Just saw Watchmen!

[LynxFX]

Got to see a preview screening of Watchmen followed by a Q&A with the actors and director.

First I really have no prior knowledge of Watchmen so I went in pretty much a virgin to the story. The following is spoiler free.

In a word, epic. In a cheesy catch phrase, this movie puts the 'graphic' back in 'graphic novel.'

This film is a hard R, with no reservations. It is brutal, graphic, non-PC, sexual, full frontal nudity on Dr. Manhattan, and did I mention brutal? Definitely not for the kiddies.

It is also looong I might add. Clocks in at 2 hours and 40 minutes. Most of it flies by but it does drag a tiny bit in the 3rd act.

From the opening scene through the opening credits it quickly sets the tone. I watched this in a theater filled with fans of the graphic novel and they cheered at all sorts of stuff in the opening credits so I'm guessing there are lots of hidden gems in there for those that know.

I really liked the use of flashbacks to give back story about each of the main characters. You really get to like, or hate some of them. Rorschach is probably one of the coolest characters in the film and he also gets one of the best lines and audience cheers. Just like droves of people dressed like Heath Ledger's Joker, I expect this Halloween will be filled with people dressed like Rorschach. The actor also got one of the biggest rounds of applause when he showed up for the Q&A. Speaking of which, all of the actors did a great job with their characters. No one seemed out of place, and I liked that they aren't all house hold names.

The overall story flows pretty well and isn't that hard to follow, even without knowing anything about it. It is serious and brutal but there are also a lot of LOL moments and other humor sprinkled throughout.

As for direction, Zach Snyder really steps it up. I really liked 300 and here he takes it further, but for the most part more grounded in the real world. Yes there are lots of slow motion shots but it used incredibly well and really accentuates most of the fights. I also really liked the choice of music used. It is very Tarantino-esque. Also Blu-ray fans will be happy to know that the excessive grain used in 300 is not present here. This should make an awesome release visually and phenominal sonically. The audio mix will know your socks off.

I understand the ending is different from the source but I didn't have a problem with how it ended. Judge that for yourself. It is a bit preachy though.

Overall it is a great time at theater and should break records in March. I don't know how well the mainstream audience will take it and the running time does hurt it, but word of mouth should be pretty good. There were lots of OMG moments and a couple OMFG. If you can, I would suggest checking it out in Imax.

Anyway, I'm glad they worked out legal matters and it didn't get shelved.

[toef]

I'm actually looking forward to seeing this again. But I need to read the "book" again first.

How did you get into the preview/Q&A thing?

[Col. Zombie]

If you could use spoiler tags and reveal the ending for me (and others who might be interested), that would be super cool. I just really want to know how this one ends.

[GreenScar]

It's been trimmed quite a bit from the version you've seen.

Snyder told Sci-Fi Wire about a few other cuts that had to be made in order to achieve the film’s final two hour, twenty-five minute running time.

If you could go to the link and read the scenes that they cut, let us know if they really were key moments.

[LynxFX]

Major spoiler of 3rd act/ending.

[Show spoiler]It ends with a confrontation with Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias. Ozy creates a power similar to Manhattans and actually detonates it in NYC. It demolishes most of the city. That in turn gets the US and USSR governments to blame Dr. M and become united in fighting against him. No more Nuke threat and there is basically world peace. Dr. M actually agrees that Ozy is right in what he did and will take the blame. Kill a million to save a billion. Rorschach isn't happy and wants to expose the truth. He goes to leave, Dr. M. kills him. You end up with a New York that is being rebuilt and the streets are filled with hybrid/electric cars. There isn't any news to write because everyone is happy in their hippy style bliss. One of the newspaper editors then goes to a bin that has Rorschach's journal which contains pretty much all of the info that has happened.

There's a bit more but that is the gist.

[LynxFX]

Originally Posted by jasonbird

If you could go to the link and read the scenes that they cut, let us know if they really were key moments.

None of those cut scenes were in this version and it was still 2:40. So he must have kept in some stuff that they thought would be cut but not those scenes.

[GreenScar]

Thanks!

I'm so excited for this!

[Col. Zombie]

Originally Posted by LynxFX

Major spoiler of 3rd act/ending.

[Show spoiler]It ends with a confrontation with Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias. Ozy creates a power similar to Manhattans and actually detonates it in NYC. It demolishes most of the city. That in turn gets the US and USSR governments to blame Dr. M and become united in fighting against him. No more Nuke threat and there is basically world peace. Dr. M actually agrees that Ozy is right in what he did and will take the blame. Kill a million to save a billion. Rorschach isn't happy and wants to expose the truth. He goes to leave, Dr. M. kills him. You end up with a New York that is being rebuilt and the streets are filled with hybrid/electric cars. There isn't any news to write because everyone is happy in their hippy style bliss. One of the newspaper editors then goes to a bin that has Rorschach's journal which contains pretty much all of the info that has happened.

There's a bit more but that is the gist.

Thank you so much for that...seriously!

[Show spoiler] It sounds like it has a similar gist to the novel's ending, but I was really hoping for the original genetically engineered super-beast/brain-melting alien ending. The comic leads up to some faux alien coming through a teleporter (originally built by Ozymandias in an attempt to thwart a war). This leads Russia and the U.S. to think there is an alien invasion on the horizon and set aside any desire for nuclear war. The comic has frames of pieces of the "Ozymandias-engineered alien" lying in the ruins of New York amidst New Yorkers covered in blood with their brains coming out of their heads. The ending you just described does kind of disappoint me. Bastards producers not wanting to keep things original and thinking they know what is best.

[GreenScar]

Originally Posted by Col.Zombie

The ending you just described does kind of disappoint me.

Agreed. I'll still seeing but really sounds like a let down

[Col. Zombie]

Originally Posted by jasonbird

Agreed. I'll still seeing but really sounds like a let down

For sure!! I'll be giong to see the first release, and I'll probably be at Best Buy as soon as the store opens to pick it up on Blu-ray.

But man the original ending would have been so much cooler.

[LynxFX]

No problem Jason! I look forward to an extended edition on Blu-ray.

Originally Posted by Col.Zombie

Thank you so much for that...seriously!

[Show spoiler] It sounds like it has a similar gist to the novel's ending, but I was really hoping for the original genetically engineered super-beast/brain-melting alien ending. The comic leads up to some faux alien coming through a teleporter (originally built by Ozymandias in an attempt to thwart a war). This leads Russia and the U.S. to think there is an alien invasion on the horizon and set aside any desire for nuclear war. The comic has frames of pieces of the "Ozymandias-engineered alien" lying in the ruins of New York amidst New Yorkers covered in blood with their brains coming out of their heads. The ending you just described does kind of disappoint me. Bastards produces not wanting to keep things original and thinking they know what is best.

[Show spoiler]That is a bit different! So instead of an Ozy-alien, we get him engineering a method of replicating Dr. M's power, which he does and unleashes it to incredible destruction. That scene is pretty crazy, not brains coming out of heads, but disintegrating new yorkers and city blocks just collapsing complete with the world trade center in the background. (although it wasn't shown during the destruction sequence).

[blu-mike]

Originally Posted by LynxFX

Got to see a preview screening of Watchmen followed by a Q&A with the actors and director.

First I really have no prior knowledge of Watchmen so I went in pretty much a virgin to the story. The following is spoiler free.

In a word, epic. In a cheesy catch phrase, this movie puts the 'graphic' back in 'graphic novel.'

This film is a hard R, with no reservations. It is brutal, graphic, non-PC, sexual, full frontal nudity on Dr. Manhattan, and did I mention brutal? Definitely not for the kiddies.

It is also looong I might add. Clocks in at 2 hours and 40 minutes. Most of it flies by but it does drag a tiny bit in the 3rd act.

From the opening scene through the opening credits it quickly sets the tone. I watched this in a theater filled with fans of the graphic novel and they cheered at all sorts of stuff in the opening credits so I'm guessing there are lots of hidden gems in there for those that know.

I really liked the use of flashbacks to give back story about each of the main characters. You really get to like, or hate some of them. Rorschach is probably one of the coolest characters in the film and he also gets one of the best lines and audience cheers. Just like droves of people dressed like Heath Ledger's Joker, I expect this Halloween will be filled with people dressed like Rorschach. The actor also got one of the biggest rounds of applause when he showed up for the Q&A. Speaking of which, all of the actors did a great job with their characters. No one seemed out of place, and I liked that they aren't all house hold names.

The overall story flows pretty well and isn't that hard to follow, even without knowing anything about it. It is serious and brutal but there are also a lot of LOL moments and other humor sprinkled throughout.

As for direction, Zach Snyder really steps it up. I really liked 300 and here he takes it further, but for the most part more grounded in the real world. Yes there are lots of slow motion shots but it used incredibly well and really accentuates most of the fights. I also really liked the choice of music used. It is very Tarantino-esque. Also Blu-ray fans will be happy to know that the excessive grain used in 300 is not present here. This should make an awesome release visually and phenominal sonically. The audio mix will know your socks off.

I understand the ending is different from the source but I didn't have a problem with how it ended. Judge that for yourself. It is a bit preachy though.

Overall it is a great time at theater and should break records in March. I don't know how well the mainstream audience will take it and the running time does hurt it, but word of mouth should be pretty good. There were lots of OMG moments and a couple OMFG. If you can, I would suggest checking it out in Imax.

Anyway, I'm glad they worked out legal matters and it didn't get shelved.

How did Tyler Bate's music score sound? was 300ish sounding?

[LynxFX]

Originally Posted by blu-mike

How did Tyler Bate's music score sound? was 300ish sounding?

The score was fine, nothing outlandish. They mostly used actual songs that made it feel more like a period piece.

[STARSCREAM]

Sounds excellent! I too will be going into seeingit with no prior knowledge of the story. After seeing it if I like it I will buy the graphic novel.

[Marquoz]

I'm going to hit the movie up before I read the graphic novel. Seeing the previews piqued my interest in it, and I've learned from experience to always see the movie first or else hate how it differs from the original form.

[Mike53421]

My friends have recommended I check out the graphic novel, I only read the first bit of it but I figure I might as well just wait for the movie at this point.

[SPH]

I never heard of it, till I saw a trailer at the movies. My wife and me are excited to see it, and put it into our collection.

[Moefiz]

Thanks for the review..

Can't wait to see this on the IMAX screen...

[dvd_mazter]

I'm so tempted to read the spoilers.............must resist

Anyways, I'm very psyched for Watchmen. Me and my friends are hoping for a midnight screening just so we can see it that much earlier

[Darkhawk9587]

Thanks for the info OP! Really looking forward to this now. Can't wait for the 205 minute Blu-ray too.