My opinion of Watchmen (yes I did read it) and other random tidbits.
So, because Ellen and Justin were going, you know I had to drag my ass to the Watchmen midnight showing. (God, I hated myself the next day because I had to attend both jobs, one after the other. Ick.)
I, personally, thought it was amazing. Perhaps a little confusing to someone who hasn't read the book it was based off of, but both Ellen and Justin loved it. (Ellen had heard of it and seen the trailers but not much else whereas Justin was a bit more knowledgable but still hadn't read it. And of course there's me, who has read it and knows about it in detail.)
The one soft part of it was that the Minutemen were more sketch than detailed drawing. In the beginning, it basically runs through the entire 1940's group in freeze-framed pictures (which were interesting visually but plot-wise very unhelpful). Obviously, people can glean most of their story from the one flashback and the pictures, but you really don't understand them; almost the whole of the story is focused on the Crimebusters and what they became. (Technically, the Crimebusters had Captain Metropolis besides the heroes that make up the main characters of the story. He was the actual leader, not Ozymandias.) The Minutemen are an understandable cut, because the movie already runs close to three hours, but it does create a bit of a soft spot in a rather nice, complete plot.
Doctor Manhattan
Billy Crudup did a wonderful job, personally. His tone is effectively neutral, taking on an almost robotic-like quality which fits his ever-growing distance from humanity. (Of course, his tone changes when he has moments of extreme emotion.) I liked the subtle facial movements (when I mean subtle, guys, I mean it) which were enough to suggest human feelings were still present in him but at the same time showed us he wasn't a normal person anymore by far. The Doctor is certainly not my favorite in the graphic novel, but I for some odd reason I found him much more agreeable in the movie. I was glad that he was nude for most of the movie, because to have him clothed would just seem garish and unnecessary.
The Comedian
Haha, oh, the Comedian! Jeffery Dean Morgan, in my opinion, was an absolutely great Comedian. Just how he looks, very gruff and such, I liked him right away for that part when I saw the trailer. I liked being able to see him age before our eyes--from the beginning, with his wild two-toned hair, to the flashback of the rape with his almost ridiculous-looking mustache and his silly costume. I think he played the part well, and I enjoyed seeing him play it. (However, I do wish he had more scenes, but alas!)
Silk Spectre II
Let me say that I don't really like Laurie in the comic. Something about her puts me off and even though I didn't mind her, I didn't really enjoy seeing her in the scenes she was in. (I think it was the first "Crimebusters" meeting, maybe.) Whatever the reason, I didn't feel this way watching the movie. I liked the new outfit, and I liked the way Malin Akerman played her. (I think it was because of the scene between her and Dan when they had dinner and talked about old times.) Whatever I didn't care for in the book, I didn't mind in the movie.
Nite Owl II
Patrick Wilson, I thought, did a wonderful job with Nite Owl II. (I think he could have standed to be a little more shy around Laurie, but I can't really remember those parts in the novel clearly.) I loved when he's talking about his suit or Archie, but I think my favorite part was when he called out Rorscharch after saving him, and after a brief pause, he says, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He shows the two parts of his personality; the strong side brought to the front via crime-fighting, and his softer side which is more apparent when he's in normal garb. I thought he was quite good and I wanted to give him a hug pretty much the whole movie.
Ozymandias
Matthew Goode's accent was a little suspect, but I liked his Adrian Veidt. (If you listen, in the beginning scenes with Dan warning him about the costume killer, he does have a tiny bit of an accent. But by his big speech at the end, it seemed like a normal American accent. I know Goode was trying to put a semi-German sound to his words, but I'm not sure how it affected the final product, y'know?) However, I found he was a bit soft-spoken when I expected Veidt to be more authoritative. He was pretty to look at, but I imagined him more muscular and not as scrawny.
Rorschach
Okay, okay, I'll admit that, like the ten-thousand other people out there who know Watchmen, I'm going to dick out and say Rorschach is my favorite of the bunch. Nite Owl comes in a close second, but the R man is def. my favorite. I thought Jackie Earle Haley was a somewhat-surprising but great choice. I love the way he did the voice. Like, I played the video game to hear him talk. I just thought it was amazing, his performance. I guess I'm really happy with it because he had to express the majority of his acting ability through his voice, which any actor can tell you takes a lot. (Most actors reveal feelings through the face much more so than the voice, so it's taking away your foremost tool for your craft.)
Those were the pluses for me watching as someone who read the book. However, opinions vary for non-books readers. I went twice with Ellen and Justin, then Elizabeth. Here's how they differed:
1.) Ellen and Justin actually loved the movie. They were more action-oriented, more plot-oriented (but that is a bit of a stretch). They didn't try and find deep motives in the movie or metaphors, they loved watching it period.
2.) Elizabeth found the movie okay, and very beautiful. However, she said she didn't really get into it because she was more character-focused. She wanted to have a connection with the characters to be able to get into the movie. She was very interested, and I explained some things that were missed in the movie (Rorschach's childhood, the original ending, etc).
I think that's how most of the people are going to see it; either you enjoy it or you were iffy about it. I did understand where Elizabeth came from, but it was hard for me because, having read the book, I understood the characters, I felt empathy for them already since I knew details about them not revealed in the movie. However, taking away those details makes the movie a bit one-dimentional and people who do not know these characters do not get a chance to really get to know them therefore lose the chance to empathize with them and are removed from enjoying the movie more.
BUT OH GOD I LOVED IT. For a comic book adaptation, it was remarkably faithful. (Almost too so for people who haven't read the novel, but fans like me get a huge kick out of it.) My favorite part, as always, was when Roraschach gets unmasked, in prison, and then is rescued by Silk Spectre and Nite Owl. And can I say how much I love the partnership between Nite Owl and Roraschach? Seriously, I love it. Their friendship is perhaps the most true in the whole book, I think, and it came out well on screen. (Better than Dan's connection with Laurie.)
I say go see it, especially with someone who's read the comic. (Better yet, borrow it from someone or your library and give it a read before you see it. You won't regret it.) Even if you think it is an okay movie, it is a visually stunning piece of cinema and has great effects.
ENOUGH OF THAT.
Finally back in my house. I'm really missing Ellen as a roommate, but I like being around my family. Plus, I'm finally sleeping in a bed instead of a futon. Always a good thing.
GEEK ALERT: I'm reading a book about the American Revolution and I'm fucking loving it. C'mon, guys, who doesn't love the American Revolution? Our forefathers were badasses! Dumpin' tea and giving the British the middle finger! It makes me want to watch the John Adams mini series all over again. (Seriously, whoever does not like the JA HBO miniseries must be on crack because the casting was pretty damn good and Ben Franklin is the best ever.)
I have warm vanilla sugar perfume from B&BW and it's pretty amazing.
I have discovered my outfit for tomorrow and I think most people will believe I am trying to be a gangster. (I'm wearing a pinstriped vest with some shirt and pinstriped pants. It's basically your usual gangster motif, I believe.) This will do.
CLEANING MUST BE DONE. My room is horrid-looking.
My iPod headphones broke...again. D: no good.
Should I put more sketches up, y/y? Should this become a semi-regular thing? Hmn. Perhaps I will poll about this later. Everyone likes a good poll.
[goodnight loves]
edit:
THE MIGHTY BOOSH IS COMING ON ADULT SWIM NEXT MONTH? WIKIPEDIA WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME SOONER OH GOD
I, personally, thought it was amazing. Perhaps a little confusing to someone who hasn't read the book it was based off of, but both Ellen and Justin loved it. (Ellen had heard of it and seen the trailers but not much else whereas Justin was a bit more knowledgable but still hadn't read it. And of course there's me, who has read it and knows about it in detail.)
The one soft part of it was that the Minutemen were more sketch than detailed drawing. In the beginning, it basically runs through the entire 1940's group in freeze-framed pictures (which were interesting visually but plot-wise very unhelpful). Obviously, people can glean most of their story from the one flashback and the pictures, but you really don't understand them; almost the whole of the story is focused on the Crimebusters and what they became. (Technically, the Crimebusters had Captain Metropolis besides the heroes that make up the main characters of the story. He was the actual leader, not Ozymandias.) The Minutemen are an understandable cut, because the movie already runs close to three hours, but it does create a bit of a soft spot in a rather nice, complete plot.
Doctor Manhattan
Billy Crudup did a wonderful job, personally. His tone is effectively neutral, taking on an almost robotic-like quality which fits his ever-growing distance from humanity. (Of course, his tone changes when he has moments of extreme emotion.) I liked the subtle facial movements (when I mean subtle, guys, I mean it) which were enough to suggest human feelings were still present in him but at the same time showed us he wasn't a normal person anymore by far. The Doctor is certainly not my favorite in the graphic novel, but I for some odd reason I found him much more agreeable in the movie. I was glad that he was nude for most of the movie, because to have him clothed would just seem garish and unnecessary.
The Comedian
Haha, oh, the Comedian! Jeffery Dean Morgan, in my opinion, was an absolutely great Comedian. Just how he looks, very gruff and such, I liked him right away for that part when I saw the trailer. I liked being able to see him age before our eyes--from the beginning, with his wild two-toned hair, to the flashback of the rape with his almost ridiculous-looking mustache and his silly costume. I think he played the part well, and I enjoyed seeing him play it. (However, I do wish he had more scenes, but alas!)
Silk Spectre II
Let me say that I don't really like Laurie in the comic. Something about her puts me off and even though I didn't mind her, I didn't really enjoy seeing her in the scenes she was in. (I think it was the first "Crimebusters" meeting, maybe.) Whatever the reason, I didn't feel this way watching the movie. I liked the new outfit, and I liked the way Malin Akerman played her. (I think it was because of the scene between her and Dan when they had dinner and talked about old times.) Whatever I didn't care for in the book, I didn't mind in the movie.
Nite Owl II
Patrick Wilson, I thought, did a wonderful job with Nite Owl II. (I think he could have standed to be a little more shy around Laurie, but I can't really remember those parts in the novel clearly.) I loved when he's talking about his suit or Archie, but I think my favorite part was when he called out Rorscharch after saving him, and after a brief pause, he says, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He shows the two parts of his personality; the strong side brought to the front via crime-fighting, and his softer side which is more apparent when he's in normal garb. I thought he was quite good and I wanted to give him a hug pretty much the whole movie.
Ozymandias
Matthew Goode's accent was a little suspect, but I liked his Adrian Veidt. (If you listen, in the beginning scenes with Dan warning him about the costume killer, he does have a tiny bit of an accent. But by his big speech at the end, it seemed like a normal American accent. I know Goode was trying to put a semi-German sound to his words, but I'm not sure how it affected the final product, y'know?) However, I found he was a bit soft-spoken when I expected Veidt to be more authoritative. He was pretty to look at, but I imagined him more muscular and not as scrawny.
Rorschach
Okay, okay, I'll admit that, like the ten-thousand other people out there who know Watchmen, I'm going to dick out and say Rorschach is my favorite of the bunch. Nite Owl comes in a close second, but the R man is def. my favorite. I thought Jackie Earle Haley was a somewhat-surprising but great choice. I love the way he did the voice. Like, I played the video game to hear him talk. I just thought it was amazing, his performance. I guess I'm really happy with it because he had to express the majority of his acting ability through his voice, which any actor can tell you takes a lot. (Most actors reveal feelings through the face much more so than the voice, so it's taking away your foremost tool for your craft.)
Those were the pluses for me watching as someone who read the book. However, opinions vary for non-books readers. I went twice with Ellen and Justin, then Elizabeth. Here's how they differed:
1.) Ellen and Justin actually loved the movie. They were more action-oriented, more plot-oriented (but that is a bit of a stretch). They didn't try and find deep motives in the movie or metaphors, they loved watching it period.
2.) Elizabeth found the movie okay, and very beautiful. However, she said she didn't really get into it because she was more character-focused. She wanted to have a connection with the characters to be able to get into the movie. She was very interested, and I explained some things that were missed in the movie (Rorschach's childhood, the original ending, etc).
I think that's how most of the people are going to see it; either you enjoy it or you were iffy about it. I did understand where Elizabeth came from, but it was hard for me because, having read the book, I understood the characters, I felt empathy for them already since I knew details about them not revealed in the movie. However, taking away those details makes the movie a bit one-dimentional and people who do not know these characters do not get a chance to really get to know them therefore lose the chance to empathize with them and are removed from enjoying the movie more.
BUT OH GOD I LOVED IT. For a comic book adaptation, it was remarkably faithful. (Almost too so for people who haven't read the novel, but fans like me get a huge kick out of it.) My favorite part, as always, was when Roraschach gets unmasked, in prison, and then is rescued by Silk Spectre and Nite Owl. And can I say how much I love the partnership between Nite Owl and Roraschach? Seriously, I love it. Their friendship is perhaps the most true in the whole book, I think, and it came out well on screen. (Better than Dan's connection with Laurie.)
I say go see it, especially with someone who's read the comic. (Better yet, borrow it from someone or your library and give it a read before you see it. You won't regret it.) Even if you think it is an okay movie, it is a visually stunning piece of cinema and has great effects.
ENOUGH OF THAT.
Finally back in my house. I'm really missing Ellen as a roommate, but I like being around my family. Plus, I'm finally sleeping in a bed instead of a futon. Always a good thing.
GEEK ALERT: I'm reading a book about the American Revolution and I'm fucking loving it. C'mon, guys, who doesn't love the American Revolution? Our forefathers were badasses! Dumpin' tea and giving the British the middle finger! It makes me want to watch the John Adams mini series all over again. (Seriously, whoever does not like the JA HBO miniseries must be on crack because the casting was pretty damn good and Ben Franklin is the best ever.)
I have warm vanilla sugar perfume from B&BW and it's pretty amazing.
I have discovered my outfit for tomorrow and I think most people will believe I am trying to be a gangster. (I'm wearing a pinstriped vest with some shirt and pinstriped pants. It's basically your usual gangster motif, I believe.) This will do.
CLEANING MUST BE DONE. My room is horrid-looking.
My iPod headphones broke...again. D: no good.
Should I put more sketches up, y/y? Should this become a semi-regular thing? Hmn. Perhaps I will poll about this later. Everyone likes a good poll.
[goodnight loves]
edit:
THE MIGHTY BOOSH IS COMING ON ADULT SWIM NEXT MONTH? WIKIPEDIA WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME SOONER OH GOD