The Watchmen (2008)

[docm]

WAY overdue!<br /><br /><b>Tagline:</b> Who watches the Watchmen?<br /><br /><b>Plot Outline:</b> When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorshach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.<br /><br /><b>Director:</b> Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead)<br /><br /><b>Executive Producer:</b> Herb Gains (The Reaping, Natural Born Killers, Manhunter, Sea of Love)<br /><br /><b>Producer:</b> Lawrence Gordon (Hellboy 1 & 2, Laura Croft 1 & 2, Predator 1 & 2, Event Horizon) <br /><br /><font color="orange"><b>Writing credits:</b></font><br /><br />Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons (graphic novel)<br /><br />David Hayter (screenplay; X-MEN, X-2, Scorpion King)<br />Alex Tse (screenplay)<br /><br /><font color="orange"><b>Cast (so far):</b></font><br /><br /><b>Adrien Veidt/Ozymandias:</b> Jude Law<br /><br /><b>The Night Owl:</b> Patrick Wilson<br /><br /><b>Jon Osterman/Dr. Manhattan:</b> Billy Crudup<br /><br /><b>Dr. Jon Osterman/Dr. Manhattan:</b> Jason Patric <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Overdue, but can they do it?<br /><br />The last attempt (by Terry Gilliam, a big comic-book guy in his own right) wound up writing the Comedian out. I am pleased to see that the IMDB entry for the movie does list the Comedian. And Hayter's work on X-Men and X-Men 2 did demonstrate that he can handle a movie which is really an ensemble piece.<br /><br />That said, there's no way in heck they'll be able to get it all in there. It's just too big without making it into a miniseries. They'll have to trim out a lot of the subplots, I expect, which will detract a bit. But if they can still tell the core story, perhaps it will encourage people to check out the graphic novel and get the full experience. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[docm]

More likely they'll make it a series like they did X-MEN. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[etavaunt]

I can't see how you could do Watchmen, without doing it as a TV series, and taking your time.<br /><br />If you did it , a bit at a time, you could really do it well, imo.<br />And episode each for the main characters. Dr Manhattan for example, needs a lot more focus on his development, than say Nightowl, because in a way, Nightowl is explicable, he is an aging superhero but HUMAN, Dr M is really something like a god, or a superNONhuman, at the end.<br /><br />If they don't make that obvious, he is just going to look like a big cold jerk, don't you think?.<br /><br />I can see them missing the comic by about a million miles, and making something GLORIFYING supermen.<br /><br />Ozymandais on the other hand, I think is impossible. He is going to come across as a sort of "Phantom" character, a joke.<br /><br />I think it is going to be a disaster, actually, the whole movie.<br />Like Constantine was, completely missing the point of the comic, while not actually replacing it with a GOOD movie.

 

[CalliArcale]

Yeah, that's exactly what worries me about it. Heck, the novel is already split up very nicely into suitable-length chapters. I'd love to see it done, but I have my doubts, and will be worried right up until I start reading some reputable positive reviews -- ideally from fans of the novel. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[etavaunt]

I went along to Constantine, with an open mind (And by that I mean, I had drunk about 6 vodkas with my cousin whom I get to see about once a decade, and "Oh, pretty flower . . . hahaha, there seem to be two moons", I was receptive for entertainment)<br /><br />And I have read Johm Constantines comic hyjinks since he was just some annoying scouser plot device in Swampthing. I LIKE John, in point of fact, his is the only comic I actually subscribe to.<br /><br />So while I enjoyed the movie as entertainment "Rachel Weiss in the bath in her man-shirt!. Gabriel the bi-sexual arch-angel! The Spear of Longinus!", the next day I was hungover AND disappointed.<br /><br />I kept trying to tell myself, "It was the MOVIE, not the COMIC", but, you know that we all know it CAN be done. Princess bride, LotR, etc.<br /><br />So sadly, I see Watchmen-the-movie being painful to watch.<br /><br />At least no actors I admire are tying their necks to the project.