Comments on: Why I will not be seeing Watchmen.

By: Kevin Church

Kevin Church — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:13:51 +0000

I hope you enjoy Watchmen, then.

By: Jenna

Jenna — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:13:57 +0000

You know, I understand to a point. I am one of those people who likes books better than the films made based on them.

But I won’t boycott a film just be cause it’s based on a book or comic. I’m willing to be proven wrong. I’m willing to see all the evidence.

It might not be full price at the theater. it might be at home, or at a friend’s house who has cable. But I won’t just say no to a movie based on subject matter.

The reason for this is so I can say in a conversation “I saw this, and based on my experience, this is what I think.” The opposite approach is to demonize something that might not be demonic. It seems extreme to me to speak in absolutes. I wouldn’t condemn homosexuals to hell, I don’t think people of other religions are going to burn, and while I think Communism is doomed to failure I’m willing to be proved wrong.

I see no point in drawing a line in the sand over a frigging movie.

However, I will point out that some movies should not have been made, but rather the funds donated to world charities. That piece of crap Eragon film is one of them!

Bottom line, I’ll see Watchmen. The theater/film company may not see any money from me for it, but I’ll see it and decide. I may wait for DVD and borrow it from a friend. That way, my conscience is clear. Just in case.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:56:33 +0000

You know, I never thought it was going to be as awesome as the comic, but I think it’s not going to be a bad movie. At the very least, the people making it appear to be genuine and sincere fans of the comic. It’s not going to be the disaster that has befallen, oh, let me think, Daredevil? Catwoman?

So I’m going to see it. Without buying into the hype, without expecting anything like the brilliance of Alan Moore, I am going to go and see a movie. It’s going to be fun!

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:58:20 +0000

Well, like Shawn said, I totally agree that the movie is distinctly not marketed towards someone like you Kevin, or me for that matter, as people who have read the book dozens of times since high school. I never had any hope for anyone in the cast (I mean the Comedian is played by a guy who plays Katherine Heigl’s dead boyfriend on Grey’s Anatomy–were you even trying to get good actors?) I think where this movie will come out in the giant win pile is the fact that it will literally get a ton of people reading the book and that’s a huge win in my book, and that’s what its marketed towards–new people. Not people who read this site.

By: Slappy McKraken

Slappy McKraken — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:30:20 +0000

Mr. Church, as far as media tie ins go you forgot to mention the best of the bunch; a cell phone video game featuring The Comedian walking through the jungles of The ‘Nam(tm) fistfighting the Viet Cong and whores, Streets of Rage-style.

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/video-and-picture-preview-of-watchmen-mobile-cell-phone-game

Also, that Nite-Owl/Rorschach handshake scene was painful to watch. I’m monumentally sad over it. That was worse than expectations, and I had some very, very low expectations.

By: David G Bernstein

David G Bernstein — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:50:06 +0000

I watched some of the clips link to in this article, and they really weren’t as horrible as I thought they’d be. No, it’s not Felini, but it’s probably a good deal better than the film version of LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN.

The overall question is will it cheapen the value of the novel, and I think that perhaps to an extent it will, but not in the long run. Does anyone think first of THE GREAT GATSBY as a Robert Redford movie?

By: Kevin Church

Kevin Church — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:15:52 +0000

I can certainly understand and accept where youâ€™re coming from, but this phrase bothers me greatly. It makes you seems like youâ€™re better than everyone that wants to see this movie and, God forbid, might actually enjoy it. Canâ€™t people like the comic book as a brilliant work of art and portrayal of an era and also enjoy the movie just for what it is, a movie?

I’m sorry I wrote something that bothered you.

By: euthanatos

euthanatos — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:00:32 +0000

“I dislike what it represents: the dumbing-down of something greater for the sake of a false â€œauthenticityâ€ thatâ€™s apparent only to those shallowest of readers of the source material.”

I can certainly understand and accept where you’re coming from, but this phrase bothers me greatly. It makes you seems like you’re better than everyone that wants to see this movie and, God forbid, might actually enjoy it. Can’t people like the comic book as a brilliant work of art and portrayal of an era and also enjoy the movie just for what it is, a movie?

By: Dayv

Dayv — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:17:46 +0000

I’ve been pretty hesitant about this film for a while, but had also been avoiding these clips until today. Snyder loves Watchmen, but he also loved 300 — this is not a good sign. The slow motion explosion in the tenement fire scene actually made me laugh — this is not a good sign. The clumsy attempts at drama in Dan’s various serious conversations with people — these are not good signs.

By: Novice

Novice — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:03:29 +0000

My husband has not read the book, so when he sees the Watchmen commercials he says “That’s looks so cool!”, whereas I am concerned.

I think we’ll go see it before he reads it, and then have him read it immediately after. I’d like to see how our perspectives differ.

I’m not expecting to love it, I’m not expecting to hate it.