Watchmen: Your Review? | Movie News

I don't know what some peoples problems are, I thought it was fantastic.

It's probably not gonna make Dark Knight $$$ but I hope it gets the props it deserves.

I've read the novel many times, and here's the good things and bad things about the movie.



Pros:



The Title Sequence. HOLY F***! Zack Snyder put his slow-motion fetish to good use and turned the introduction into an amazing year book that took pictures from the Under The Hood and other moments and brought them to life.



The Soundtrack. It all worked out, even that MCR cover at the end -- with exception to hearing Leonard Cohen during a slow motion sex scene. Snyder loves his slow motion sex.



Rorschach. There was less of the interrogation than in the book, but Jackie Earle Haley nailed this character perfectly. Absolute translation.



The Ending. I may catch some flak for this, but after reading the same ending about 10 times...a different one was incredibly refreshing. And they made it make sense.



CONS:



Bubastis. I love the little bugger, but either put him around more often, or not at all. He shows up for the last 20 minutes, and I heard some people go "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING!?"



Malin Akerman. The chick can't act. When I was watching her scenes it felt like she was on the sitcom set of a Disney movie. Not a fan.



Slow motion. With the exception of the opening credits, there didn't need to be slow motion every time someone jumped or broke a bone.



Hollis Mason. I think I saw him like...twice? Bad times.



Ozymandias. He needed to say "I DID IT!" -- and he had a little bit of a lisp...



All in all however, it felt like I was watching the book, and added little moments I hadn't expected...like dangly mob henchmen parts from ceilings, or a massive excess of blood.



Yay. 8/10

I thought this film was very good. Even though it doesn't live up to the original graphic novel, I must say, this film accomplished feats that seemed impossible.



The only problems I would say this film had were the old age make-up, some of the songs from the soundtrack were out of place. Specifically, they were "Sounds of Silence," "Flight of the Valkyries," "All Along the Watchtower," and especially "Hallelujah" during that awkward sex scene. I was disappointed that Hollis Mason got shortchanged in the film. Also, I wasn't too big on the portrayal of Adrian Veidt. He came off as a bit of a wimp. I always saw him as a confident, charming, and ambitious man. Not necessarily stone-faced.



Now, the good. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jackie Earle Haley, and Patrick Wilson were all incredible in their roles. Billy Crudup was excellent as Osterman/Manhattan, and Malin Akerman didn't disappoint me like I thought she would have after reading some of the early reviews. I thought Snyder handled the violence perfectly. It was meant to be unpleasant, and there was nothing gratuitous or glorified in the violent acts committed in the film.



The best aspect of the movie is the look of it. All the set pieces fit perfectly, the costumes are terrific, etc. etc.



Overall, I really enjoyed this film, and I'm happy that Zack Snyder did the unthinkable and adapted this 'unfilmable' material to satisfying standards. If it were handled by a lesser director, God help them from all the rabid fans...

I got caught up in the hype of a "blockbuster" film (much like I did with The Dark Knight) and honestly, it was a good movie.



Not a GREAT movie.



I'd watch it again.



Something I can't put my finger on was definitely off. The acting was fine, it was gory at certain points (kiddies love the gore, don't they?)and the visuals were pretty good, but something just wasn't there.

Maybe it's just me.

First and foremost, if you don't get that this an alternate 1985 where Nixon is still in power after finding a way to serve multiple terms, Vietnam has been won by superpowered beings, and superheroes are mythic but outlawed fugitives of the state--than you're a damn idiot and shouldn't even belong in a theater that deconstructs the superhero genre.



Like Moore's book adapted almost page by page by Zack Snyder, "Watchmen" is a psychological testament of heroism vs. vigilantism, with politics, sex, and violence thrown in for good measure. "Watchmen" has been hailed as one of the 100 books that You Must Read Before You Die and is also hailed as one of the top 25 graphic novels ever made.



The book has it's own pietistic cult following among comic-book store owners, geeks, and Hollywood elites. I happen to fall under the geek category and proudly accept that title.



I will say Zack Snyder is 3 for 3. He remade George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" and made a successful remake that still delves into how Americans are swept up in consumerism, commercialism, and industrialism--- it also dealt with the usual "zombie-lore" of 'Would you go to the length of killing your loved one or best friend if they were bitten?



Then, he made a page-by-page, panel-by-panel kick-ass adaptation of Frank Miller's "300" and now he has come to this state.



Zack Snyder, I give you my full-on jubilation. You adapted the most hardest adaptable book (over 20 years it has taken and been in 'development hell' in Hollywood circles and studios) and yet here you've made the impossible seem possible. You are the real Dr. Manhattan.



Everyone complaining about you being too stylized or you injected too much testosterone into this need to cool it. You had a blend of story and action; you can't tell me Paul Greengrass wouldn't stylize this movie if he was given it. He does that all the time with the "Bourne" movies in the fight scenes.



However, I did feel some song choices were out the place. Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changing" worked; "Along the Clocktower" worked too but KC & the Sunshine band blaring over the riot scene didn't work for me, neither did "99 Luftballoons" or Chemical Romance during the end credits doing an edgier, rockier Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row."



I also at times didn't like Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan. I found him to be too extraterrestrial; as if he was a better Klaatu then Keanau Reeves was in the remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still." I've always pictured Manhattan to sound like God; a thunderous voice not one that sounds so monotonous, so soporific that it almost sounds too animatronic. Maybe it was intentional to get the sense that Manhattan has chosen this new voice or way of speaking because he is so destitute to help others or find care and joy in the world that his voice must come off as that too. If that was the case than it is only minor for me.



Otherwise, everything and the cast works. Even Snyder's signature slow-mo but brutal fight sequences that are expanded out more than compared to the book's panels work. Each one is more bone-crunching and bloodspilling then the last one. (*SPOILER* I didn't miss the Giant Squid at the end but I did miss seeing Hollis Mason aka Night Owl 1 get killed. I also wish we could've got some scenes of Captain Metropolis and the Minutemen actually talking but oh well...)



Jackie Earle Haley IS Rorschach and if he isn't brought up next year for Oscar time than I say, "F.U. Academy!" Haley with his staidly deep voice makes Rorschach into a likeable sociopath. (Is that possible?) He takes on the decadence and grime with violence and wit.



Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian is also likeable despite he does bad things (which I won't give away so either SEE THE DAMN MOVIE or READ THE DAMN BOOK & THEN SEE THE MOVIE!)



Patrick Wilson IS Night Owl II. As Dan Drieberg/Night Owl II, he captures Dan's hopes and fears; his battles of divulging his darkest secrets (one including his sexual impotency and virginity). Carla Gugino as Silk Spectre I is sexy even in her sixties. Gugino should be in lace, lingere, and garters in every movie!

Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre II is cute and fetching.



Matthew Goode as Ozymandias held his own. In the scenes, where he unleashes upon our heroes is where the acting chops really flew out of him. Otherwise, in some scenes he comes off too "prettyboyish"; too much of a playboy and privileged brat for my tastes. Hell, the book made him out like that too.



All in all, I feel this, "The Dark Knight", and "Spider-Man" are the best superhero movies ever made. Even if you maybe didn't like this movie like I did the first time, I urge you to see a second time because your mood might shift to liking it more. I felt the only wee problems were the song choices and some of the line delivery but otherwise I felt it was enjoyable and well-adapted.



This as close we'll ever get to the perfection of Alan Moore; so fan-boys cool it. Maybe one day we'll get a remake of this, as we do with every other movie---good or bad. I personally think the director's cut will put all the people who didn't like it to rest and for all of us who really liked it, I plan to see it again, and hope you will too.

i have to repeat myself, the movie "could use just a few of them, as some of them I think were not suitable or needed"



it didn't matter which decade the songs were from (if u actually watched the movie, u should realise that they weren't all from the 1980s)

I can't get this movie out of my mind. It's literally stuck in my head and I don't know how to get it out.



An obsession is beginning to form... and I'm beginning to think this is a good thing.



And to the numb nuts out their who say that the music choices are bad in the film, I ask: What did you want, Joy Division? Maybe a little bit of Boy George? Not enough Bow Wow Wow? Or was it the lack of Duran Duran?



Seriously, how can you dog on the choices. The story is set in the 80's! What do you want? Limp Bizkit.



Point Zack Snyder.

Cant believe this is snyder's 3rd movie. I thought the Dawn of the Dead was pretty cool, and 300 was alright but a bit ridiculous .. Watcmen however is giant leap above those two.



From the beginning, snyder immediately introduces the audience to the watchmen's world and history. People who arent aware of the book wont be left in a daze.

The pace was good and no fillers in between - I didnt realise 160 minutes had passed.



Visually spectacular - the costumes, sets, effects were great.

There were lot of songs used in the movie - could use just a few of them, as some of them I think were not suitable or needed.



The characters were brought to life brilliantly by all actors.

The action set pieces were good - Loved the prison scene!



This movie is brilliant - and no doubt , in part due to the source novel.

I havent read the novel in years, but thankfully so, because i wanted to watch the movie fresh without any expectations. And i felt rewarded for it.



Can't wait for the DVD special edition!!



10/10

An incredible experience and one I plan on enjoying over and over again. A leap forward in how films are made!



10/10

I love how people rant about how things fell flat and how the music choices were inappropriate blah blah blah. I haven't read the book (started today), but I love me some comics and movies and movies about comics and I couldn't get enough of the movie. It was too long? Knowles got it right when even at almost 3 hours it seemed short! Snyder knows how to make shit work, I never looked at the screen and thought "Well that looks like garbage" and the music? I loved all the music, Hallelujah is one of my all time favorite songs and I had never heard the Leonard Cohen version and thought it was an amazing use of it. I knew the basics of the story (including the squid) and I welcomed the slight changes (and the big one too). I loved this movie and will go nuts if I don't see it again this week.

As a fan of the graphic novel, I thought the film was absolutely terrific. I was just astounded at how well done it was and I'm very excited to go see it again.



No squid? No problem. The story still has the same affect as it did in the comic. And to be honest, it was probably for the best that they left the squid out of the flick. I think it would have been difficult to pull off. But the substitute they used for the film, like I said, worked just as well.



Everything all around was solid. Flashbacks were put in at the right moments, the opening title sequence was brilliant, the visuals were stunning, the acting was terrific (although I will say Malin Ackerman was probably the weakest of the bunch, but still did a fair job I think) and the music choices were great.



One of the many things I liked so much about it was how much people who weren't familiar with the source material loved it, and got it! I saw it with a bunch of friends who had no prior knowledge about the graphic novel (other than what little I told them beforehand, which was pretty much that it's a deconstruction of the superhero) and they absolutely loved the flick and were talking about it afterward like they were well educated in the graphic novel. Now to pull that off, in my opinion, is a truly amazing feat. Well done, Mr. Snyder. And thank you!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

Very very VERY good.

The internets was created for people to complain on. Be happy it's atleast faithful to the comic and not a complete whore fuck like AVP.

I've greatly hyping this movie since it was announced. I've read the comic and recently watched the Complete Motion Comic on blu-ray.



Compared to the comic book, it's only a 6/10. But I always watch a movie open-minded, as a stand alone. This is how I loved the film. The music is mixed well with the film. The action is great, and it doesn't even count up for 30% of the film. The best part about the film was, you guessed it, the story.



The story for the film is just about as amazing as it was in the graphic novel. From the Comedian being killed to the big revielation at the end, Znyder puts the flash backs in the right spots and the character deveopment is still great.



For the acting, everyone did great, except for Silk Spectre. I still say she did good, but there are many faults in her performance.



If you want to watch the Watchmen, I suggest you go in there open minded and not try to compare the film to the graphic novel.

Ok...here we go. Watchmen seems to be getting mixed reviews. I can see why though. This is a highly regarded adaptation of a phenomenal graphic novel/story. As a film, Watchmen stands proud and unique. When comparing the THEATRICAL cut (keep that in mind) there are some issues. This comes with any book-to-film deal. Forrest Gump differed greatly on screen than the book. But trust me it was for the best in that instance (In the book Forrest goes to space with a monkey and is a horny retard). Anyway, Watchmen was certainly a story worth making a film out of. Though Zack Snyder just recently pissed me off at the premiere his talent (and his crews) really shines through in the film. The action in the film is very powerful and appropriately dispersed. Watchmen should not be considered a typical comic action film. There is real unique substance in the story. The characters in the book and film really show that. Billy Crudup (Dr. Manhattan), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Comedian), and Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach) were OUTSTANDING in their performances. Excellent casting props on that one. It was nice to have the characters as they seem in your imagination after reading the novel come across so perfect on screen (Ya I'm eyeballin you Harry fuckin Potter movies). I heard a bit about some weak CGI in the film. I would have to say over 90% (that you notice) of the visual effects in the film were executed very well. There were a couple bits that seemed lacking. Keep in mind folks, that often on big budget effects heavy movies like this that more than 1 SFX company will work on the same film. 1 company alone could not produce all that crazy shit in such a short amount of time. So maybe one SFX studio sucked a bit? The use of sex, gore, and violence in the film was great! If you are not into that kinda shit then go watch the gay Jonas Brothers 3D dingleberry movie. The Imax viewing experience, most notably the sound really helped make the film what it is. Its great to look at. Having read the novel I greatly missed the relationship between the newsstand vendor and his comic reading buddy. Of course that directly leads to The Black Freighter and it was a bummer not to see that (Although it will be on DVD in a week and in the Directors cut on DVD/Blu-Ray). There were other little bits here and there that would have been nice to see. Most especially some more on Rorshach's history and childhood. There is more to the story with the Psychiatrist that they left out of the movie But I can understand cutting that for the "theatrical" version. Some shit that did bother me was the goofy ass Richard Nixon character and Moloch's fucking ears. They made that shit to cartoonish thereby making the person look like a caricature. It's even more annoying when they made JFK look SO much like JFK (Forrest Gump again) but fuck up others. On a more positive note the music in the film was AWESOME. ESPECIALLY the opening slow mo sequence with Bob Dylan's "The times they are a changin". Some other popular songs were very well fitted in certain sequences as well. Overall the movie in my opinion was a success. I certainly would have rather watched the 3 hour 30 minute Directors Cut versus this 2 hour 45 minute theatrical cut, but I guess I can wait. I'd say all in all again as a film it was great. For those that hold the Watchmen novel sacred you are obviously going to have disappointments. But look at the bright side...this movie doesn't have fuckin Jar Jar Binks in it at least! GO SEE IT!

I really loved the visuals and everything. However, the ending was absolutely terrible and the music didn't fit the movie at all.

8/10



Visually amazing, well-acted, and will certainly stay with me for a while. It was far from perfect, but I'd see it again in a heartbeat.

perfect ... no

faults ... yes

could it have gotten things any better, i really don't think so. i left feeling satisfied, excited, and happy that it wasn't necessarily a panel by panel adaptation. i felt the end result kept the tone and commentary everyone loved from the book. besides the crazy music cues, 9/10.



full review: [link]

After just seeing the movie, i feel its about as good an adaptation that any film based on Watchmen could be, especially with the running time it had. Those true diehards that want everything can get the Extended Cut on DVD.

I thought it was really good and I enjoyed it very much. But it is definately a film with it's faults. Some of the music didn't fit at all during some of the scenes and ruined them somewhat. And the fighting seemed too Matrix-like at times and it felt like something out of place. But overall I thought it was probably the best adaptation possible of it. I cannot wait for the Directors Cut to be released to see all of the stuff they had to cut out due to time restraints.

Here's a link to my review of the film...it's way too long to post right here.



[link]

Went Midnight IMAX. An adaptation beyond satisfying for those who read the graphic novel and an unforgettable movie experience whether you have or not.



Almost "Dark Knight"-greatness, but both films come very close as possible to perfection, in my opinion. Completely blown away, seeing it one or two more times before it leaves theatres.

While “Watchmen” is a film that I'd recommend, I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly disappointed in it. All the elements in the book that I love are there, and all the performances where good (I actually thought Akerman did a good job, and really liked her in her scenes with Wilson), but in the end, this elements where just not mixed together properly to give us a great package like in the book.



I think my main complaint is that for an almost 3 hour movie it seems rushed. While the runtime does go by fast, the characters and events we see are not given proper time to breathe and soak in. By the last 40 minutes of the film, it’s just a total information overload. While this will probably be fixed in the upcoming “ultimate cut”, for now those that said “Watchmen” is unfilmable as a movie because of the vast amount of information and subplots in the book are proven somewhat right.



And also, a lot of the violence seemed forced and unnecessary to me. While I liked the expanded sex scene (I know call me a perv) a lot of the violence seemed way too gratuitous. My main problems where the fight between Laurie and Dan vs. the knot-tops (we didn’t need to see bones pooping there at all), and the different way that Rorschach disposed of Blair Roche’s killer (actually that scene may just be my biggest problem with the film, it’s just gore for the sake of gore; and isn’t the way that Rorschach disposed of him in the book much more gruesome, if less gory?). While I liked some of the added action/violence (beginning fight, prison fight), a lot of it just seemed forced and was just violence for violence’s sake.



As for the ending, I’ll go ahead and say it; the “McGuffin” in the film is MUCH more effective than the squid. Call me a blasphemer, but that is the one instance that they actually improved upon the source material. I do have a huge problem with the ending, and that is the completely unnecessary beating that Nite-Owl gives Ozymandias at the end. While I understand that Veidt sitting there and taking the beating signifies his “penance” for his crime, it just felt to me as yet more completely unnecessary violence. It was the “Hollywood” ending, “well he’s the bad guy so he’s gotta get his ass kicked at the end”. Whatever.



That said, the film was very impressive visually and while sometimes uneven does manage to cover the book’s storyline into its runtime fairly well. And I’m glad that the books epilogue was left intact. Overall, I was slightly disappointed, but I still like it and recommend it.



It gets a B from me.

Loved the film, although it had it's flaws and I can see why people aren't liking it as much as others. That said, I still can't help but wonder what it would've been like with Aronofsky directing...

Back when Watchmen came out I was a roomie with a fanboy who practically begged me to read this. And I did. I loved it. It was probably the most exciting thing I had read like that ever and thought it would make a great movie someday but technology just wasn't there to present it properly. Well, that day is here. A remarkably faithful adaptation and a visually exciting telling of a great piece of modern literature. Sure, there are a few liberties which really, in my opinion, had little effect on the overall finished product. If you've never read the novel you probably will want to after seeing the movie. I for one will need to revisit it much like I did for Lord of the Rings to see just how much things were changed. I also cannot wait for the Director's Cut of this movie. I'm sure they could have added another hour or so which really would have taken it to another level but movie makers know that people can't hold their pee that long. I can truly recommend this movie.

Best movie I've seen in a long time! Yes I've read the graphic novel and I have to say that the movie was as good if not better. The altered end in my opinion worked better than the original and actually made more sense. Only complaint I had and it was really a minor one, Comedian's full face mask was awesome in the book and felt it needed to be in the movie.

I'm seeing it tonight at 8 and I know that doesn't help anyone. But articles like this do. I wish you would do this with every halfway decent movie release. Glad to see everyone appreciating the Rorschach jail quote. Got that in 8x10 framed.

loved it. couldnt ask for much more. the only CHANGE i had any issue with was the rorshach kidnapper scene. i understand the motivation of the change, but the original ultimatum he gives the guy got the same message across albeit subtler emotionally.

Need to see it again on IMAX and really looking forward to seeing the Directors cut and then the ultimate with black freighter cut in. wonder if they will incorporate some of the side story lines that were obvious cuts for the theatrical, such as the psychiatrist's story line in truly believing he can help walter and the effect that has on his marriage, or the riots leading up to the end and the murder of hollis.

i can understand the beefs hardcore watchmen fans have with the film and why they dont like it, but i think the film was very beneficial for film buffs who dont ever read comics but love movies. this finally unleashes a view on superheroes yet to be tapped by the film industry, and I thank Zack for keeping the theme of the film true.

Movie was ok but forgettable. And i loved the book. I know it might sound stupid but what killed me the most was that i really felt like it was just taken right off the page. But is that really a complaint? It bothers me to say that. If they had changed it then I prob would have been mad.



And everyones argument about the ending, its still the same theme. And regarding why would Russia and other countries help us, because I think the writers felt if Dr. Manhattan can do that shit to America it sort of felt like it was him against the world sort of thing. Idk. Movie was 7/10.



3 Points for Rorschach

1 Points for Malin Akerman's tits

1 Point for Imax

1 Point for Jailbreak scene

1 Point for opening montage

1 Point for The Comedian



-1 Dr. Manhattan blue dick lol

I went in intentionally lowering my expectations and baring the reviews I'd read in mind to soften the blow. Luckily, I was blown away and genuinely happy. For me, it was the best adaptation since LOTR. Like LOTR, I understood and agreed with the changes made to make THE MOVIE and not THE BOOK. Everything was top notch. People will dissect and pull their hair out over the this and that but that is again why I tend to feel unattached to my fellow geeks who will never be satisfied no matter what. That's their problem.

Roger Ebert gave it 4 stars. I know he's gone the way of the nutty recently but I suppose that's saying something.



Anyway, I plan on seeing it tonight!

9/10

I don't know what the fuck it is you people want.

That shit was incredible. I wish it was 4 hours long.

"None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with me."

- classic!

and that superhero karate shit they were doing was also awesome as well.

saw it at midnight it was good 7.5. It's a shame that the dark knight has risen the bar so high. the ending though is what killed it why would russia and the rest of the world help after our american superman turned on us and killed millions. wouldnt the russians just capitlize off that and destroy us. it was a decent change but after i thought about it just didnt make sense. at least with the threat of an alien invasion in the comic it made sense why the rest of the world come togather.

I'm completely agree with Jenna's review

just a straight up bad ass bloody graphic comic book movie

and thought provoking to...if your into that sort of thing

definitely lived up to the hype

i got the chance to see watchmen on monday. ive never read the comic, ive always wanted to but i figured i should see the movie first so i dont get upset if the movies different. i loved the movie. i would have liked to see a different ending but i enjoyed it anyway and i plan on reading the comic soon

Saw it last night and I have no complaints whatsoever.



that said, the "where's the fucking squid" pic cracked me up.

The Watchmen was FUCKING AWESOME! There were subtle changes, extended scenes, and pieces of conversations that were missing, but it just made for a more enjoyable film version while leaving the book as the still quintessential complete story, which is the way it should be. Respect and delight but don’t overshadow the original piece of work. I cried a litle. Not like a baby, but I got the single tear rolling down my face moment during one part I won't disclose, and it was sweet.



The characters are so fucking true to the comic it blows your mind. I literally can’t pick a favorite. The comedian was perfect, Rorschach was fucking Rorschach, and Manhattan is beautiful. Same as Nite Owl, Silk, and Ozy. Kudos to Snyder. If this film doesn’t solidify him as an A+ director then fuck everybody who says he's not.



Two personal surprises were that 1. Adrian Veidt doesn’t suck…in fact, he kicks fucking ass and 2. Nite-owl, while still remaining impotent and pent up like the comics, takes his “in-suit” persona to a whole new level of awesome making me totally re-evaluate the way I felt towards his comic book counterpart.



Awesome, truly awesome. A near perfect adaptation. Can’t wait for the Black Freighter induced version. I will be seeing this film again, in the theater, it’s that good.



P.S. The blue dick is way over hyped. It’s there, but it’s not distracting unless you’re an idiot.

I won’t go into to many plot details here for those who have never read the comic book, so I won’t ruin anything for you.Though, for the purists, the ending diverges from the source material, it keeps it's spirit, and I felt was better suited cinematically.



Watchmen. Watchmen. So much hype has surrounded this film, the internet has been rife with opinions, and nerdgasms, and excitement. I decided to go see the midnight premier last night, I went by myself, though I was far from alone. I am pretty sure the entire unwashed nerd community of Jacksonville turned up in my theater last night, which took away from my viewing experience a little bit. I knew this was a movie that would drag them out of their anti-social hovels so they could keep their dork-cred, but I figured they would have a little respect for the deeper meanings of the film. Of course I was mistaken. I’m going to go see it again, possibly with a few friends once it has been out for a while and there will be less of a crowd. But I wanted to get down my first impressions this morning while they still linger.



This movie is, in a way, prophetic, frightening, exciting, disgusting, disturbing, and hopeful. Yes, hopeful. For those who’ve been under rocks for the past 2 months, here is the basic premise. It is 1985, not the 1985 I was born into that we remember, but the 1985 of some twisted parallel universe where Nixon is running the country during a fifth term, and masked heroes were real. I say “were” because after about 40 years of heroes, the public turned against them and Nixon outlawed them. These aren’t people with superpowers (with the exception of one Dr. Manhattan), these are people with great training, dedication, and access to enough money and gadgets to give them a leading edge in crime fighting. But their day has been gone for sometime, and we come into a world where the Nuclear Doomsday Clock is set 5 minutes to midnight as the US and USSR face-off over Afgahnistan (remember that?) and one of the last heroes, the Comedian, has been murdered. Which leads the hero remnants to begin an investigation the brings their (not-so) secret society’s history full circle, and leads to the discovery of something far worse.



The title of this page is combo quote between Patrick Wilson’s Nightowl and Jeffery Dean Morgan’s Comedian, during a violent riot in one of the flashback scenes of the film. To me it captures the essence of the entire movie, and speaks bitingly to our time. This movie is pregnant with real world implications, I wonder if anyone else in the audience left last night wondering what our clocks are set to. Yet at the same time, depite it’s catastrophic conclusion, there is a sense of recovery at the end, something I think Obama has been trying to get through to us in our own world. Yes we face horrible times ahead, yes it is possible that humanity is about to go through the crucible, and not everyone will come out on the other side, but when it’s over, those left standing will be stronger, and more willing to fix the mistakes that lead us here, we hope.



That is the message I took from this movie. That message alone is enough to want me to see it again. But wait, there’s more.



The direction and style of this movie is nearly immaculate. It totally immerses you into it’s world and never manages to loose itself, something I feel that “The Dark Knight” and “Lord of the Rings” both did towards the end, not to take away my love of those films, but I’ll easily admit their flaws. My biggest issue with Watchmen is Carla Gugino (Silk Spectre II), who it’s seems wouldn’t be able to act her way out of a cardboard box. Most of her lines are delivered with such a flat earnestness and disingenuousness that I had a hard time appreciating her particular predicament. One thing I can say positively for her is that what she lacks in her lines, she makes up for in her screen presence. She is able to pull off the poise, beauty, and physical prowess of Silk Spectre II, she just couldn’t convince me of the character’s emotional reality. Jeffery Dean Morgan is excellent, managing to instill both pity and absolute disgust with his character the Comedian, there is an attempted rape scene with him, that is so horrifying, so brutal and disgusting, that it disturbed me more than any of the rest of the violence in this movie, and there is some major violence, some really gross instances, but the inhumanity of that sexual violence shook me the most. This was the point where I wanted to walk out, not just because of the scene, but because of the audiences' reaction it. People giggled, someone in front of me said "teach that bitch a lesson". I realized that this audience came for spectacle, and they got thier fill, they love violence the way Romans loved the Coliseum. I don't mind violence in a movie, but it has to have point. There was no pointless violence in Watchemn, just people who didn't get the point.



Matthew Goode, who I admired and pitied with as the unlucky husband in “Imagine Me and You” brings us Ozzymandias, the world’s smartest man, and delivers each line with the self-assuredness of the ego maniac that he is, and totally makes him believable. Billy Cruddup shines as Dr. Manhattan, the only superpowered individual. Dr. M’s accident which gave him his powers also removed his humanity, not in an evil way, but in an [link] way. Yes he’s blue, and yes he’s naked (with matching blue penis) for most of the movie, but looking into those shining fathomless eyes is both truly frightening and awe inspiring, and his coldly delivered lines went to the core of me. Rorshach, played by Jackie Earle Haley is a realist to a fault. His brutality is the only one explained, and in the movie, as in the comic book source, it is hard to fault him. Patrick Wilson as Nightowl is perfect. Outside his costume he is nerdy, bumbling, shy, kind, and endearing. In the cape and cowl he is strong, self-assured, good, and a great fighter. Wilson manages to bring a great humility to his role, and is possibly the perfect embodiment of his comic book counter part.



All in all, this movie is excellent. I recommend it to everyone, and just ask that you look beyond the spectacle, and let it's substance overwhelm you as it overwhelmed me.

Loved the visuals and the film, but there's some things I don't dig:

-Janey Slater in the TV studio

-The girl playing Janey Slater's performance

-Fighting scenes were brutal, ok, but too 'martial-artsie'. Don't like Rorschach throwing ninja kicks.

-Too long sex scene

-Nite Owl & Silk Spectre seem to allow Rorschach to go to the Big Figure with a smile on their faces. In the comic they don't even know Big Figure's in the toilet

-They never showed you where Laurie got the gun in the end

-Laurie's scene in Mars didn't convince me



Anyway, maybe there's some more stuff but I can't think of it right now. I'm definitely watching it again and think that JEH should get an oscar for his performance, as well.

Saw it



Loved it



going back for more!

I saw it last night at midnight. I didn't like the aging make up. I didn't like the fact they made stupid typical jokes like the flamethrower going off in Archie. I also hated how in the movie they could fight through a million enemies and go untouched. Malin sucked in Watchmen too she gave such a stiff performance and the soundtrack is just what really killed it for me at times. If the whole film was Rorschach though I'd definitely give it a 10/10 JEH nailed it and I think if anyone deserves an Oscar nom in any movie I've seen in the last 4-5months it's him. He WAS Rorschach.

Did anyone's else theater stand up and applause when Rorschach said "...I'm not in here with you, You're all in here with me" ??

you should make articles like this more.

I thought it was pretty sweet. I have not read the graphic novel, but all of my friends have, and they said it's amazing, and the trailers were enticing enough for me to want to see it. The pace was pretty good, even though they probably could have cut out half and hour for bits here and there, it didn't seem to drag at all. The special effects were crazy, and some of the cinematography was gorgeous. But too much blue dick.



My rating: 7/10

So I've finally seen this movie. Did I like it? Yes! From everything I saw, they remained pretty faithful to the Book and did their best to carry over the same themes and thoughts into a 2:36 film. The pace of the story is pretty good, I never once got bored while watching it. Some may be put off by the amount of violence and gore in the movie, but it didn't faze me too much, with the exception of a scene or 2. Out of all the actors, Jackie Earle Haley and Patrick Wilson were my favorites. And Jeffrey Dean Morgan was great and is bound to shock people is his portrayal as The Comedian. With that said, this film needs to be watched more than once to truly get a great understanding of it because there's so much information thrown out you, visually and verbally. It's not a flawless movie by any means, but Snyder & Co. do so much right that I can live with the flaws of the movie.



8.5/10



P.S. This thing needs to be seen more than once. Based on what I saw and what I've heard...You'll benefit yourself GREATLY seeing it twice. I'll be doing it myself soon enough.

I LOVED THIS MOVIE! Snyder has truly pulled it out. Watchmen is a beautiful and visceral film! I just loved it! I wanna see it again immediately.

I'm gonna wait for about 2 weeks or something until I see it... Since I love movies and don't want the experience to be ruined by the stupid masses sitting with me in the theatre (Here in Germany fortunately after 1 or 2 weeks almost noone watches movies in the original language anymore).

I saw Watchmen last night at one of the midnight showings and I must say it was a damn good flick, that in my opinion really stayed true to the graphic novel that we all know and love. Now I will admit as I'm sure you have all heard there are areas that were added and some scenes extended to accomodate more action and what not. Honestly though, still, I believe that Synder has lived up to what he said he would do by staying true to all of us fanboys and the graphic novel to the extent that he could. There also were a few areas that did drag but only briefly, but there also where the entire audience was laughing outloud. With an almos 3 hour run time, it does not feel like 3 hours at all. I recommend seeing it, the one thing that we all need to remember is that we actually get to see Watchmen on the big screen finally and unfortunatly to get the movie we deserve we have to give a little because Hollywood isn't just making this for us, it's also making it for the people that have no idea what the Watchmen are. Is this fanboy satistfied? Absolutley



9/10 stars