Being a fan of the graphic novel I had mixed feelings about the movie. When I say fan I mean diehard-fan and no other comic even compares to Watchmen; so naturally I was unsure the movie was even going to be any good.
The acting was great. Everyone was telling me how amazing Jackie Earle Haley was as Rorschach (some people even claiming his performance above the joker's). Billy Crudup did an excellent Dr. Manhattan, Patrick Wilson was...after some thought the most solid, true-to-the-comic performer. His portrayal of Night Owl, i think, would satisfy Alan Moore himself. I didn't care for Silk Spectre or Veidt, but I don't have any real complaints. The Comedian was great aswell.
Veidt just seems a cardboard cut out to me in the movie.
Like we was always soft spoken and fragile looking the movie. In the graphic novel, i was came accross a little more mainly. Almost like Christian Bale's version of Bruce Wayne.
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Like even in the graphic novel he cheered and put both hands up in the air as he managed to achieve world peace. We did not see that in the movie.
Like with the way Matthew Goode playied Veidt through out the film, he might as well be holding a sign saying "I'm the bad guy here!" Like they could of made it any more obvious with that Suicide Pill on the fake assissanation attempt.
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Ultimately, I can't compare the two...the graphic novel is miles ahead of the movie even when the movie stays unquestionably faithful to the comic (except the end).[/color]
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I think that mutant alien just just happened to look like a giant ****** with it's killer pscionic scream would of been a little too much for movie viewer today. Like know only do we need to explain that Viedt help grow the mutant alien, but it would of ment that they would of had to put in that UFO Doomdays Cult too. Dr. M getting set up to nuke cities would out so much better.
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I still have mixed feelings about the movie....Was it better than say...the Dark Knight? It's difficult to compare it to other superhero movies when it asks such deep, real life questions of morality.
Critics talk about how the movie felt confined as if it was trying to compress a much too large story into a 2 hour showing, but it didn't....the story is fast paced even in the book.
Oh yes. The Dark Knight has really lift the bar when has come down to comic book movies. However at the same time Dark Knight does not have a comic books that it's directly based off. Yes, i know that the idea for The Dark Knight was loosely based off Batman : The Killing Joke, however it's not like the movie was Frame By Frame based from that story. Unlike Watchmen.
The problem with watchmen is that it will be compaired to the actual comic book when it comes down to reviews. I am sure that there is some one that out there is going to complain about why didn't we have the Tales of the Black Freighter. Personally I am kinda glad that they didn't put that in there. I am reading how more used the story to describe the story of Adrian Veidt.[ubar spoiler]
Readers of the comic book, feel free to correct me if you feel that I am wrong in saying this....
The only struggles that Adrian Veidt had over the years what dealing with his fellow watchmen (especially Doctor Manhattan). Because of his wealth, every thing else was just a push over for him.
I also do not feel that Veidt was in away mad or insane at the end. Yes, he did kill all those people. However cool, calm and methodical. Unlike the mariner who turn into pychopathic mad man at the end of the story.
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The other problem that i had with the Watchmen was the way they told the story. The change pass with the story progression, exspecially the part exploring Doctor Manhattan. Where through out the rest of the film, it was a series of flash back. Doctor Manhattan chapter in the film would of been much better if they did the movie as a TV series. Which they where thinking about doing back in the early 1990's.
Friend of mine that has not read the book loved it.I'm not sure if people who haven't read the book will care, or even get the message of watchmen completely. But it was a good movie.