell of a story and so is this. But same same. With more snappy dialogue and the most intriguing natural frontal male nudity of the one Mr. Manhattan throughout the entire picture. By the end it was SO WHAT? Very nice mature and natural approach to the nudity, the sex and the wild fantastic blood splatter - wow! Gotta say I'd for and see the film for all the above reasons again! But IMAX this time. A couple characters not well developed and took up time being a snooze while they were on screen. Would like to go out and the novel as well. That's really exceptional. And the ending was totally unexpected when you find out the ... What? I'm not supposed to tell? DAMN. OK!

Please make him back!

I miss Glenn Kenny.