Should've been done thirty-five minutes ago ... *ba-dum-tish!*
My mouse scroller thing is stuffing around again. Ugh. Add that to my phone, which has gone completely bonkers, and my headphones, which keep breaking. Technology doesn't like me.
Anyway! Watchmen. :D
Just to start it off, I'm not sure if I can choose what I like better, the film or the book (considering that in today's age it seems you can't like both the same). I guess, in my case at least, it comes down to what format you prefer? I know that personally, no matter how much I love seeing the story progress from panel to panel, at the same time I just adore seeing it played out before my eyes. You can't really have one without the other, in that respect.
The book is just amazingly detailed. Like, crazy scary levels of detail. And I know that the film tried to replicate that as best they could, but really, it was impossible. The book is really rewarding in that way; you can kind of skim read it, and understand the basic story, but if you really investigate the panels you can pick up on all the crazy details and symmetries that are going on there. That, along with the extra supplements at the end of the chapters (and even running throughout them) you get a much broader scope of the world.
That's one criticism I can make about the film, now that I've read the source material. I would've loved to see some of the characters that suffered in the adaptation have the level of backstory that they had in the comic. This actually may be rectified by the Super Awesome Three and a Half Hour version Zack Snyder's planning on releasing - and I really hope we get more backstory/expansion scenes, like there were in the B-Reel footage on YouTube - so we may just have to wait and see for that.
Hrm ... Rorschach still kicks arse, no matter what the format. xD Although we definitely saw more of this badassery in the book. When they're in Karnak, and he goes to stab Adrian with the fork? Fucking hell, man. xD I'd known about "The End is Nigh" hobo being Rorschach before I went into the film, so that probably ruined the surprise, but I still loved all of Walter's scenes. I loved him at the newstand, with Bernie. (That's going to be in the extended version, right? They had a production still of it, so they must've shot it. (On another side note, I love that film!Walter is shorter than Bernie. Bernie's one of the few characters in the book that Walter's taller than, and in the movie, Walter's smaller than him! Rofl.)) The movie brought more of the lulz, though, and perhaps unconditionally; Walter's so much more obvious in the film when he turns up and just loiters with his sandwich board. I had to bite down on my fingers to make sure I didn't snigger when he turned up at Blake's funeral. He's such a frigging ninja! xD
Oh. Still cried at his death. Moreso in the film than in the book, but they're both fairly equal. I have a thought for the film version, but I'll get to that in a sec. Hollis Mason was actually the death that affected me the most, I think. Maybe because it wasn't in the film - again, extended version? pls? - and so I didn't know the full extent of it, but man. Fuck. I'm so glad I didn't read that part on the train, because the waterworks just wouldn't stop. D:
And now, onto the main attraction of this entry: the ending. Giant alien squid vs. Manhattan energy bombs. I'm using the wimpy answer again, but maybe the different endings fit their separate mediums? The book could use the squid, because it had enough time and space to properly set it up. They could fit in all the subplots about the missing artists, and it would make sense when you went back to find all the hints. Even if the film had put all this in, they still would have had the mainstream audience, who hadn't read the book or heard anything of it going into it, to deal with. They probably would have gotten more "WTF?!" comments if they'd put the giant squid in. All the same, it would've been interesting to see how they'd dealt with it.
Next: "I did it thirty-five minutes ago" vs. "I triggered it thirty-five minutes ago". This is one thing that I have to yell at them for. WHY? Why did they change a perfectly good line? It was fine as it was! In fact, it was awesome! I remember reading somewhere, I think it may have been in cleolinda 's reaction post, that it's virtually one of the best "OH SNAP" lines/moments. And yet they changed it. :/
This one I'm not looking forward to: Rorschach's death, particularly Dan's presence. I understand why Dan's present for his death in the film; he's kind of "our" character, the one that's intended for the audience to empathise with the most, so we react with him. He's there to project whatever emotions we're supposed to be feeling in that scene (such as him beating on Adrian after Rorschach dies), so really, it's kind of like, if we feel sad when Rorschach bites it, then it's okay, because Dan feels the same way. But the point here is: I saw the film first. So it absolutely breaks my heart that Dan isn't there with him in the book. Dude. :( We see Rorschach and Nite Owl in the story, and they're supposed to be partners and almost-friends, and then Dan goes off and fucks Laurie while Rorschach's busy getting blown to pieces in the snow?! WTF, MAN?! EPIC SADFACE. It reminds me of an incredibly sad thing Jackie Earle Haley said when describing Rorschach and Dan's relationship: " ... I think if you went to Rorschach and said, ‘Who’s your best friend?’ he'd say, ‘Dan’s my best friend.’ If you went to Dan and said, ‘Is Rorschach your friend?’ he’d say, ‘Well, I’ve worked with him.’" Dude. :( I know that's probably the point of the book, not to end the way you want it to and to extract some great emotion from you, but ... gah. So ... I don't really know which one I prefer: Rorschach dying alone in the snow, or Dan witnessing his friend's death and being unable to do anything about it. (I say "friend" in relation to the film because I think their relationship was portrayed as being more close in the film. But maybe that's just me.)
I'm trying to think of other things to discuss at this point, but right now I'm out of thoughts. If anything else comes to mind, there'll be an ETA added.
I really liked both the book and the film, though. I can't wait for the DVD release(s), and I hope there'll be heaps of good behind-the-scenes and commentary tracks that I can sink my teeth into. =]
Anyway! Watchmen. :D
Just to start it off, I'm not sure if I can choose what I like better, the film or the book (considering that in today's age it seems you can't like both the same). I guess, in my case at least, it comes down to what format you prefer? I know that personally, no matter how much I love seeing the story progress from panel to panel, at the same time I just adore seeing it played out before my eyes. You can't really have one without the other, in that respect.
The book is just amazingly detailed. Like, crazy scary levels of detail. And I know that the film tried to replicate that as best they could, but really, it was impossible. The book is really rewarding in that way; you can kind of skim read it, and understand the basic story, but if you really investigate the panels you can pick up on all the crazy details and symmetries that are going on there. That, along with the extra supplements at the end of the chapters (and even running throughout them) you get a much broader scope of the world.
That's one criticism I can make about the film, now that I've read the source material. I would've loved to see some of the characters that suffered in the adaptation have the level of backstory that they had in the comic. This actually may be rectified by the Super Awesome Three and a Half Hour version Zack Snyder's planning on releasing - and I really hope we get more backstory/expansion scenes, like there were in the B-Reel footage on YouTube - so we may just have to wait and see for that.
Hrm ... Rorschach still kicks arse, no matter what the format. xD Although we definitely saw more of this badassery in the book. When they're in Karnak, and he goes to stab Adrian with the fork? Fucking hell, man. xD I'd known about "The End is Nigh" hobo being Rorschach before I went into the film, so that probably ruined the surprise, but I still loved all of Walter's scenes. I loved him at the newstand, with Bernie. (That's going to be in the extended version, right? They had a production still of it, so they must've shot it. (On another side note, I love that film!Walter is shorter than Bernie. Bernie's one of the few characters in the book that Walter's taller than, and in the movie, Walter's smaller than him! Rofl.)) The movie brought more of the lulz, though, and perhaps unconditionally; Walter's so much more obvious in the film when he turns up and just loiters with his sandwich board. I had to bite down on my fingers to make sure I didn't snigger when he turned up at Blake's funeral. He's such a frigging ninja! xD
Oh. Still cried at his death. Moreso in the film than in the book, but they're both fairly equal. I have a thought for the film version, but I'll get to that in a sec. Hollis Mason was actually the death that affected me the most, I think. Maybe because it wasn't in the film - again, extended version? pls? - and so I didn't know the full extent of it, but man. Fuck. I'm so glad I didn't read that part on the train, because the waterworks just wouldn't stop. D:
And now, onto the main attraction of this entry: the ending. Giant alien squid vs. Manhattan energy bombs. I'm using the wimpy answer again, but maybe the different endings fit their separate mediums? The book could use the squid, because it had enough time and space to properly set it up. They could fit in all the subplots about the missing artists, and it would make sense when you went back to find all the hints. Even if the film had put all this in, they still would have had the mainstream audience, who hadn't read the book or heard anything of it going into it, to deal with. They probably would have gotten more "WTF?!" comments if they'd put the giant squid in. All the same, it would've been interesting to see how they'd dealt with it.
Next: "I did it thirty-five minutes ago" vs. "I triggered it thirty-five minutes ago". This is one thing that I have to yell at them for. WHY? Why did they change a perfectly good line? It was fine as it was! In fact, it was awesome! I remember reading somewhere, I think it may have been in cleolinda 's reaction post, that it's virtually one of the best "OH SNAP" lines/moments. And yet they changed it. :/
This one I'm not looking forward to: Rorschach's death, particularly Dan's presence. I understand why Dan's present for his death in the film; he's kind of "our" character, the one that's intended for the audience to empathise with the most, so we react with him. He's there to project whatever emotions we're supposed to be feeling in that scene (such as him beating on Adrian after Rorschach dies), so really, it's kind of like, if we feel sad when Rorschach bites it, then it's okay, because Dan feels the same way. But the point here is: I saw the film first. So it absolutely breaks my heart that Dan isn't there with him in the book. Dude. :( We see Rorschach and Nite Owl in the story, and they're supposed to be partners and almost-friends, and then Dan goes off and fucks Laurie while Rorschach's busy getting blown to pieces in the snow?! WTF, MAN?! EPIC SADFACE. It reminds me of an incredibly sad thing Jackie Earle Haley said when describing Rorschach and Dan's relationship: " ... I think if you went to Rorschach and said, ‘Who’s your best friend?’ he'd say, ‘Dan’s my best friend.’ If you went to Dan and said, ‘Is Rorschach your friend?’ he’d say, ‘Well, I’ve worked with him.’" Dude. :( I know that's probably the point of the book, not to end the way you want it to and to extract some great emotion from you, but ... gah. So ... I don't really know which one I prefer: Rorschach dying alone in the snow, or Dan witnessing his friend's death and being unable to do anything about it. (I say "friend" in relation to the film because I think their relationship was portrayed as being more close in the film. But maybe that's just me.)
I'm trying to think of other things to discuss at this point, but right now I'm out of thoughts. If anything else comes to mind, there'll be an ETA added.
I really liked both the book and the film, though. I can't wait for the DVD release(s), and I hope there'll be heaps of good behind-the-scenes and commentary tracks that I can sink my teeth into. =]