WATCHMEN - Movie Discussion and Grading (SPOILERS)

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Dream, Feb 28, 2009.

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Grade the movie

  1. A+

    16.8%
  2. A

    22.7%
  3. A-

    18.9%
  4. B+

    11.7%
  5. B

    8.2%
  6. B-

    5.5%
  7. C+

    4.5%
  8. C

    3.1%
  9. C-

    1.7%
  10. D+

    0.7%
  11. D

    3.1%
  12. D-

    1.7%
  13. F

    1.4%
  1. DarthPipes

    DarthPipes Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I liked Unforgettable during the beginning too. It just really worked. The montage, with the song, is still one of the things that really works about this film.
     
  2. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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    I liked that in the movie the Comedian actually tried to fight back. In the comic it seemed like he just stood there and let himself be killed by Veidt.
     
  3. Atariboy

    Atariboy Commander Red Shirt

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    Mason's death scene was terrific! What a shame it was cut the first time around.

    And it seems I'm the only person who doesn't have a problem with a song about sex actually playing during a sex scene... or do people just not pay attention to the lyrics???
     
  4. Nick Ryder

    Nick Ryder Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    My best buy was sold out of the director's cut, but that's okay... I was pleased with the Theatrical cut enough anyway, I still say they did a pretty decent job, any longer and I doubt people would have stayed that long. Honestly for all the talk about it being too violent and bloodthirsty and almost pornographic, I dunno... look at the Dark Knight. Look at half the rom-coms and other movies that show a helluva lot more sex or violence. Just because it was based on a comic book - and not really a 'comic book' but a graphic novel - a comic for ADULTS! Its not a movie meant for kids or even young teens. Its meant for adults who are mature enough to appreciate the story and moral backdrop.

    I really would like to get the Ultimate Edition, and basically have a live action and animated version of the graphic novel - buuut... I think we've all offended Alan Moore enough LOL
     
  5. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    HOLY CRAP BATMAN!!! The flick was AWESOME!!!With the exception of the kid reading the gross pirate story, they pretty much made the graphic novel come alive!!
    The movie had me squirming in all the right places.
    A few notes: much has been said concerning the nudity- big deal. Blue CGI wee-wees don't bug me.
    It was violent in the excess- the fingers-thing was icky, but otherwise I didn't see anything so shocking. A little disturbing, maybe.
    3 hours never went by so fast.[​IMG]
    I liked that he fought back too, but he knew he wasn't going to win.
     
  6. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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    I thought that addition in the director's cut was more funny then gross. That scene was so over top and seemed like something out of 300. Talk about a crappy day for that woman! :rommie:

    I actually checked the time when I first watched the director's cut and was pleased that without the ending credits it was almost perfectly 3 hours. The part where Rorschach gets arrested and unmasked is about halfway through the movie and a good place to stop for those that want to watch the movie over two days.
     
  7. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    That was the ONLY part I would have left out- the close-up of the hand. It doesn't irk me, it was just unnecessary IMO.
    Besides, I already saw it in Taxi Driver.;)
     
  8. DarthPipes

    DarthPipes Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Yeah, the finger scene was definitely not needed.

    Just finished watching it. It's hard to know exactly all the little additions in a movie that's over three hours long but I still enjoyed it. The montage during Hollis's death scene was great and the whole scene rocked in general, although those Knot Tops were indeed God awful actors. They used the same classical music score (don't know what it was) for Hollis's death that was used for the death of Michael Corleone. I'm glad the character of Hollis Mason got more screen time but if you want the full experience, buy the Tales of the Black Frieghter DVD with the excellent Under the Hood segment.

    I can't believe no one has mentioned that Mr. Gaeta himself appears in this version, during the scenes where Laurie is questioned about Manhatten's disappearance. He's the guy who reveals Manhatten is on Mars and you see him going through charts like he used to do on BSG. That whole sequence made the scene alone.

    I'm disappointed that they apparently didn't do the flashback where Laurie confronted Blake in Washington. Laurie's character suffered from having her hatred of Blake completely taken out of the film and Morgan was the best thing in Watchmen. No way you eliminate one of his scenes.
     
  9. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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    I noticed the actor when I first saw it. It was a nice surprise. But I kept wondering why he wasn't using a cane to walk!
     
  10. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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  11. Yassim

    Yassim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I don't agree. Hollis had a cameo at the beginning... and now he dies? It feels a little bit like having the Snow Monster from Empire Strikes Back come back at the end for a death scene. Why bring him back?

    I don't object to having minor characters in the movie. But when the main characters lose a lot of their development (Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias) and when some main plot threads are dropped (Laurie vs. Comedian), then why are we reprising a character who was virtually cut anyway?

    I think, with Hollis's reduced role, people would have wondered either who this guy was, or why the guy from the opening was getting beat down by these people who weren't in the movie before. The connection's a little thin in the original, but nearly non-existent here.

    I thought the scene in the graphic novel was sadder. The clip I saw makes it feel like Mason is going down in a blaze of glory, like it's his final moment of superhero-ing, he dies on his feet, like a hero blah blah blah... in the graphic novel, he's just gutted, surprised with a handful of Halloween candy, beaten senseless for no reason... I'm just not sure what the point of the scene as filmed is.

    I see a lot of support for it, so I guess it worked for someone. I tried very hard not to hold the movie responsible for being faithful to the graphic novel - I know it needs to be free to do its own thing. In fact, I thought it was most successful when it broke free - the opening montage, the Comedian killing, the revised plot and ending... all that, I thought worked.

    When it started recreating frames from the original, though, it was just inviting a comparison, and rarely measuring up. If you're going to recreate the moment, then include the original reason for the moment. This, like Laurie's revelation on Mars, like the sex scene, like Dan and Laurie's fight in the alley, like most of the Antarctic stuff felt recreated for the sake of making it look like the original.
     
  12. Caligula

    Caligula Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It was unnecessary, yes. On the other hand, I liked being caught off guard with it. Zack Snyder must be a Robert De Niro fan (which is cool because I am, too). Firstly, you have the woman's fingers being blown off like the old man in Taxi Driver. In Hollis Mason's murder scene, "Cavelleria Rusticana: Intermezzo," which is probably the most recognizable piece of music from Raging Bull, is playing in the background.
     
  13. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    I think you're being a little hard on the movie without taking into consideration that a 100% literal & faithful translation from the graphic novel, while possible, would inherently be bad film-making.:shifty:
     
  14. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    :guffaw:

    Sorry, it just caught my twisted attention.:p
     
  15. Caligula

    Caligula Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It was intended to. :D
     
  16. Chrisisall

    Chrisisall Commodore Commodore

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    You're either a scurrilous nave, a writer, or both.;)
     
  17. DarthPipes

    DarthPipes Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It's Hollis Freakin Mason...that's why you put his death back in the film. ;)

    Also forgot to mention but the actor who played Lt. Thorne, Fulvio Cecere on BSG is also in the scene with Gaeta. He's the government guy who tells Manhatten in the original version as well as this one what not to discuss.

    Great little line added to Rorshach's monologue about the fates of the costumed heroes...

     
  18. Caligula

    Caligula Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Screenwriter. A mere rookie, but nevertheless an aspiring one.

    I was so happy to hear that bit of dialogue restored in the Director's Cut! :cool:
     
  19. Emher

    Emher Admiral Admiral

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    The problem I had with that scene is I initially didn't know how to view it. Is it a serious sex scene, is a funny sex scene? On one hand the music suggest one thing but Snider shot it too well so I keep thinking it's supposed to be sexy.

    It confuses me I say.
     
  20. OdoWanKenobi

    OdoWanKenobi Admiral Admiral

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    One thing I like was them moving the "old friend's daughter" flashback to earlier in the film, and then seeing part of it again where it originally was. It makes the revelation have more weight when it's set up earlier instead of the "out of thin air" revelation that it was in the theatrical cut.