1st Impressions: Watchmen Movie

afroloq · Post by **afroloq** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:44 pm

Ok guys...just came in from the screening...I thought it was pretty good...despite what the critics say, if you are vested in it go see it...I do have to agree what one guy said about there was a certain feeling missing and it may have to do with certain elements missing, but overall it wasn't as butchered as some movies from comics have been but overall it's a good job.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I give it an 8.

I did manage to get some other people's reaction to the movie...click the link....

Warning: There ARE a few minor spoilers

Click here to listen to fan reaction

adampasz · Post by **adampasz** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 2:23 am

Just got back from an IMAX showing. I thought it was a blast. It seems a lot of the mainstream reviews utterly missed the point, and were expecting a straightforward superhero movie. I'm also baffled by the reviews complaining that Snyder was too faithful, and didn't give the movie his own personal style. I felt he struck exactly the right balance between being faithful and giving it his own style.

I felt there were only a few minor flaws, so I'm giving it a 9 out of 10.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:51 am

I'm on the fence between giving it an 8 or a 9, but it was a really good movie.

It's not much of a spoiler to say that they didn't have a giant genetically engineered squid at the end (that would NOT have worked for the movie audience), but the actual twist they put on it was not one I was really fond of either.

That aside, the acting was really good, and I liked the voices that Jackie Earle Haley & Billy Crudup developed for Rorschach & Dr. Manhattan.

I'll see the movie again, probably in IMAX.

Koete · Post by **Koete** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:21 am

I thought it was excellent. Sure, there were things that were cut and the ending was changed, but I really think it did right by the comic. And the credits sequence was fantastic. Really the only problems I had with the movie were that I thought the gore was a bit excessive in the fight scenes and the sex scene went on too long. It's pretty surprising that after all the predictions that it would crash and burn, the reaction around the net seems to be pretty positive.

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:38 am

I thought the movie was a good movie (probably give it a 7 or 8 ). My problems with the movie is kinda weird. The Watchmen was written as 12 chapters and since the movie was almost an exact copy of the comic book, the movie didn't flow as well as it should have. I thought the acting was really good.

My wife, who generally thinks super-hero movies are good, hated this movie.

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:39 am

Koete wrote:I thought it was excellent. Sure, there were things that were cut and the ending was changed, but I really think it did right by the comic. And the credits sequence was fantastic. Really the only problems I had with the movie were that I thought the gore was a bit excessive in the fight scenes and the sex scene went on too long. It's pretty surprising that after all the predictions that it would crash and burn, the reaction around the net seems to be pretty positive.

As for the gore, I agree with you. Although the comic book was gory as well, for some reason it didn't bother me as much on the page as it does on the screen. I had the same issue with Sin City. It seemed a lot more violent on the screen as opposed to the comic book page, but the scenes were the same. It is weird, isn't it?

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 5:31 pm

Here's a link to a pretty funny video. It's "What if DC licensed Watchmen to be a Saturday Morning cartoon?" Show it to Alan Moore to give him a heart attack.....

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/485797

atomic99 · Post by **atomic99** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:42 pm

I enjoyed it. Yeah, I can see where the beef about it following too much to the comic could come in. But this movie is all about giving the hardcore geeks who've read the novel something to love. If you have not read the novel or know nothing about comics or what kind of movie you were getting, I can see those people being completely lost, disappointed by the slow moments and the graphic nature.

I'm not a fan of gory movies. But, considering, the adult shock this novel had in 1986, it seems only right to give the same shock to audiences today expecting something softer like Spider-man or Superman. And I give them props for sticking to their guns and making it an R-Rated Superhero movie. If you are going to have the violence of Watchmen, then why hide the sex, nudity, swearing, and other adult themes?

I hope this makes its money back because it is so geared for the hardcore fan. Once they have seen it, I expect ticket sales to drop off radically since this isn't a movie for the general masses.

zack kruse · Post by **zack kruse** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:37 am

I liked it. I thought the acting was great and Snyder seemed to really understand the characters and themes of the book.

I had one nit pick though--that was all of the slow motion/bullet time action scenes. But that's just me and, I don't think, really harmed the movie overall.

I'll definitely see it again in the theater--if there were only an IMAX nearby...

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:12 pm

I went & saw this again yesterday at the local IMAX.

The second viewing gave me some extra time to look for extra stuff in the background, and I'm definitely going to be spending a lot of time on Freeze-Frame when I get this on Blu-Ray or DVD.

One thing I noticed this time was that the reactor that Doc Manhattan & Ozy were building was called SQUID, so there is a squid playing into the ending of the movie after all.

I didn't catch all the words, I think it was Sequential Quantum etc...... Something to look for on freeze frame....

IanG · Post by **IanG** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:45 pm

I saw the movie last night and thought it was great. As good as The Dark Knight if not better. Some of violence was over the top but not unexpected if you read the comics or trade. I remember thinking this is going to be a long movie at 2 hrs 40 min but then I felt like it was over in a flash. The "top critics" as listed onRotten Tomatoes web site only gave it a 5 out of 10, but I'd give it an 8. What do the critics know about good movies anyways. I could watch a whole movie about Rorschach. I thought that actor, Jackie Earle Haley, who played him was the best. You're really missing out if you don't catch this movie on the big screen. I saw it on a digital projection screen and it was crystal clear.