WATCHMEN Movie Discussion (book SPOILERS)

[Entropy]

but 300 is empty piffle. Which is actually rather damning in my opinion considering the drama inherent in the situation!

*shrugs* 300 the comic is empty piffle. What do you expect?

 

[barbelith]

*shrugs* 300 the comic is empty piffle. What do you expect?

Better, frankly.

 

[scubasteve]

I just got the Absolute Edition, today. Looking forward to reading this (for the first time)!

 

[IrishJedi]

Better, frankly.

I thought the film actually was better than the graphic novel, because at least characters like Leonidas has a little life and weight to them.

 

[Entropy]

It just seems lame to me to blame Snyder for 300 ultimately being an empty, one dimensional story. Blame Miller as that was the story he wrote, Snyder was just being true to the source material and came up with a very visually dynamic film that was about as good an adaptation of that comic as could be done.

And if the Watchmen script is ultimately disappointing to some, take issue with David Hayter and Alex Tse.

 

[IrishJedi]

I agree. I think a lot of people needlessly hate on Snyder, in general.

 

[barbelith]

It just seems lame to me to blame Snyder for 300 ultimately being an empty, one dimensional story.

I blame him for his failure to bring any depth through direction, as well as several deficiencies of craft such as his failure to unify scene etc.

And if the Watchmen script is ultimately disappointing to some, take issue with David Hayter and Alex Tse.

It's not that simple. A good director can elevate a poor script and a bad director can destroy a strong script. Look what Lucas managed to do with the original Star Wars and what Marquand did with Return of the Jedi.

 

[Entropy]

I see your point, but Star Wars is a much much better film all around than Jedi, arguably on the directing side as well.

 

[barbelith]

I see your point, but Star Wars is a much much better film all around than Jedi, arguably on the directing side as well.

I was talking about the direction. Star Wars is actually a terrible script. So much of that movie is down to George Lucas as a director. Whereas Return of the Jedi was more or less gutted by the woeful direction of Richard Marquand. A great deal of the one-dimensionality of 300 is down to Zack Snyder, although I agree you can't make gold out of sh...

 

[DarkArtist81]

I thought the film actually was better than the graphic novel, because at least characters like Leonidas has a little life and weight to them.

Same here. While I love the original Graphic Novel, the film added depth to Leonidas and the rest of the cast. Not to mention it was shot in a way that would pay homage to the actual framework of the comic itself. And on top of that, it was much more emotional the way they did it.

It's not Shakespeare, afterall....

 

[Entropy]

I was talking about the direction. Star Wars is actually a terrible script. So much of that movie is down to George Lucas as a director. Whereas Return of the Jedi was more or less gutted by the woeful direction of Richard Marquand. A great deal of the one-dimensionality of 300 is down to Zack Snyder, although I agree you can't make gold out of sh...

Ah. I see. Star Wars is a great script, certainly better than RotJ. It's just an adventure initiation story and a damn good one IMO. Not sure why you'd call it terrible but to each their own. Now the PT, those are terrible scripts with terrible directing.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Ah. I see. Star Wars is a great script, certainly better than RotJ. It's just an adventure initiation story and a damn good one IMO. Not sure why you'd call it terrible but to each their own. Now the PT, those are terrible scripts with terrible directing.

Some of the concepts behind ANH are brilliant and the plot appeals to the myth-hungry in everyone. But you have to admit that the dialogue is just as bad as anything in the PT. As Ford said to Lucas, "you may be able to write this ^^^^, but you can't say it."

 

[barbelith]

Some of the concepts behind ANH are brilliant and the plot appeals to the myth-hungry in everyone. But you have to admit that the dialogue is just as bad as anything in the PT. As Ford said to Lucas, "you may be able to write this ^^^^, but you can't say it."

Not just that - the structure is bizarre. How many other films ask us to spend 20 minutes or so with ancillary characters who become more or less irrelevant after the protagonist appears? Lucas deserves a lot of credit for making that work, especially considering they aren't even people and one of them can't speak!

 

[DarthNeil]

Not just that - the structure is bizarre. How many other films ask us to spend 20 minutes or so with ancillary characters who become more or less irrelevant after the protagonist appears? Lucas deserves a lot of credit for making that work, especially considering they aren't even people and one of them can't speak!

Irrelevant?... They're ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN!!!!!




Oh... Wait a minute.


(that was for all of you scholarly types who like the ha ha)

 

[Entropy]

How many other films ask us to spend 20 minutes or so with ancillary characters who become more or less irrelevant after the protagonist appears?

That's one of the things I enjoy most about the structure of SW. And I've seen and read many stories where the protagonist doesn't appear until later in the narrative.

Some of the concepts behind ANH are brilliant and the plot appeals to the myth-hungry in everyone. But you have to admit that the dialogue is just as bad as anything in the PT.

You honestly think so?? The dialogue of SW has so many wonderful quotable, classic lines. The PT... not so much. Do people real people go around saying things like "you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy" ? Not really, but it works quite well within the context of the story and that universe. I'm hard pressed to think of any lines as awkward and moronic in SW as in the PT.

"Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo, so long ago when there was nothing but our love."

But enough of this SW mumbo jumbo. This is all about Watchmen and what a kick ass story it is!

 

[King Darkness]

"Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo, so long ago when there was nothing but our love."

I dont know about you but I said this very thing to my wife the other day!

Well, not the exact same thing, it was more like "Hold me like you did by the lake when I was shrooming, so long ago when there was nothing but you, me and that pink elephant."

 

[CelticPredator]

This thread has inspired me to re-read....wow, i've noticed SO much new stuff. I love this ^^^^in book!

 

[Entropy]

I dont know about you but I said this very thing to my wife the other day!

Well, not the exact same thing, it was more like "Hold me like you did by the lake when I was shrooming, so long ago when there was nothing but you, me and that pink elephant."

I saw a pink elephant once but it was after eating one of those KFC bowls. That ^^^^ got me crunk.

 

[King Darkness]

This thread has inspired me to re-read....wow, i've noticed SO much new stuff. I love this ^^^^in book!

I just finished my 2nd read. Its TEN TIMES BETTER the 2nd time!!!! There is SOOOOOO much in this book, and so much going on in the panels.

I think I am gonna go for a 3rd read now.

 

[King Darkness]

I saw a pink elephant once but it was after eating one of those KFC bowls. That ^^^^ got me crunk.