The Watchmen movie ...

[quietprofanity]

Honestly, I was disappointed. It didn't feel like the story I love. I mean, I expected changes. I expected a degree of disappointment, but I felt really let down at the end. Not to the point where I'm calling for Snyder's head and I'm still planning on giving the extended edition a try to see if everything shakes out better. (And maybe Black Freighter. I have to think about money ATM.)

I think my biggest issue with the movie was, for me, some of the really important scenes in the book didn't have the emotional impact they should have, especially near the end. I don't blame this on the actors. It seems more like sloppy editing (I thought the movie felt RUSHED at two hours and forty minutes, weirdly enough) or maybe just poor choices overall. But really, after Rorschach's scene with the psychiatrist (my favorite chapter in the book) only lasted about three minutes and didn't move me, I felt like I was just counting off the rest of the scenes until the end. And the new ending ... yeah, I don't think it worked. I don't think it would have had the same political impact as what happened in the book, but I could have accepted it at least if it made me FEEL the same way as in the book. All I really thought when I watched it was, "Oh, movie explosion. Well, it's nice to see the Bernies here."

It's not so much that I'm against change. I'm not. But I expect a movie adaptation to make me feel the same way a book does. I remember after I read Sense & Sensibility (yes, yes, I know, bear with me) I wanted my boyfriend to experience it, too. The movie version was very good, but it cut out some stuff, including my favorite scene. Nevertheless, my boyfriend kind of had the same where to cheer/where to boo reactions he would have gotten if he'd read the book. I don't think I could give this movie to say, my Dad who won't read comics, and expect him to get the same reactions I got to the graphic novel.

It's weird because there are a lot of little moments in the movie that I loved. Of course the opening credits were amazing. JEH was great even if I WANTED A LOT MORE SCENES, MAN. Patrick Wilson was making me go "Awww" in almost every scene. Dr. Manhattan/Cudrup was surprisingly good. When I saw the trailers I thought, "Well, he won't be as I picture him in the book" but he came REALLY CLOSE, especially in the otherworldly way he spoke. Goode wasn't bad. Akerman was a lot different from the book but ... well, I didn't hate her, which I was happy about.

(Although, I know society is currently REALLY WEIRD about good characters in a story smoking and I totally hate smoking and all but if she's not going to smoke WHY WOULD SHE PUSH A BIG RED BUTTON MARKED FIRE? How dumb is that?)

Oh, but ... small moments. The rape scene was powerful (I was watching through my fingers). I loved "I could never hate Eddie, because he gave me you." I loved Hooded Justice's accent. I loved the fighting/sneaking in the Ozymandias vs. Rorschach and Nite Owl scene. I loved the opening. I loved Nite Owl getting to have a reaction to Rorschach's death. (Although I thought his freakout should have happened a little earlier.) I loved Laurie wearing the snowsuit (yeah, I'm weird). I loved the fact that the nuclear war crisis was introduced to us through The McLaughlin Group (I've found that show hilarious ever since Dana Carvey parodied it. I had to stop myself from giggling in the beginning). I loved the sex scenes (yes, even with the "Hallelujah" song). And ... well, I can't think of anything else right now, but that was a lot, wasn't it? I actually liked so many of the little moments I DO feel bad the big picture didn't come together as much, but I guess they have another chance to make it better, right?

Comments

[bromius.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it yet (I will on Wednesday), but the more reviews I read--both professional and personal--the more I think that Alan Moore was right. The points he makes in a graphic novel cannot be translated comprehensively to a movie format. A graphic novel is not a movie, nor should it be.
I don't expect Watchmen to be a failure as a film, but I have no doubt it is outshone by its source material.