@@Eisenbison You can't really make such a movie without either dumb down it to a certain level or making at least a trilogy out of it. It was pretty good for what it was.
@@NoLiveking87 No no no no, you misunderstand me. I'm not talking about "dumbed down" as in "cut down" as in things that weren't included in the movie for time limitations. I'm talking about things that were *added in* to or changed in the movie that take away from it. I feel like there are a few small but crucial bits of added dialogue that make the whole thing feel dumber, the child-nappers changed dialogue removed all ambiguity from his guilt that made the original scene even more bleak, and those added kung fu sequences with Ozymandias vs Owl and Rorschach made me cringe internally. This movie gets a 7/10 for me. Pretty good, but could have been better.
He was right. Superhero movies in the early 2000s were not as common as they are today. When the Watchmen comic was released, there had already been decades of typical superhero stories, making it an interesting twist to the comic book status quo. The same effect would have happened if Snyder would have waited a little longer to make the movie. Still, it is a great movie!
Even now it’s too early to release watchmen as cheesy and quippy movies still exist thanks to Disney. It will probably take at least 5 years for superhero movies to become the dark and grim story we saw in Logan watchmen and Snyder cut. Until then we have to live through joss whedon type shit. LANGUAGEEEE WHAT IS GAMORAAA
"Never compromise, even in the face of Armageddon" Rorschach's last words to his bitter end. Truly an underrated and over hated movie in almost every sense.
My favourite line is the Comedian's to Doctor Manhattan after the victory in Vietnam: "You know if we'd lost here in Vietnam, I think it might've driven us crazy. Y'know, as a country." Which is pretty much what actually DID happen to the USA after they lost there in 1975.
@@antonysimpson6288 The TRULY disgusting thing is we DID NOT LOSE in Vietnam. The Tet Offensive was a complete and total failure for the NV and the VC. They lost huge amounts of men and material and accomplished virtually none of their goals of significance. As the results trickled in, there was increasing murmoring among the NV officers about how to approach surrendering while getting the best terms. THEN, how the American Merdia was presenting it to the American People started to trickle in, and they realized all they had to do was to hold on, and the merdia would hand them the win, because the American Merdia was a defacto Fifth Column out to destroy the American efforts. So they/we shamefully abandoned the South Vietnamese to decades of oppression and poverty. And the merdia did the exact same thing with/to Iraq. We defacto won that, but the merdia kept droning on and on with Nightly Death Counts -- which in the end would not have equaled that for a single major battle of WWI, WWII, or the US Civil War. And it should be noted how the Nightly Death Counts absolutely and utterly disappeared once Obama got into office. And so the Merdia got a second Vietnam, and the f*** with anyone who hoped we'd follow through on cleaning the place up -- because, FACT -- Regardless of whether the war should or should not have been started, once it was BEGUN, we owed it to the Iraqi people to follow through and help them re-stabilize the country. Instead, our evil merdia did everything possible to provide aid and succor to the opposition, to encourage them to keep fighting. I would not call for, but neither would I defend against, an effort to bring up the vast majority of "journalists" in the 2000s on War Crimes and Treason charges. These pond scum better hope there is no God, because otherwise it seems very reasonable to assert that they will be found wanting.
This movie was awesome. The story, the visual, the lack of cliche' villains and heroes (well, aside owl man), the music, the gore, everything. Perfection.
I'll never forget one reviewer's take... "This is a movie where; Bat-man can't get it up, Super-man doesn't care, & the villain wants to save the world!" Perfect summary right there...
@@mr.vargas5648 He is the villain from a storytelling perspective. This is a fact, since people we follow (the "heroes") all work to take him down. He is the main antagonist. . This is a tragic story about disappointment and all characters are deeply flawed. They are all morally grey.
Watchman was a beautifully crafted film that needs to be followed nowadays. Every single scene and detail in the movie had a purpose. Strong and gripping storyline. Great group of characters wonderfully acted by a great cast. We will probably never get movies like this again.
It's too bad more superhero movies didn't learn anything from this plot (never mind the graphics). DC and Marvel superheroes are juvenile. This movie is not.
It's great. Not to say one is equal to the other, but I unironically put it on the same level of Touch of Evil by Welles. I could make a bunch of caveats so cinephiles don't freak out at the grouping, but I was completely hooked by both opening sequences and found them uniquely engaging and artistic in their own separate but similar ways. Snyder's DOTD remake had a similarly gripping opening sequence that put him on my radar at the time I saw it. I've seen all his movies but I cant recall the opening or the ending to anything he's done after Watchmen. I remember laughing at Sucker Punch or thinking it was some kind of meta joke - it wasn't. Marvel/DC/etc makes a mockery of many talented people (e.g. Cate Shortland making Black Widow) but Zack fell off a cliff in slow motion and made half a dozen of the most embarrassing films on the way down. Truly a waste of talent.
And some lovely commentary on costumed vigilantes suffering real world problems like getting your cape stuck in a revolving door.. or getting locked up for being a fruit loop.
@@Basti444Ever it's so well done. The depth of writing and screenplay is genuinely great. Even things like a cop saying Rorschach stinks as they pull off his mask just add that depth to "believability" of an unbelievable world. Just because a film is fantasy it shouldn't disregard factual things completely. It's a nice touch. I mean take Bales batman for example. They don't show lots of suits that he swaps out.. so perhaps it's the same suit he always wears.. rolls around in dirt in, sweats in in large amounts, bleeds in, maybe even a couple of times had to piss in or worse.. all that mixed in with some getting set on fire and soaked through in rain and waterfall and sewers. Yeah his suit would be buzzing.. no wonder the bats hang around... Always insects to eat.. maybe one scene of Alfred trying to clean it and get the stench out dousing it in old spice or something would have been a gem.
@@michaelsevilla7579 script, directing, pace, and a terrible ending. The music was good, but not enough to keep me or anyone else interested in the theater.
@@angelantayhua3096 While the watchmen probably had more depth in the original, the boys shares a very similar theme. It shows that absolute power corrupts absolutely and that having everything leds to extreme perversion.
The cinematography and visuals of Watchmen is one of the best I've ever seen. Love the use of the alternative reality universe as well. It's exactly how it should be done, with informative details and thought provicative narratives. It's a really, really good movie and in my opinion perhaps THE best superhero movie around.
@@universpro7741 looking back it's one of the films I probably played most of over the years even if just for background ambience and occasional attention. The soundtrack/audio ambience is good and the dialogue solid for what is essentially cartoon subject material.
This film holds a special place in my heart... when this released I was going through a divorce... I was handed papers that things were final and I had to start gearing up for a custody battle... at the time I was contemplating all kinds of horrible reactions I went for a drive... passed by a theater on the otherside of town got a ticket and sat by myself and watched the watchmen... left the film with a different attitude called my ex and came to a reasonable solution... my daughter turned 18 the other day my ex and I are friendly to this day... and to think the things and actions I was considering could've sent me down a truly different path. Random I know.
Same here. Had never seen or heard about him before and was thoroughly impressed. I was really hoping he would eventually play the role of Carnage, if a movie about him was ever made but it seems he's aged/changed quite a bit since Watchmen.
@@A.G.P.115 Alan Moore hates himself and his own work... why would he like an adaptation? Better off just paying his opinion on the subject very little mind.
My friends hated it more than me. I read the graphic novel and really liked how complex it and the movie was. My friends... just kept complaining about how much on-screen "giant blue man penis" they had to sit through. I mean, yeah, I would prefer that they give the dude the loincloth for more scenes, but the story was great.
I loved this movie when it came out and still love it. Dark, gritty and morally ambiguous juxtaposed to the conventional "ra-ra save-the-day" superhero trope is awesome. I do feel that Moore, as is his habit as a writer, forces his characters into situations and resolutions that aren't always the most convincing. I'm not entirely sold that Ozy's solution was the only reasonable one, but I'm also not entirely convinced that the events that preceded this "inevitable Armageddon" would have actually resulted in said Armageddon, especially with the decades of God-powers of Dr Manhattan in play.
I think Watchmen was a masterpiece. Zack Snyder does justice to dark comic books, but he be does dirty by traditional DC characters. In trying to recreate the grittiness of The Dark Knight trilogy, and keeping his regular 300 and Watchmen style of directing in mind, he basically just made emo versions of the Justice League members. Bruce Timm & Paul Dini created the most faithful and amazing adaptation of the Justice League ever made. The team that did for DC comics with the first DCAU, what the MCU did for Marvel Comics, should have been in charge of the DCEU.
John Doe and this is my problem with him. Also every time I watch his films it’s almost as if he’s trying so hard to make this over stretched massive EPIC of a film. Yet it just loses itself vastly. BVS had watchmen written all over it, except it was much more uninspiring, half assed writting, story and such dumb development.
So glad to see this get the love it deserves. the world simply wasnt ready for this kind of superhero film in 2009. if it came out in 2019? we would be praising it ...
We saw the 2019 version. It was a watered down shitshow that was a limited series on a streaming service. 2009 was the perfect time to make it. If released as is, but today, you'd have a queue of absolute herberts demanding cancellation because it's too dark and they feel attacked (having never seen it).
@@timdurganweird victimhood mentality. The Batman (2022) was dark and very well-received. As was Joker. And Logan was pretty dark/violent and is widely regarded as one of the best superhero films ever made. Watchmen would've absolutely been more successful now than it was then. Back then all anyone wanted out of their superhero movies was mindless action and special effects. The MCU has induced burnout on that kind of superhero content and lowered the standards so much that Watchmen is a masterpiece by comparison.
@@Zack-vi7isthose three films you just listed weren’t very good. At all. Pretentious swill inflated in their respective scores by critics who were either paid off or had a socio-political agenda in doing so. Snyder’s Director’s Cut of “Watchmen” blew said films outta the water imho
I actually think the film has a better ending than the comic. Fake aliens just felt way our of place since it’s supposed to be somewhat realistic except for dr manhattan. The film framing dr manhattan makes way more sense considering the world is questioning if manhattan is on our side
I disagree. Aliens were a popular subject around the era that Watchmen was set. I can't remember who said it but it was stated that a greater alien threat could be the only thing that unites Russia and the US, which is why Ozymandias used a fake alien to prevent the war. The genetically engineered creature was also suppose to have sent psychic shockwaves too, which implies that in the world of Watchmen Dr Manhattan isn't the only anomaly. Which is what you would expect from a movie that encompasses multiple superhero types. But all of that was cut away from the movie just to make it "realistic."
It makes zero sense. Dr. Manhattan is an American, he fought in Vietnam, he was created by American experiments. In the real world he would be a political talking point constantly and anything he did would be blamed on America. The whole point of the alien ending is that it’s an outside threat that unites Earth together. The alien squid is pretty ridiculous but they could have easily just changed it to UFOs or something.
Even the most depressing comics tend to retain the glimmer of hope and idealism that superhero comics started out with. Just look at The Dark Knight Returns, which in my mind tells a more profound and allegorically relevant story than Watchmen, since it not only refutes Watchmen's premise, but it openly embraces the idea of a Superhero. Superhero's are flawed human beings, yes, but would you rather have a flawed human trying to better society, or no one at all while society around you decays and becomes morally bankrupt? The Dark Knight Returns doesn't leave you with the ultimate decision, it's bold enough to answer it for you and say "yes, it is better to have superheroes." This is why modern reviewers and "journalists" give The Dark Knight Returns negative reviews and put it on lists of "overrated" comics while putting Watchmen on a pedestal. They don't like the arguments TDKR gives for why it's morally imperative to have central figures to look up to, because it inspires humanity as a whole to do better, even if those characters themselves have personal demons they still haven't overcome. Watchmen on the other-hand downplays the good heroes do as "superficial" and equates them as being part of the "iron foot of the government" while TDKR deliberately places Batman still as a vigilante and has Superman as the iron foot of the government, where Batman represents the people and Superman as the government, which ironically enough, it took the representation of the people to fix Gotham's problems, while the representation of the government had all the power in the world but was per-occupied with international politics.
It was brilliant. In no way, shape or form could they have improved anything about their portrayal of Dr Manhattan, especially the voice. A booming or mighty voice wouldn't have suited such a distant and apathetic deity
@@Uxoriouswidow I think the biggest mistakes were removing the fake alien squid, because a major point of the comic was that the false peace via fake alien threat was unlikely to last, and changing the end scene with Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach by adding in Nite Owl.
@@hariman7727, I disagree. Framing Dr Manhattan for the mass murder while omitting the aliens altogether was the right choice. Dr Manhattan _becoming_ the inhuman alien made the story more self contained.
@@fuferito but KNOWING the threat is there, and being able to talk to the threat? That changes the reaction from "Aliums are out theres! We must all defend the world together!" to "Oh NO! Superman hates us all... why are there cults showing up worshipping him? And why are some people trying to rebel?! And where is he because we'd like to negotiate with him?!" People can complain that genetic engineering was developed once and will be developed again, but that was one of the points of the comic. The peace Ozymandias created is false, and it's all going to fall apart. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings. Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair."
Loved the novel and loved the movie, which captured both the look and the vibe of the novel far better than I thought possible. As a piece of entertainment, it's flawed because it is complicated and has a lot of necessary exposition. As a work of art, it is a masterpiece.
I never read the novel, but to me the movie wasn't complicated to watch. Sure it has several stories going on at the same time, but it was told in a meaningful way, that slowly revealed the larger story near the end. I know it's not a movie for everyone, and that's perfectly fair, but for what it tried to be, it was to me a masterpiece.
I like how you distinguish between entertainment and artistry. That’s a nuanced way of looking at movies that I think should be in every conversation about serious movies
Yup, didn't do well financially and EVERY PERSON I KNEW that was looking forward to this movie (including me) disliked it massively. I saw it as a dark, preachy, illogical, boredom-fest.
Somehow i feel a series like The Boys wouldn't exist today if there wasn't a Watchmen. Very different plotlines.. but the dark maturity of a world full of superheroes are right in line.
Wow you were 4 hrs ahead of me but I was going to mention that same scene. I didn't get it at the time. It seemed so STUPID! Now I get it. He's JUST THAT STUBBORN! Unfortunately, we see all too many people just like Rorschach every day. Only it's ironic that it's people refusing to wear a mask rather than a person who screams in rage and terror because someone yanked it off.
@@SilverSpoonRiche You do realize that Rorschach was the most ethical character in the movie, right? He had an absolute moral code and he would not falter. He kept getting knocked down in that ending scene, and he just kept getting up, dusting off, and putting his hat back on, and moving forward. "No compromise, even in the face of Armageddon." The truth and justice mattered more to him than anything.
Rorschach's death is still one of the best i have ever seen. The pure Emotion on his Face and the rage consuming him, screaming at Dr. Manhattan to do it and therefore standing by his convictions to the bitter end is sublime.
I so completely agree. That part always is burned in my memory as something so incredibly honorable and full of integrity and simultaneously horrific and a tragic waste...exactly what the story wants you to feel the contrast and polarity of...
Jackie Earle Haley is the perfect comic character casting, right up alongside Heath Ledger's Joker and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Although I have to give props to Jeffrey Dean Morgan's pitch-perfect portrayal of the Comedian AND Carla Gugino as the original Silk Spectre, in every decade of her arc.
The comic did most of the heavy lifting; BUT, it was a stroke of fucking genius for the movie to have his blood and guts form one last Rorschach Blot in the snow!
From India, I remember WATCHMEN. I learnt that it was based on a famous graphic novel which I had never read. I like the movie because it was a very good contrarian to the superhero trope. And it was highly philosophical. Many of my colleagues did not understand it because as you have said, they expected a do- gooder superhero movie [which is every Indian movie that you know]. I later read the novel and I found that the movie was far more understood & relatable because all the superheroes had human foibles, contrasting the standard tropes of superhero comics. DR. MANHATTAN vs SUPERMAN, NIGHTOWL VS BATMAN, OZYMANDIAS VS IRONMAN. The only human was RORSCHACH & THE COMEDIAN, both of whom were the only CHARACTERS that stuck in your mind as well as all my friends. DR.MANHATTAN, also is a critique of GOD himself.
I believe the story is a losly retold story of the watchers from the Bible. The whole story was in the book of Enoch, which was removed from the cannons by Rome .
I was the second group, NEVER heard of Watchmen, went in expecting a regular superhero movie and was BLOWN AWAY!! THIS, next to the Dark Knight trilogy is the BEST Superhero movie EVER!! I wish they made prequels or movies about every single hero on their own as I would definitely watch them
@@dubjon5134 the moment you see the easter eggs in the opening scene, with the original Owl man saving Thomas and Martha Wayne when they leave the Gotham Opera, preventing the birth of Batman in this universe.
@@IncredibleMet Took it as a given that I was speaking in the context of the 2009 movie which this video is referring to, but no, I never bothered to watch the TV show.
@@IncredibleMet The TV show has different issues. It deviates a lot from the spirit of Moore, if anything it wants to stay current with the P.C. era and brings racism to the forefront. Don't get me wrong, it was good (amazing at times, but falls flat in the final episode), but it didn't feel like Moore's Watchmen. Snyder's version on the other hand gets 9 things out of 10 spot on.
@@IncredibleMet The T.V. show has nothing to do with the original movie and graphic novel. I read the Graphic novel years before the movie was made and I was truly amazed the way they stayed so true to the original novel. They did a great job with trying to imitate the art in the novel.
@@TheMoviesCult I happened to LOVE the tv show. I hate SJW shit being forced but this didn't feel like that to me.. It wasn't snyder style i'll agree to that but i thought the show was incredible.. Hope they convince them to do a second season.. I loved every episode
This is my favorite film of all time (the Director’s Cut, that is.) I’m glad there’s countless individuals of like-mindedness who’re also fans of this cinematic masterpiece. You guys keep on rockin’!
"I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with me!!" - So many good lines in this movie. VERY underrated. EDIT: Holy shit! The drinker loved my comment!
I keep rewatching it...the extended version. The painted comic book look and lighting is masterful and the batman "knock off" is better than the real thing:)) Masterpiece!
I loved this film. Gonna watch it again because of your review reminds me how underated it was. It was dark gritty and had essence of film noir. Different and thought provoking which was great. But I like Jeffrey dean Morgan more so now as an actor so definitely worth a rewatch.
I found Matthew Goode absolutely hypnotic as Ozymandias. Jackie Earl Haley was definitely the other standout as Rohrshach. God, he nailed that character.
Matthew Goode was completely miscast. In the comic, Adrien Veidt was smart, athletic, good looking, funny, chiseled jaw line - he looked the all American Hero - which made the twist genuinely surprising. In the film, Matthew Goode looks and speaks creepy and is clearly a bad guy from his very first scene. Every other character, especially Rorschach, is pretty spot on - but a the film is let down badly by the spoiled twist.
@@azursmile But the all-American guy that's actually the villain it's already a cliché in itself. It was like a lose-lose situation so they went with the creepy guy.
@@azursmile Interesting how you felt creeped-out by the movie's Ozy from the jump. I somehow didn't get any creep or sinister vibes, so his unmasking as the Big Bad was all the more surprising.
@@azursmile I saw him as a play on the intellectual stereotype - Fit, perhaps, but somewhat effeminate and overly theoretical as opposed to the Comedian's hypermasculine persona. The fact that his solution was so brutal and seemingly out of touch with humanity made his casting a lot more apt to me.
I personally really liked Comedian and smiley references to him throughout the film. Somewhere in the movie was a line that said that Comedian understood the true nature of humanity and instead of trying to fight it, he became a parody of this human nature. It's fcng powerful, and, I guess, this is what these smiley things all along the movie were meant for. I watched both versions of this movie several times and it kind of felt like the story actually was about Comedian, or, let's say, the story felt like it was told from his point of view or his sense of morality. He died in the very beginning of the movie, but his spirit will live in the world till there aren't humans left at all. And the best thing that you can do about our bitter nature is just to turn it into a big sad savage unfunny fcng joke. Anyway, this movie and the first season of the true detective are ones of the few things that i'm willing to rewatch at almost any point of my life and every time I will feel something for them, and, guess, will feel something for me and humanity in general, too. So, that already pretty much means something
Glorious film, visually beautiful, strong character development, complex but compelling story, awesome action, thought provoking... what is there not to like 🤷🏻♂️
Sam R People hate it just because its Zack Snyder. It was a great movie that showed real superheroes. People wanted perfect moral heroes with a happy ending.
Idiot fandom that complains that they’re favorite parts from the series wasn’t in the movie and idiotic critics that say it was too close to the source material. The basis of anyone who doesn’t like Zack Snyder movies (et al. Sucker Punch)
It was an adaptation of probs the greatest graphic novel, and tried to be too similar to the novel in areas and tried to be different in others, but ended up failing at a lot of them, the movie wasn’t bad but it was boring at some points and just wasn’t as good as the novel but still is an enjoyable experience
Whatever you think of his style, I think it's hard to argue that ZS doesn't have a deep appreciation and understanding for the source material and tries his best to do it justice. He digs deep into the themes, which I love. That is way more than can be said for just about anyone else cranking out super movies these days, particularly the create-by-committee production lines.
@@byucatch22Alan Moore is a left wing anarchist, who worked on several characters with Steve Ditko. Moore noticed Ditko having a more Randian objetivistic right wing political slant in his writing (objectivism is the stance that certain people are more exceptional than others and should be above certain laws or rules, such people should act for their own happiness), basically he wrote vigilante characters who thought they were above the law and thought it was their right to enforce their own brand of justice. Moore, being left wing, disliked this heavily and wrote Watchmen as sort of a dark satire, on the characters he and Ditko wrote, the book being an attack on Randian objectivism, and superhero vigilante philosophy itself. Therefore, in the book, the characters are treated as more heavily unprofessional, limited in their abilities, and are written more ridiculously. The violence they carry out is meant to be seen as horrifying , not glorified in awe. Then we have Snyder, a man who clearly has a love for Frank Miller comics, and therefore more adores that vigilante philosophy. His views almost contrast Moore's entirely. Therefore, he glorifies characters meant to be parodied. Rorschach, originally written as this fascist racist extremist who actually looked up to the comedian, was now written as Batman, and fans see him as a true representation of mortality and justice. The gory horrifying scenes are now slow mo and badass. The comedian's death was quick and pathetic in comics, now is shown as a badass's last stand. He genuinely does not understand the philosophies of any of the characters properly. I can somewhat understand where Moore comes from in his complete dissociation from the film
wow, that's are really great explanation. I appreciate the insight. I'm not familiar with The Watchmen so I wasn't aware of these things. I was going more off Snyder's adaptation of Man of Steel and 300. Your explanation makes sense.@@arcanewarrior863
Together with The Babadook, Watchmen is one of my favorite movies over the last 15-20 years... No heroes, no villains, just different ideals. This movie teaches u a lot about mankind and society.
This is absolutely the best breakdown review of Watchmen. I saw it in theatres without having read any of the graphic novels or knowing about the story, and I found the film absolutely captivating. I think maybe it's central issue for a lot of "mainstream" audiences is - like a lot of the text and sub-text of smart writing - you do kinda have to be at least slightly smart to fully appreciate what it's trying to say. On a slightly lighter note, the worst part of the film for me was the sex scene in Archimedes - not because of anything particularly the film did, but because I went to see it with the father of one of my son's friends from school who I barely knew, which just made it super awkward! It definitely felt like the longest part of the film! Anyway, thanks for this Drinker, been a watcher a long time now and I raise a glass to you regularly. Cheers!
Fun fact Watchmen actually takes place in an alternative DC Universe where the old Night Owl saves Thomas & Martha Wayne in that alley. So Bruce never becomes Batman 👍
"Tells a story" That's something Watchmen does that a lot of comic book films don't do. Not in a trilogy, not in 22 films, but in one film with multiple character introductions. We're still getting Batman and Spider-Man origin rebooted origin stores and this gave us so much content.
I always wonder how lord of the rings would be made today. "First we need the Aragorn origin movie, then the Frodo origin movie, maybe a Marry and Pippin Spinoff before we do the Gandalf Prequel... and that is just the fellowship of the ring"
I'll argue it would be this one: The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll look down, and whisper "No." The Pagliachi joke was brilliantly executed aswell.
As far as comic adaptation, 9/10, so far ahead of other comic based movies. The extended directed cut is absolutely worth a watch all the way through and is a piece of meaningful story telling. I love it because it's a good story and it takes the time it needs to tell it, almost a little "Das Boot" .Most movies are just "economical", basic-entertaining-quick batta bim batta boom.
As someone who would probably be called a filthy degenerate by Rorschach, he's my favourite character besides Dr.Manhatten. Because despite his flaws and hatred for the general public he still has a moral code and will do what he needs to do to protect the weak
@Carl Hopf I hadn't heard that song in so long (at least 30 years), I literally just had to Google it (because I never even knew the title or who played it) and see if it really did have a guitar riff (I guess most songs do--at least those that feature guitar). Sure enough, there *was* a guitar riff. Thanks for steering be back to the source material!
When you see the shots, as here, with their sound removed, and out of context, it becomes much easier to see how beautiful they are. It is a good film, uncommonly faithful to the source material. It looks superb, and the story overall is near enough the same as the book. The ending is significantly different, but to do the one in the comic would have taken longer, and probably been less convincing so I accept it. The main difference I disliked was the way the film made the heroes more powerful than normal humans, and showed them winning fights with contemptuous ease.
Rorschach is the best, but the others are really solid as well. Gotta hand it to Adrian, his plan made sense and was well executed. It's nice to see a competent villain in a movie "cough, cough sequel trilogy".
It's October 1987 I am naming my pet rat Rorschach due to the black and white pattern on her fur and her disposition towards anyone that puts their fingers in her cage.
I loved the movie. Given the source material, I expected a disaster but was pleasantly surprised. Rorshach was my favourite character because he shows that being uncompromising and pursuing truth will not be accepted in modern society. For me, he was like a character out of a Dostoyevsky novel.
I enjoyed it. The fight sequence between the killer and the Comedian is absolute PERFECTION! *You can see that The Watchmen heavily influenced The Boys.*
Well, Ozymandias IS supposed to be the smartest guy in the world, so you wouldn't expect him to do something that would ruin his plan like a James Bond villain would.
Did anyone else notice how Matthew Goode, who plays Adrian Veidt in the movie, gives him a perfect American accent during public interviews, but a slight (very slight) German accent when he's amongst friends?
Holy shit I've watched this movie dozens of times but never caught that. Heard it immediately when I started replaying scenes in my head. Yet another reason for a rewatch
Didn’t know there was a graphic novel of this when I first saw it. One of the greatest superhero films ever made. Have watched this film numerous times and still love everything about it. The choice of having the Bob Dylan song “The Times they are a changing” playing over the opening montage and credits is brilliant. Perfectly cast film. Rorschach’s line in jail where he says “I’m not locked in here with you, you’re locked in here with me!” Is one of my favorite lines of the movie.
The biggest problem with this movie was in choosing to use an explosion that used the same energy as Ozymandius was using in his public power stations. At that point, Rorschach didn't even need to send his journal to the papers...
Really amazing work they did in that. The broad strokes of the first generation of watchmen matched with a song that seems like it was written just for that part in the movie. I don't think anyone could have done a better job condensing that much material into one bob Dylan song.
Enjoyed this film, had a lot going for it. I really wish we got a solo Rorschach film. Like a prequel. You’d see how he starts, how he evolves, his team ups with Owlman. And then how after he finds the missing girl, he changes and becomes ruthless. Leading upto events before, Watchmen. There would be a ton of stories and encounters he could have. The actor who played Rorschach is maybe too old now, so it’s a shame.
I think there exist comics but Alan Moore, being Moore, has generally disavowed them. Moore actually didn't shit all over this film like he'd shat over other adaptations, which is telling.
This movie has the honor of having a place on the TOP 5 absolute best opening credits! The part of the movie where it flashes back to Dr. Manhattan’s beginnings was so well done, I had to rewind and start just that part over again twice.
"If you give a man the powers of a God, what happens to his humanity?" Never have I heard something that asks whether superheroes are a good idea or not, asked so succinctly.
I’ve always thought about it. Most human beingsare far too flawed to possess super human powers. I could only buy Clark Kent (Kal-El from Krypton) an alien raised in bucolic rural Kansas as an idealized All-American caricature ... Or maybe Wonder Woman, raised in isolation from the rest of corrupt humanity. Otherwise, everyone else is a psychopath.
I think this was one of the best films ever made and the best superhero film ever. People disliked it because that was the golden age of the romantic comedy. It didn't sit right with people.
I think it does an admirable job of adapting a pretty hard work to adapt. In my opinion it captures the essence of the work in a similar way that Peter Jackson did with The Lord of th Rings.
@@allasian452 right, by "no real credit" I was trying to imply that they do get some small amount of credit for making a good choice, if not for coming up with the words. I only knew it was from the Bible because I'd heard it several times in popular media, and so looked up where it came from. Actually, with a lot of common English expressions, we're quoting from the Bible, Shakespeare, or the Book of Common Prayer, often without being aware of it
@@allasian452 It's paraphrasing a verse from Ecclesiastes. Something like: "Both the fool and the wise man die the same" Edit: Ecclesiastes 2:16 " . . . And how does a wise man die? As the fool"
"He's not particularly big or physically strong. He's not super smart and he doesn't have any powers or gadgets. He's just a tough, tenacious little bastard, ready and willing to take on guys twice his size without any fear or hesitation, ready to fight dirty and use any advantage he can find." This is a great way to describe Rorschach. And this is why despite his flaws I like this character.
I have a friend like that. At one point he bought one of the nastiest biker and hoe bars in South Jersey. I think he had it 9 years. Some of his stories are epic! For a 5'9" guy to never backdown says something. He never hired a bouncer either. He enjoyed the work too much to delegate it out.
When I saw the movie and they first showed his face, I was certain I had seen him in something before… and then it dawned on me, He played the third friend in the movie “Breaking Away” the movie that gave Dennis Quaid his first big break. I hadn’t seen him in anything after that movie…
@@christopherpardell4418 Freaked me out when I saw his face, because I said , "Wait a minute , that is Kelly from "The Bad News Bears". "Christ I'm old" LOL
Yeah that scene stuck with me. I really liked Rorschach, but I understood his completely unyeilding determination to never compromise, even in the face of death, meant only two possible outcomes. He dies and his character remains intact, or he compromises and stops being relevant. I wanted Dr. Manhattan to compromise...but what happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object? The unmovable object cannot survive.
When I read the comic, I audibly yelled, "NO!" when I realized what was about to happen. Rorschach was far and above my favorite character, and I was so torn when he died, but it fit the narrative so perfectly.
@@Toasty667 Rorschach cant surrender. That is the point. Manhattan did and it could be argued based on how his character was portrayed, that it gave him the excuse and justification to abandon earth. But i am with Rorschach. They should have exposed Ozymandias...
Watchmen, Brandon Lee’s The Crow and Sin City are some of my favorite graphic novel movies. Only thing this movie was missing, was an ‘inter-dimensional’ tentacle monster. Haven’t read the comic book for Watchmen in decades, but I’m fairly certain that there was a monster… Or, I’m tripping again. Another movie that encapsulates it’s homage to graphic novels (or, in this case manga) is the film Kung-Fu Hustle, it feels like an anime or over the top manga, and I feel it’s an overlooked masterpiece.
I think the Comedian was a psychopath, and he called himself "comedian" because it was a grand joke that he could hurt people to his heart's content and be called a hero for it.
I wouldn't call the Comedian a Psychopath he just lacked morality. When he learned of Ozymandias plans to murder millions of civilians he grew a conscience. He even acknowledged that he did horrible things yet couldn't fathom murdering innocents.
The "Comedian" title is explained in the graphic novel by Rorschach. There's an apocriphal story in which a man goes to see a psychiatrist because he is suicidally depressed. The psychiatrist tells him to see the great Pagliachi, the funniest clown in the world, who just happens to be appearing at a local theater. The patient sighs and explains that he can't because he is Pagliachi. The Comedian has lost his way and spitefully tries to bring down the other heroes to his level. He sees the world as a big dark joke that he thinks only he gets. Another theme is that he is actually very vulnerable (his gradually heavier body armor suit is a symbol of his trying to protect himself from feeling pain and sorrow). He's kind of a mixture of Peacemaker and Yellowjacket from Charlton Comics and Deathstroke and The Joker from Detective Comics. Owlman still keeps to his ideals because he is too naive to lose them. Silk Spectre learns that being a professional hero allows her to control her own life in a way her mother never could. Rorschach is driven by fanaticism and madness that forces him to be a vigilante. Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias are both locked into a set of actions that will lead them to their desired result - Manhattan because he desires freedom to choose his own destiny and Ozymandias because he believes he is better and superior to everyone else. The Comedian actively makes the world worse on purpose, trying to crush idealism and hope. He's like an alcoholic or drug addict trying to get everyone else to overindulge so he doesn't have to face how messed up he is.
The thing about The Comedian is that he supports the status quo. The Establishment grants him power to act in their interests, giving him the freedom to do as he pleases without consequences. If anything, the other heroes are anarchists because they are vigilantes that oppose the status quo.
Two things really stood out for me in this movie. The intro montage co-opted so many classic news scenes from the 20th Century it really brought home this is an alternate universe. And, of course, the casting of Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian. Sheer perfection. Two roles that you just can't imagine anybody else playing them.
I have probably watched this movie about a dozen times, and your post is the first time I have ever honestly put the name of Jefferey Dean Morgan to the role, I'm not saying that I didn't know it was JDM, I'm saying that JDM is such a good actor that his role outshines him as an actor.
I gotta imagine that was his line producer back in the day that should get the credit given how garbage the casting of ben affleck and jesse eisenberg was.
I’ve watched this movie more times than I can count. One of my all time favorites. How it’s basically a 1 to 1 to the graphic novel is super impressive.
I still remember sitting in the theater and seeing a mom and dad bring 3 kids to the newest superhero movie. I wonder if they made it to the part where mr Manhattan aka Captain Ding Dong first floats his bean bag and cow dong onto the set.
I read the graphic novel before i saw this film and tbh it was a solid take on such an in depth storyline. Cast was solid, acting was great and effects and costumes were bang on. Never could understand the hate from this.
@@nufosmatic pretty much have to agree with the other member here. Buy the graphic novel and just take a full day to kick back and read. One of the best stories told by DC
Without a shadow of a doubt, my absolute favorite superhero move ever, and one of my favorite movies in general. I guess I'm weird if most people don't like this movie (or maybe they just don't have any taste...)