WATCHMEN Movie Discussion (SPOILERS allowed)!

[Scar]

We're entitled to like what we want to like. I don't care for the argument that if you like this movie you clearly have flawed standards for what constitutes a good film and are intellectually subpar. The movie will continue to have a cult following for a very, very long time. Dusty framed it quite well that this movie was never going to have appeal with the masses and always aimed for a very specific demographic. There's nothing wrong with that, and in many respects it was successful in its aim. Aside from the occasional youtube fanatic, I don't know of any Watchmen fan who didn't like the movie a hell of a lot. There will always be those who find flaws and nitpick, but with the comic crowd that the movie was directed towards it remains quite popular. It's not a box office smash, and it doesn't have to be. People will still like it regardless of how many tickets are sold.

 

[wofford29]

I don't know of any Watchmen fan who didn't like the movie a hell of a lot.

Good to meet you.


Seriously though. I think there are plenty on here that are Watchmen fans who didn't love the movie. I know Dusty is a fan and she's made it clear she didn't like it a "hell of a lot." Barbelith if I'm not mistaken is a huge fan of the graphic novel and we certainly know that opinion. As for myself, well I didn't like it a hell of a lot, and I think it's because I'm a fan of Watchmen that I didn't.

 

[The Mike]

 

[DerMann]

I got to see this movie Saturday. I haven't read the comic so I was new to the characters and the plotline. I thought the acting was good (Blake was such an a**), the action scenes were great but I felt the movie could have been better overall. I guess I'll try and grab the comic and see how it compares.

 

[Scar]

Good to meet you.


Seriously though. I think there are plenty on here that are Watchmen fans who didn't love the movie. I know Dusty is a fan and she's made it clear she didn't like it a "hell of a lot." Barbelith if I'm not mistaken is a huge fan of the graphic novel and we certainly know that opinion. As for myself, well I didn't like it a hell of a lot, and I think it's because I'm a fan of Watchmen that I didn't.

Whenever you adapt a book to film you fight an uphill battle with how everyone has already mentally visualized each scene and exchange. For me, the Comedian and Rorschach were exact to how I imagined while reading, and for that reason I consider the movie successful for translating those characters well from one medium to another in a story that doesn't lend itself to such a transition. There are plenty of fans who were unhappy, and I wager that it's the immense affection that they have for the GN that made it difficult to see past the alterations made for the film. The first time I saw the movie I constantly compared it to the book and remain disappointed with what was bowdlerized or over-sensationalized on film. For all my disappointments, when enjoying it for what it is and not constantly considering the frame for frame comparison to the comic I liked it a great deal. Not defending it for its successes nor condemning it for its flaws, simply saying that if people find the successes to outweigh the flaws it's not necessary to gainsay their taste.

 

[plasmid303]

lol Fast and Furious took in $72 million in its opening weekend. Kinda makes Watchmen's opening $55 mill seem paltry. Makes me sad. (not that Fast and Furious is a bad movie)

 

[James_Ford]

(not that Fast and Furious is a bad movie)

That, like everything else said in this thread, is very subject to opinion.

 

[DinoLast]

So because I like the movie now makes me not a true fan of the illustrated novel?

Also I can't wait for Fast and Furious to get to these shores.
Looks like awesome mindless fun, just like the first one.

 

[LOTRFan]

lol Fast and Furious took in $72 million in its opening weekend. Kinda makes Watchmen's opening $55 mill seem paltry. Makes me sad. (not that Fast and Furious is a bad movie)

... so Hollywood will keep making more.

 

[barbelith]

Can't I just twist his words to suit my needs?

Well this is still the Internet, isn't it?

Up until the middle of the film it was almost piece for piece what you would have read so much so that what was left out became that much more blaringly evident.

I found this a significant problem myself, because the narrative demands of a film and graphic novel are different. The pacing of the book is one of the things that kills the movie - if anything they should have been much more aggressive about changing things around to suit the new medium.

When J.D. Salinger dies (it'll probably be soon since the man celebrated his 90th year this year) you'll see the same thing occur, his family will option out the rights to make a Catcher in the Rye film most likely to a severe fan of the work who they feel will give it the proper treatment, it'll come out and you'll see the masses divided amazingly, those who like it and those who call it an abomination.

Catcher in the Rye is a great parallel, because like Watchmen the thing that makes it such a brilliant example of its medium isn't the story, but rather how it's told. I don't see how it can be filmed and still work. I reckon it'll end up the same sort of curate's egg the Redford Great Gatsby was, or Watchmen itself.

But Barbelith will think you're dumb.

I don't think anyone's dumb for liking a movie.

We're entitled to like what we want to like.

Who has said otherwise?

I don't know of any Watchmen fan who didn't like the movie a hell of a lot.

Many of us have posted in this thread.

There are plenty of fans who were unhappy, and I wager that it's the immense affection that they have for the GN that made it difficult to see past the alterations made for the film.

These last two quotes of yours are very instructive. Try to listen to what people say rather than projecting a viewpoint onto them. Some of the changes undermined the book (turning Laurie into a killer for example undermines both Laurie as a moral center and dilutes the point of Rorshach); other things should have been changed to better suit the medium (the pacing is a big one). Ultimately I disliked the film because it's just not very good as a movie.

There sure are a lot of straw men here.

 

[Scar]

These last two quotes of yours are very instructive. Try to listen to what people say rather than projecting a viewpoint onto them. Some of the changes undermined the book (turning Laurie into a killer for example undermines both Laurie as a moral center and dilutes the point of Rorshach); other things should have been changed to better suit the medium (the pacing is a big one). Ultimately I disliked the film because it's just not very good as a movie.

There sure are a lot of straw men here.

I would be immensely appreciative if you enumerated all of the straw men fallacies in those two posts. Then we can perhaps discuss constructively rather than tossing veiled insults. You've spent the entire thread treating the opinions of those who liked the movie as base and immediately endeavoring to find fault in their points of view rather than admitting that there was anything of value to be had aside from, "you're entitled to your opinion, but here are nine idiosyncratic reasons why you are wrong." To say that you have standards while relegating the opinions of others to a plebeian level is no more insulting than me saying that the prevailing joe six-pack would probably not take to the bleak story of Watchmen, to which you were greatly affronted. To profess your own opinion to be one of a seasoned palette which others can't see due to their own uncultivated cinematic appetites is just another way to inculcate your own flaccid, stagnant point of view upon others who don't share your thoughts. Like or dislike of the film is subjective; right and wrong concerning taste is moot. Not defending nor finding fault in the film, just that it's alright to respect the opinions of those who post without making them sound intellectually inferior for not sharing your assessment, being knowingly condescending consistently.

 

[The Mike]

Man shoots himself during "Watchmen" movie
Last Update: 10:42 am
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Eugene (KMTR) – A man shot himself to death in a Eugene movie theater just after midnight Monday morning.

Police say about 10 patrons were in an auditorium at Regal Cinemas watching the movie “Watchmen.” About midway through the film some of the moviegoers told the manager they heard a “popping” noise like a gunshot. A 24-year-old man was found in the rear of the auditorium with a gunshot wound to the head.

Police say the man shot himself and was dead when they arrived.

The patron closest to the man was sitting two rows away

 

[prefused]

Man shoots himself during "Watchmen" movie
Last Update: 10:42 am
Print Story | Email Story

Eugene (KMTR) – A man shot himself to death in a Eugene movie theater just after midnight Monday morning.

Police say about 10 patrons were in an auditorium at Regal Cinemas watching the movie “Watchmen.” About midway through the film some of the moviegoers told the manager they heard a “popping” noise like a gunshot. A 24-year-old man was found in the rear of the auditorium with a gunshot wound to the head.

Police say the man shot himself and was dead when they arrived.

The patron closest to the man was sitting two rows away

sheesh... the movie isn't THAT bad.

 

[CelticPredator]

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!! Hilarious.

 

[IrishJedi]

Nevermind. Barbelith has posted since this happened. There goes that joke.

 

[EVILFACE]

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!! Hilarious.

Hilarious?

 

[plasmid303]

Did the guy have a long beard and pewter rings on his fingers?

 

[prefused]

Did the guy have a long beard and pewter rings on his fingers?

hahahahahaha

 

[Scar]

Did the guy have a long beard and pewter rings on his fingers?

If he would have agreed to see it in the first place, I wouldn't have been surprised.

 

[CelticPredator]

Hilarious?

Who shoots themselves over a movie? I mean I cant really think of any reason why he did it there....