WATCHMEN Movie Discussion (SPOILERS allowed)!

[Jeff A Simon]

One of the most over rated movies ever IMO. I have watched it several times to try to get why it is held in such high regard. Just don't get it.

It was a quasi-heretical portrayal of United States war fare at the time it was released; when John Wayne and The Green Berets was the way America saw its Vietnam involvement. It opened the way for much that came after.

 

[Jeff A Simon]

The only song that I felt didn't work was All Along the Watchtower, the words are correct but it's atmosphere wasn't working for the events going on in the movie.

I would have much preferred the Stones' "Paint it Black" in that segment. When I have my own copy, I may try my own soundtrack.

 

[Jeff A Simon]

I would have much preferred the Stones' "Paint it Black" in that segment. When I have my own copy, I may try my own soundtrack.

I meant the Viet Nam segment.

 

[Darklord Dave]

It's not, and you will. Have the humility to realize that at 17 you're not exactly a master of context and cinematic history yet. There's nothing wrong with that. I wouldn't expect you to be a surgeon at 17 even if you were really really really interested in ER. If they expected you to know all this stuff as a kid, they wouldn't teach it in film school in the first place.

Now go watch Apocalypse Now so you get the Flight of the Valkyries joke, and accept that there's probably a reason people versed in film don't rate Zack Snyder as a director.

Okay, this is a bit condescending - I've been to film school and am well versed in film history, and I don't think Snyder is a hack. Is he Stanley Kubrick? No, and he's no more likely to turn into Kubrick than Michael Bay is.

But he took a complicated book and made it accessible, and still close to the source material, and did it in the studio system. He deserves a lot of credit for that.


I can't speak for the plot being handled

 

[BadMoon]

Okay, this is a bit condescending - I've been to film school and am well versed in film history, and I don't think Snyder is a hack. Is he Stanley Kubrick? No, and he's no more likely to turn into Kubrick than Michael Bay is.

But he took a complicated book and made it accessible, and still close to the source material, and did it in the studio system. He deserves a lot of credit for that.


I can't speak for the plot being handled

Wanted to post something after reading that comment but couldn't think of a nice way to do so.

 

[plasmid303]

I really hate comparing directors unless their films are thematically similar. Snyder's penchant for visual flair, as evidenced in 300 and Watchmen sets him apart from his contemporaries. I'm not saying that what was done in visually in Watchmen couldn't be matched by another director, but man, it's a grungy beauty -- I don't think many can deny that.

After seeing Snyder's Watchmen, I really couldn't imagine a Gilliam, Aronofsky, Spielberg or Coppola take on this superhero story. One would be too abstruse to even understand (Gilliam), one would be too artsy (Aronofsky); Spielberg's would be a maudlin, over sentimental affair, and I don't even know what Coppola would give us! Would a Watchmen film made by any of the above be more substantial? Perhaps, but there's the potential it could be irrevocably altered to the whims of the directors and probably won't look as nice as what Snyder gave us.

I'm still relatively young (at the semi-ripe age of 21), but I've taken some film studies courses in college. Point is, I don't consider Snyder a hack. I can only imagine what he'll produce in the future.

 

[Jeff A Simon]

It took a lot of courage to cast unknowns [relative] in a 100 million $. Hats off to Snyder for that and kudos to J.E.H. and H.D.M. for their incredible work with unsympathetic characters that they turned into gold.

 

[Dally]

Finally saw it today and I loved it. I'm a big fan of the graphic novel and I was scared that the new ending would ruin it, but I actually liked the new ending. It worked great. I was a little disappointed about some of the cuts, but I understand that their will be an extended edition for the home video release. Hopefully they'll have all the little scenes they cut out in the Ex Edition.

 

[Scar]

Excellent directors can make ^^^^ty movies. Remember when Steven Spielberg agreed with George Lucas that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull seemed like a good idea?

 

[CelticPredator]

In your opinion.

 

[plasmid303]

In your opinion.

Oh come on dude, do you have to do that?

 

[CelticPredator]

I dont agree with him.

 

[Scar]

In your opinion.

I'm sorry, I have to draw the line at Shia LaBeouf swinging through trees with helper monkeys. Epic fail. Literally.

 

[CelticPredator]

That scene sucked...but it was over within a minute. So I dont agree.

 

[Scar]

He's saying barbelith points out when he's dead wrong too.

No, just that when there's a disagreement he tends to the castigatory and likes to incense argument. It's his style of discussion and I've gotten accustomed to it, whereas people who aren't, Celtic, will probably take offense, which does make a great deal of sense. For example, he can throw examples at me all day and all night that there's no causal relationship between peace and conflict, bringing up marriages that all relationships weren't engendered by people who beat each other constantly; but I'll still maintain that he's confusing the term "conflict" with the term "violence, " is patently naive, and must have recently emigrated from Candyland.

Everyone has their own styles of discussion. It's when we get entrenched in semantics and the irresolvable that the debates become mired in pettiness. Celtic's alright by me, and barbleith has earned my respect for being dedicated to his views, however misguided. This is where some guy enters, says "Can't we all just get along?" and is slapped several times before fleeing the room in tears.

 

[Scar]

It's not, and you will. Have the humility to realize that at 17 you're not exactly a master of context and cinematic history yet. There's nothing wrong with that. I wouldn't expect you to be a surgeon at 17 even if you were really really really interested in ER. If they expected you to know all this stuff as a kid, they wouldn't teach it in film school in the first place.

Now go watch Apocalypse Now so you get the Flight of the Valkyries joke, and accept that there's probably a reason people versed in film don't rate Zack Snyder as a director.

Now that's a put-down. Eloquently phrased, though.

 

[CelticPredator]

 

[Scar]

...Well that's just disturbing.

 

[CelticPredator]

Isnt it? I hate that picture...so I "played" with it....

 

[The Chaver]

Me and my wife went and saw The Watchmen the other night and thought it was pretty great! I never read the graphic novel. I didn't think the level of violence was that bad,but that it was pretty graphic for comic book type movie. And yes I know this isn't based off an ordinary comic book and it isn't your ordinary comic book movie,but you know what I mean? The sex and the rape scene's were nothing like what I was expecting, I was expecting something far more graphic.

I really loved the visuals but thought that the opening wasn't that spectacular or as one person said "made me cry" I thought that the ending kinda sucked,was expecting something greater for some reason. But other than that it was well worth the ticket, and seeing again. I really loved Rorschach and loved the Prison scene where he said "You people don't understand..!?? I'm not locked in here with you! Your locked in here with me!!!

One thing that bugged me though, and I've already heard this from two other people on this board,but the damn film melted right in the middle of the movie.I thought it was really weird cause correct me if I'm wrong but don't they mostly use digital projectors for these big movies? The theater we went to was a pretty big and fancy one too.

Well any how me and the wife got 2 free tickets out of the ordeal and we plan on going to see it again next weekend.