Watchmen

[tongodeon]

The following is a conversation that I've had with a few people.

They: "I saw Watchmen. I didn't like it."
Me: "Did you like the comic book?"
They: "I didn't like the comic book either."
Me: "I guess it translated well, then."

On one hand, it's not a perfect movie. On the other hand fact that Hollywood made a Watchman movie and it came out

Comments

[arian1]

I saw it, kept thinking, "Hey I know who did his eyes." Then I had these visions of you in Blade Runner going, "I do eyes..."

[kshandra]

gridlore and I almost fell out of our chairs when we caught that....

[rivetpepsquad]

See, I just about WEPT with the sheer perfection of how this comic was captured--UNTIL I realized (as I hadn't read anything beforehand) the OBVIOUS LACK OF GIANT SQUID.

The bizarre squid-ness of the finale was just about my FAVORITE part of the book, along with the non-linear-time-moments with Dr. Manhattan (which I think the movie did a decent job of conveying, actually). My mental end result was a lot of internal LOUD SWEARING. How can you so faithfully, lovingly depict this story WITHOUT that ending??? I agree with the first writer in the linked article.

Sigh.

[scothen_krau]

At the risk of being relentlessly flamed, I never liked the giant squid - nbot because of its squidiness, that was whacky and off the wall awesome (thoguht I doubt a Hollywood producer would see it that way. I didn't like it because I didn't buy that the world would react to said squid as it does in the book. (I'd go into more detail on it, but I don't want to risk spoilers for those who haven't read the GN.) Suffice it to say that I find the threat they used in it place was far more believable, not to mention thematically appropriate.

[giantlaser]

I totally agree. If they had kept the squid in, the audience would have been rolling the aisles laughing.

[mezdeathhead]

I felt no sadness whatsoever for the lack of squid. I really felt they did the book justice, and I partied and celebrated after seeing the film.

I am also noticing a pattern wherein those who've read the book like the movie more than those that haven't. I find that both interesting and awesome.

[tongodeon]

I am also noticing a pattern wherein those who've read the book like the movie more than those that haven't. I find that both interesting and awesome.

It's certainly a departure from the usual thing, where people who haven't read the book think it wasn't bad and people who have read the book think it was a total disservice.

[captainchimp]

I read the book just before watching the movie, to get some context. I actually liked the movie ending better: it fit the story more consistently, and makes Dr. Manhattan's choice that much more interesting.

On the other hand, the sheer ridiculousness of the book ending is interesting too, in a surreal way.

The Dr. Manhattan effects were superb!