October
2
Watchmen Preview: Review
[Posted by Marc Graser]
You’ve got to give Zack Snyder a lot of credit for knowing how to sell his movies.
The Watchmen director showed off nearly 30 minutes of new footage from the comicbook adaptation Wednesday to two groupings of bloggers and entertainment media.
He did the same thing two years ago for 300,”screening additional footage that wasn’t shown at Comic-Con to generate advanced positive word-of-mouth.
He got it then, he’ll get it again. The visuals are stunning. With Watchmen, he’s created a faithful adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel that will satisfy fans. The characters pop off the screen; you can almost feel the texture of their suits, meticulously designed by Michael Wilkinson. The production design by Alex McDowell is overly theatrical but a world you want to visit. Overall, the sequences are mesmerizing and almost trance-like. And it’s dark. Very dark. The Dark Knight has nothing on the grit and violence that’s on screen. But it’s the over-stylized nature of how it’s handled that doesn’t make it cringe-worthy or unwatchable.
DC Comics has spent the past 20 years trying to adapt the comicbook, considered a bible of the superhero genre that other graphic novels and filmmakers have freely borrowed from. Snyder wants the film to be just as important to superhero movies as the graphic novel has been and he may get his wish. But he still has a lot to prove. The final film runs 2 hours and 45 minutes. It could still prove too faithful to the book.
But Snyder’s thought of that, too. The book gets too cerebral at times, with the reader wanting the characters to just start pummeling someone or do what superheroes do. A self-professed action geek, Snyder’s added more action. And while the superheroes do the prerequisite poses one might expect, the punches they throw are choreographed in a way that makes the fight scenes stand out from other similar fare.
What works about Snyder is not only what he puts up on the screen. It’s his infectious attitude, as well. He loves the experience of making movies. He loves the genre of films he makes. And you can’t help but want to get behind him, whether you end up liking the final product or not. 300 can hardly be called a masterpiece or even a great movie, but you have to respect the attempt to make something cool and badass – something you’ve never seen before. He’s delivering. And isn’t that the reason we all go to the movies?
The NYT's Michael Cieply filed a report remarkably quickly after the first Watchmen unveiling. Here's Anne Thompson's interview with Snyder at Comic-Con. And the trailer that was first shown there:
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It sounds as if Zach Snyder has atoned for the rampant stupidity of his second movie and separated himself from Michael Bay with style and depth. I might not go to see WATCHMEN in a theater, but you did pique my interest, Anne. Good report.
Posted by: Joe Valdez | October 02, 2008 at 09:46 PM
"The book gets too cerebral at times, with the reader wanting the characters to just start pummeling someone or do what superheroes do."
Ahem.
Posted by: Tom | October 03, 2008 at 12:58 AM
Marc Graser filed the Watchmen report.
Posted by: Anne Thompson | October 03, 2008 at 04:34 AM
I'm not sure what Snyder is thinking ... If a faithful adaptation means that the costumes and look are right, I'd be pretty worried. And if Snyder wants more punching and action, he should go read Punisher. I was cautiously optimistic after seeing the trailer, but based on the previews I've read, it seems like a total dud.
Posted by: Frank | October 04, 2008 at 11:04 PM
With the post release reviews out it's safe to say that despite all the forum haters out there gnashing their teeth at every scrap of info about the film, Watchmen is looking to be the movie that fans (casual and otherwise) have wanted but never expected to get. Elitists and purists may still get their panties in a twist about the ending but since in context and with the difference in media it manages to work admirably, I doubt they will be more than a lone voice in the crowd.
Posted by: Julian | February 23, 2009 at 06:33 PM
What an incredible movie !!!!!
I LOVED it !!!!
The only gripe I have is that the acting in the first 30min to an hour of the movie was less than stellar, but it was easily overlooked and got so much better as the film progressed.
The reason people do not like this film is b/c most of society wants their films spoon fed to them. They don't want to have to THINK, or QUESTION, or PONDER PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS in the films that they watch, especially what they perceive to be a comic book action flick... which this is not.
It's really sad, but it's the sad truth.
This was an awesome film, the best film based on a comic book or graphic novel that I've ever seen... even better than Batman. That's b/c this film was not afraid. It had balls. It was not afraid to explore dark themes.
I absolutely loved it and was quite impressed.
Others were not. But then I wouldn't worry about what they think. They don't like to think at all.
Posted by: Robert Rozier | March 08, 2009 at 08:02 PM
I agree with Tom. I'd agree with Robert as well, if it were true.
I agree that society needs a face smashing action flick, that they don't need to think or ponder about, and that's exactly what Mr. Snyder did.
The movie was actually good when it stuck to the book, and didn't turn into a mindless fighting flick. The book is all intellectual, with the more than occasional violence, but at least there were reasons for it in the book.
I'm not trying to say the movie was bad, but the amount added, and much of what was removed changed this movie from what should have been epic to just another action flick.
Posted by: Jonny | March 08, 2009 at 11:35 PM
The costumes were Phenomenal, but the explicit scenes definitely could have been played down. Snyder obviously wanted people to squirm watching this movie. I really wish I would have realized just how dark this film was BEFORE I had to sit in the theater for 3 hours. I felt the movie went on for way too long, it had a very slow start and the ending felt like it was never going to come.
Posted by: Jeana | March 14, 2009 at 09:01 AM