For me, this was Snyder's most rewatchable film. Right behind 300. I thought it was visually striking, with a great score, and it had some really thought provoking moments. I never understood the hate it received.
It was pretty decent for what it was. I preferred it over any of the rated R comic movies of its time and before its time. I kind of feel sad that I only bought it on one of the available stream services at the time and never got a physical copy. Time to rectify that.
Not to mention the babes in it. Some of the hottest looking women in a single movie I've seen. Dr Manhattan has great taste. But yeah, overall a feast for the eyes.
I think it is a great movie. Any hate it gets is because it doesn’t 100% follow the source material. It does follow it very closely though in my opinion though. Snyder did a great job with it.
I went to a midnight release of the movie with about 100 other people that were obviously the fans of the novel, and after he said that there was applause in the theater. It was surreal
A director's cut with 24 minutes of additional footage was released in July 2009. The "Ultimate Cut" edition incorporated the animated comic Tales of the Black Freighter into the narrative as it was in the original graphic novel, lengthening the runtime to 3 hours and 35 minutes, and was released on November 3, 2009. The director's cut was better received than the theatrical release.
@@augusthawks6576 I didn't like them, even in the comic. I saw the animated standalone version and turned it off before it was over. It was just a miserable experience. I think I turned it off after a guy strapped a bunch of corpses together to make a raft.
People misunderstand Watchmen (Minty including) because they aren't aware enough about the parodies of historical events and the depth of the movie's "What IF?" context. This movie was incredibly deep. It was basically the very first, "The Boys" type context of, "What kind of world would it be if superheroes actually existed, with the same personality flaws as everyday people?" And "how would it affect our lives historically?" It takes a mental maturity and awareness to understand the political and pop culture references in this film. I think that's what drives the events, and it was well executed. What would happen if America had superheroes fighting during the Vietnam War. What would've happened if the actual victory in that war would've cause Nixon to not get impeached? Little nuances like that are what threw so many people off. They thought they were going to get a Justice League type film with "the good guys vs the bad guys," same old formula cliche. Instead we got a movie to really make you think for once. And people generally don't like to think. This wasn't a perfect movie, by far. But it was definitely innovative and before its time as far as elemental themes concerning the real world. Then again, it wouldn't help to come out nowadays, because Gen Z are more confused about life's intricacies than Millennials were. With the exception of social media, this movie covers the primary events that still plague our World. Its just during the Reagannomics generation. That's makes it a masterpiece in my eyes.
I love this movie more than the dark knight. The dark knight used to be great in my eyes but after. Rewatch it recently, its doesn't good as i remember it. Meanwhile this movie still hit hard
I don't think people misunderstand the movie in the manner you describe. I wonder whether you've read the original comics or have seen the animated motion comic series. Snyder's movie is epic, a marvelous effort indeed. However, it's a poor portrayal of the original comics. The criticism of the movie mainly comes from people who've followed the comic & were promised a rendition of the series, only to be presented with something very different. The pop cultural nuances you describe are far more vivid, deep, satirical & explicit in the comics. The movie simply didn't capture all of that even with a runtime of over 2hrs. Snyder himself says he wasn't given that much room to create after all of that money had already been spent before his arrival. Minty doesn't get into the interviews with Snyder about the movie or very deep into this much-discussed subject. The ending was totally reimagined in the movie which was perhaps the most brilliant part of the comic. The comic book series has a cult following for good reason & the criticisms toward the movie aren't about a lack of mental maturity, or the generation gap of Gen Z - in my opinion. Rather, the movie missed the mark at properly portraying the nuances of the well-written & illustrated comic series. The movie as a standalone is brilliant, but it shouldn't be compared to the comic series. I'd compare this situation to Philip K.Dick's book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, & the movie Blade Runner. In this case, I saw Blade Runner the movie first, & just could not understand why there was so much criticism aimed at this masterpiece. Then I read the book & saw the omissions & differences which allowed me to understand why fans of Philip K.Dick's work were angry.
I love the scene where Adrian told Rorschach that he's not a comic book villain and that he set off the doctor Manhattan explosion 30 minutes ago. Very slick.
I actually think Synder did a great job. It's an incredibly difficult book to adapt and it's one of those books that doesn't lend itself to being adapted. I think its as good as it could of been. Some concessions had to be made to bring it to the screen and make its run time bearable. The biggest disappointment for me was the TV series. While actually being good not doing a proper adaption was the wrong decision. It needed the length of a season to do it justice and the one chance we got and it didn't happen. What we got was as good as could be expected. Its not as good as we wished but only because it never was going to be. It did though do the impossible as close as possible! 🙂
I love this movie. I wasn't bothered with the changes from the comic. The squid alien would have been silly, no matter how they filmed it. Zach Snyder's visuals are breathtaking.
I love this movie. I am a die hard fan of the comic. Read it when it came out but I was 11 and I knew then I wasn't getting everything. Would read it every few years after that. My college had a class that it was required reading. I didn't take the class but I had another class with same professor and one day after school we talked about it for about 2 hours in his office. While the movie is different it has to be. It's impossible for it to be the same. With that said while I usually agree with most critiques of Snyder...I always love his movies. I even liked Sucker Punch. I loved how he translated this book into a movie. The casting in this was also amazing. Billy Crudup is one of those actors that few ppl know but I get very excited about. He's an actor's actor. Rest of the cast is great. Wilson did amazing. Jackie stole the show.
If you are a die-hard fan of the comic then you couldn't have loved this movie because he ruined the phenomenal comic. The ending was so atrocious and completely ruins the original comic story. But it's clear that you don't actually like the movie, you're just a mindless fan of Snyder and his horrible movies. You should just start with that.
What he did with Man of Steel was beautiful and truly otherworldly. A film ahead of its time. I love Snyder’s work, such an underrated director and a lot of his films are certainly overlooked imo.
@@FactsDontCareAboutFeelings_97 facepalm just facepalm. you think a bad movie is ahead of its time...let's hope we never get to a time that a terrible movie like this is accepted as good. Now I'm glad you like it but your like doesn't change objective facts.
@@archmage7813 I think your post has more to do with you hating Snyer than me liking him. I've never been accussed of being mindless. Interesting, to call someone mindless must take great ignorant arrogance. But a difference of a opinion doesn't make someone mindless. I agree with you that the movie cannot capture the book. That's impossible. I will even agree the ending wasn't good. But I had low expectations knowing nothing can replicate the book so I enjoyed the ride not the ending. I am not into that fanboy Snyder war thing. I do know Snyder criticisms and I cannot disagree with them. It's faux avant garde work. I am just ok with that.
@@jorgem.1564 I think you are confused. I didn't accuse you of anything. you yourself called yourself a Snyder fan boy. I was only responding to what you said. I don't hate Snyder at all. I very much enjoy 300. I actually like a lot of watchmen until he undoes it all in the end. You don't have to agree with the critical response to his movies but your disagreement doesn't change the reality of his poor storytelling.
The squid didn't do anything in the comic because it wasn't alive. Ozymandias' plan is shown in a lot more detail in the comic and is, if you can believe it, more intricate than the plan in the movie. Dr. Manhattan's teleportation doesn't have aftershocks in the comic, so he isn't the plan, just the obstacle Ozy needs to get rid of. The real threat is a huge squid Ozy hires hundreds of artisans, writers, designers and other types to work on just a little bit of so they have no idea what they're making, which ends up being a gigantic squid that passes for real despite being alien in design. This squid is then teleported into NYC (in the comic, only NYC is hit) and Ozy's form of teleportation actually is violent and the destruction seen in the movie unfolds. The squid "dies" in blast, selling the story that aliens WANT to invade Earth but aren't capable yet, prompting the governments of the world to unite in preparation. The movie's version is more streamlined, but the comic's makes it more conspiracy-worthy (even hiding the truth from readers despite showing the people who made the squid all throughout the series and still not making things clear until the end) and presents a mortal "threat" humans could actually kill, but the movie's change pales in comparison to what most superhero movies change and adding more cities to the death toll makes sense. If TV Tropes is to be believed, there is ONE adaptation of Moore's work that he likes! The episode of Justice League Unlimited that has Superman trapped in an illusion of what his perfect world would be. I think the Watchmen movie is great and so is the JLU episode, so I think Moore might be biased to the JLU episode for not featuring characters he thought he was going to own and/or cartoons typically changing stories less than movies do (even less than movies like Watchmen, which are almost shot-for-shot remakes of their comics)...But I wouldn't be surprised if it was more the characters thing for Moore.
Haven't read the comic, but was aware of the changed ending. What causes Dr Manhattan to leave Earth if he's not the perceived threat and the assumed reason for the blast? Was he going to leave anyway?
@@mehallica666 It has more to do with his evolving powers. He even says, multiple times that he had lost his connection with humanity, tired of its pettiness and complicated lives and that Laurie was the one and only thing that kept him around but once he realized he had lost her too, he decided it was time to explore and expand his understanding of the universe. There was nothing left for him on earth. He wasn't human anymore. This is also one of the reasons why I hated the HBO series as it more or less ret-cons Dr. Manhattan in a spin-off that shouldn't exist.
This movie is amazing. I have watched it many times and I never get tired of it. It has so many stunning visuals and an incredible cast. I have read the Graphic Novel too, and it was really good. They both are amazing in their own ways. Silk Specter was incredible. I’m so glad they got a Swedish actress for her. She’s beautiful and very athletic. This movie is amazing and I watch it at least once a year. I can see some fans also like the HBO series but it wasn’t for me. I felt very turned off by it. I prefer either the comic or the movie.
One of the best graphic novels of all time. As good as anything by Dostoevsky. The film is also incredible. Not sure why Alan Moore was so upset, sure, minor changes but the essence of the novel is captured so well.
We talk about Alan Moore's hatred of this movie a lot. He may be the creator of Watchmen... but he's also a guy that has never actually WATCHED this movie. Don't ever listen to a movie critic that hasn't seen the movie. 😂
I enjoyed this movie when it hit cinemas. The disc extended release was even better, and I even enjoyed the game that came with the movie & game combo I bought. Still haven't obtained the book though. I also liked the HBO series too. Wasn't sure if it was a continuation of the movie or books or its own thing, but it was a great story and I would have enjoyed seeing another season I think. Thanks for another great video Minty!
Having had my youth during the cold war in the 70's and 80's, this movie was very daunting and felt catastrophic. I loved the depiction of the dystopian world. I guess most people who only knew Nixon from the "Futurama" head, don't realize how scary was the scenario of having three terms of the guy who coined the term "if the president does it, then it's legal" (although his most known phrase was "I am not a crook"), taking advantage of winning the Vietnam war due to having superheroes. The first time I saw the movie, I thought with such a dark alternate universe, I would not be able to watch it again, but every time I watch it I like it more. And the music has the best of the era.
The ultimate cut is a way way superior than the theatrical cut who suffers a lot of pacing and editing issues. If I'm not mistaken this movie paved the way for Snyder to helm the Man of Steel movie. I also loved the comics it was based off. Also HBO's Watchmen mini-series by Damon Lindelof is also a great "sequel of sorts" adaptation.
The comic was originally going to be based on the Charlton comic book heroes of the 1960's. DC Comics had aquired the rights to them and wanted to introduce them to DC Comics but they didn't like it when they found out about the story Alan Moore was writing. So Moore and Gibbons created new characters. It was also Captain Atom that Dr Manhattan was based on not The Atom.
I really enjoyed this movie. It's dark, and serious, and the first time I watched it and found the huge plot twist at the end was pretty shocking! Loved the characters, and use several of the more quotable lines, still. 😉 I should add I never read the comic (apologies to Allan!) and I do have the Director's Cut.
I am not at all a fan of most superhero movies. This is one of the few exceptions (but I do dig the dystopian stuff). Incredibly well done movie with intriguing characters and relatively unique story-line. Jackie E. Haley was fantastic in it (maybe his best performance to day). Great coverage of the film and crazy antics behind it actually getting created. Thanks for another fantastic video!
Yo MINTY you are the best at this been a member since you started and you only have gotten better. I look forward to these ever week thank you. Love love this movie
This is my absolute favorite superhero movie. It’s so damn gritty and the casting is spot on. Jackie Earle Haley’s voice narrating as Rorschach sets such a badass tone.
Oh Minty Minty Minty! Who could ever hate you and your videos. You’re a ray of sunshine for my wife, daughter, and my self when we see your most recent posts!
Shabby the reason people send you stuff is that we love you and your family. You are such a gorgeous bunch and your enthusiasm is infectious. Long may you be successful xx
This movie grew on me. I didn't really like it the first time (in theaters) I watched it. But after checking out the Director's Cut on Blu-ray so many years later....I enjoyed it so much more. It's actually now one of my favorite "modern" comic l book movies.
I first watched this film by myself as my sons had all graduated on moved on. I was really impressed with it. It was my literature major son who educated me on its history and impressed me to the point that I bought a nice hardback book of the graphic novel series. I still have it. I still love the movie and the recent series.
I've loved Zack Snyder's movies, even the ones people turned out hating. I thought Suckerpunch was amazing and misunderstood, i had zero issue with Man of Steel and also found it amazing. Same for this one, my only issue was the long monologue of Doc Manhattan, which with his monotone voice and slo mo montage, makes me almost fall asleep every time. not because it's bad or boring, it's just my kryptonite for some reason lol. I even really liked BvS, allthough i didn't see the theatrical cut but the extended one, which fixed some big issues people initially had. And finally, i really enjoyed the Snyder cut. I honestly think he got way more hate than he deserved during his career. But that's me.
Hi movies are great because they invite you to think. In the case of Watchmen, I think the issue was that it wasn't a big time action flick that many people were used to when you look at a superhero movie. I thought it was amazing! If you read and follow comics, not every issue is action packed. Sometimes there's more to a hero's character than chase and punch.
Bonus fact: the song that plays during the end credits is Desolation Row by Bob Dylan, but as a completely reworked banger version performed by My Chemical Romance. The band’s lead singer is also a comic book writer (Umbrella Academy) and was such a fan of the original Watchmen graphic novel that he wanted to do the song for the movie.
I loved this movie. One of my favorite comics. I can't believe you didn't mention the fact in The Watchmen pirate comics were popular instead of Superheroes since they were real & the DVD box set came with an animated movie of those pirate comics from the original book.
I actually like the change they made to the source material. I bought each issue when they originally came out as a wee lad and the fabricated alien creature was a disappointment. The film using Dr Manhattan as a way to get humans to end the hate and rally together against him was a smarter and more logical approach. It accomplished the same goal without the grotesquely fantastical suddenly introduced.
This move isn't very comic accurate. The movie glossed over how insane rorschach really is. It also skipped most of the plot points of the original Nice Owl one. Lastly the trans-dimensional squid monster was replaced entirely by a city sized explosion made to look like is was done by Manhattan.
@@nsasupporter7557 in the movie everything we know about Rorschach was through his journal. Nothing about being homeless, being a professional protester in the day, and the fact despite fighting crime at night for the sake or a just and moral society, the movie doesn't show that he feeds himself in the day by stealing.... Also the movie doesn't show the origin the ink blot mask and how Rorschachs mom was a seamstress.
I think it's a great movie and also the comic is great as well. They each have their own appeal, and I look at them as two different stories, in two different mediums.
@@mehallica666 … and predictable like all adam sandler films, the most overrated celebrity who’s ever lived. Why everybody loves him so much is beyond me
Alan Moore is actually a huge fan of animation, and he absolutely adored Justice League Unlimited's adaptation of his Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman story "For the Man Who Has Everything."
Throw EVERY single comic book movie on the floor, if I were only allowed to pick up one... it'd be Watchmen. I absolutely love that film from the beginning to the end. Such an amazing film in every way.
I think what aggravated fans of the comic was that they went almost scene by scene, line by line and then decided to leave out things, most importantly, the space octopus. I’m sure they did so because the exposition needed for the movie would be too complicated to explain, but, still. Lord of the Rings was much truer to the story and IT worked. I’m sure this could’ve too. All in all, it’s 90% there and that’s an awesome achievement.
I heard of this comic growing up but never read it. I was one of the people who read the reprints of the graphic novel after the trailer came out and loved it. I couldn't wait for the movie to come out in theatre and really loved it. My wife is a Jackie Earle Haley fan & she doesn't watch Super Hero Movies, but I told her he was in it & i got to re-watch it again with her earlier this month! Rorschach really did steal the movie! I also bought the DVD release of the comic within the comic, Tales of the Black Freighter! Now you can get the Ultimate Cut with both!
This is one of my top favorite movies. I knew nothing about the comic beforehand so I was blown away. I rented the graphic novel from the library a few times after watching, and loved it (eventually bought a copy). I think the cast is, for the most part, really excellent...w/ Malin Ackerman almost ruining the entire thing (any of the other actresses Minty mentions would have been so much better!!) and I didn't like the choice for Ozy. But Jeffrey Dean Morgan IS Comedian, same for Jackie Earl Haley. And I'd never heard of Patrick Wilson before this but he's now one of my favorite actors. The music is great and the overall look is great. It's bleak, and rather depressing, so not a "fun" watch, but to me, it is a masterpiece. I own the ultimate cut dvd edition.
@@requinremembers oh I don't think. I didn't give my opinion. Objectively the movie is not a masterpiece unfortunately. Objectively the movie vomits all over the brilliant comic. So I don't care what my subjective opinion is nor does reality care what your subjective opinion is. Objectively it is not what you say it is. But have a nice day yourself!
I think the Watchmen movie was as near a tribute to the source material(especially the extended edition with the Black Freighter comic storyline) as was Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies. There are limits to cinema, the right sacrifices were made to make Watchmen a truly great adaptation.
