The failure of Watchmen should be a lesson..

[StarTrek1701]

...that pandering to the core base of a certain franchise is not the way to go. Zack Snyder did everything possible to keep Watchmen the movie true to Watchmen the comics. End result - a less than stellar showing, with an even lesser time staying in the public consciousness. 300 made Gerard Butler and Lena Headey household names. Don't think the same can be said of Jeffrey Dean Morgan or Billy Crudup. The movie didn't even have a recognizable catchphrase (like 300 did with "This. Is. SPARTA!!"). Had Snyder caved to the studio's voice and made Watchmen more contemporary, it might have had a better chance at the box office. The audience literally had nothing to relate to!

Now contrary to popular belief, stories don't have to be "dumbed down" for the average movie goer to enjoy. The major box office of The Dark Knight proved that. However, it is the average movie goer that contributes to the major hauling and box office success of a particular movie. If the average moviegoer does not enjoy it, and in turn not bring repeated business, the movie will fade away. Old fans means squat, it is the new fans that have to be created for the continuing existence of a franchise.

That's why I am glad that J.J Abrams took the other route and made Star Trek much more accessible to the average movie goer. He didn't make it "just for the fans". If he did, only people well versed in Trek lore (such as all of us here ) would enjoy it. The average moviegoer would go "huh?!", and in the last decade or so, our numbers have also dwindled. A lot of old fans are complaining about random stuff of whatever they have seen so far, not understanding the reasons for those complaints are exactly the reasons that will drive this movie to be a success. The more success the movie has, the more Trek we'll have in the long run.

And we don't really have any complaints about that, do we?

 

[Therin of Andor]

...that pandering to the core base of a certain franchise is not the way to go. Zack Snyder did everything possible to keep Watchmen the movie true to Watchmen the comics.

Has it really been branded a failure? It's a great movie! It should do very well on DVD.

Did you see the article, "Zack Snyder Secretly Wished for 'Watchmen' Failure" at:
http://www.actressarchives.com/news.php?id=14992
"'Watchmen' director Zack Snyder wishes the movie had never been released. Snyder admits he secretly hoped the film hadn't made it to cinemas because it would have developed more of a cult following. He said, 'Part of me thought it would be really cool if the movie got shelved for all time because the few people who had seen it could go on tour and describe it in lecture halls and people would argue about it and debate about it. But in the end I was happy that cooler heads prevailed.'"

This is a fascinating piece, too:
http://movieoverdose.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/is-watchmen-a-failure/

 

[Neopeius]

...that pandering to the core base of a certain franchise is not the way to go. Zack Snyder did everything possible to keep Watchmen the movie true to Watchmen the comics. End result - a less than stellar showing, with an even lesser time staying in the public consciousness.

That, and it wasn't that well done.

Now contrary to popular belief, stories don't have to be "dumbed down" for the average movie goer to enjoy. The major box office of The Dark Knight proved that.

Dark Knight wasn't dumb?

That's why I am glad that J.J Abrams took the other route and made Star Trek much more accessible to the average movie goer.

By making it a brainless Star Wars clone.

 

[Borgminister]

Just curious, Neo, what kind of genre movies do you like?

I mean, Dark Knight is not a masterpiece, but it is enjoyable, no?

 

[Therin of Andor]

That, and it wasn't that well done.

We definitely saw different movies...

 

[Guy Gardener]

Watchmen was hollow.

It didn't have telepathic Jellyfish and they saved the day at the end.

For all the faithful scene stealing, they inverted the theme and message, which was just ridiculous.

BNoth batmen movies were dumb. The second was a vast improvement but still nothing special.

 

[donners22]

Didn't the creator of the comic say that it was unfilmable, right around the time of release?

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I'm worried the time travel aspect of Star Trek will alienate both fans who are sick of it and new audiences who will be like WTF.

 

[Therin of Andor]

new audiences who will be like WTF.

You mean like they didn't understand the time travel of the blockbusters ST IV and "First Contact", two highly accessible ST movies?

 

[wahwahkits]

We have already had time travel in 2 Star Trek movies so far and in countless episodes. I for one am sick of it so after this movie NO MORE BLOODY TIME TRAVEL

 

[THE CHEBB]

Watchmen...failed? Shigitty!

 

[Roger Wilco]

Watchmen is a fantastic movie, and as far as I know it's doing quite well in the box office too. What the hell are you talking about?

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

new audiences who will be like WTF.

You mean like they didn't understand the time travel of the blockbusters ST IV and "First Contact", two highly accessible ST movies?

io think this film needs and wants to aim to even a broader audience than those films. Also, I think Trek can tell a competent, relevant, and dramatic story without timetravel to get it going.

Why not just show the first adventure of the crew?

 

[Therin of Andor]

Why not just show the first adventure of the crew?

They are.

And they thought it might be beneficial to involve Leonard Nimoy.

 

[btflash]

Watchmen is a fantastic movie, and as far as I know it's doing quite well in the box office too. What the hell are you talking about?

actually in over two weeks of release it hasnt even made its production budget back yet. it cost 150 mil to make and has made 140 mil worldwide! it has a long way to go before it shows a a profit.

 

[miraclefan]

Didn't the creator of the comic say that it was unfilmable, right around the time of release?

Alan Moore,has been saying this for YEARS! He even said he wouldent wipe his ''bum'' with the Watchmen DVD

new audiences who will be like WTF.

You mean like they didn't understand the time travel of the blockbusters ST IV and "First Contact", two highly accessible ST movies?

And don't forget the ''Back to the future'' franchise!

 

[Guy Gardener]

But in back tot he Future, marty was a moron asking the moron questions and Doc was answering him, so the morons in the audience cwould have their moron questions answered without have to frame them in so doing then identifying themselves as morons and not as smart people like Emmet who explains how to think fourth dimensionally over and over again.

If Marty wasn't a Moron, then those movies wouldn't have been even mildly entertaining.

Alan gives away the rights for his comic book properties usually just before the movie money becomes avaiable just so he doesn't feel dirty, so he's got the moral high ground when he's bitchslapping these cluster fucks since he's ignoring several huge pay outs.

 

[Beyerstein]

can the lesson just be dont make the movie 3 hours or have a giant penis in it

 

[man named Gorn]

Watchmen is not a failure. A niche film like that always cleans up in DVD sales....

 

[DaveyNY]

Watchmen is not a failure. A niche film like that always cleans up in DVD sales....

I agree with this sentiment.

I loved the WATCHMEN TB back when I first bought and read it, but because of my work schedule now-a-days, I very rarely get to go to the movies anymore.
I never got a chance to get to the theater to see it.
(took a week of vacation just so I CAN go to see Trek XI !)

I am definitely planning on buying the WATCHMEN DVD though.
(and the new James Bond DVD this week, another one I never got to see in the theaters.)