And now you can too! Check it:
Ok, well at least the opening credits.
BUT I would only watch this if you have already seen the film.
I thought the movie was FANTASTIC! I was never a big WATCHMEN fan before. The comic- honestly- was boring to me. That may have been cause I read it in 1996 when the whole 'deconstruction of the superhero genre/myth' was no longer edgy or unique. Or maybe I just found the comic dense and dull. Or both.
And up until I sat in the theater and these amazing opening credits began to roll, I really had no interest in seeing the movie. I was working all day today (Saturday) and around 4pm I was like: screw it, I've done enough work for a Saturday and wanted a break. So I went, cause I knew- because of the subject matter- I'd end up seeing it eventually anyway; may as well be today.
I was so lukewarm on the thing because the marketing makes it look like a lame LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN/MYSTERY MEN bargain bin flick. Anyone who has seen the movie and dug it knows that it is much,much more than that. While the Watchmen hardcore may quibble over aspects missed or lost in translation, I loved that it was a smart superhero movie that really made deconstructing the hero mythos fresh and entertaining. And after you see the movie, it makes these opening credits even that much stronger. As a superhero/comic book fan, seeing these JSA era heroes and what becomes of them as the times change is in many ways like watching your childhood fantasies of superheroes change and die as you grow up (which- I assume- allegorically- is at least one of the points of the whole thing).
Oh, and unlike many I've talked to, I thought the choice to use pop music for much of the movie was fantastic.
Anyway- late and I'm rambling but: will totally be seeing this again on what I hope to be a chocked full of geeky goodness DVD!
Oh and I saw on the net where someone said, "Snyder is the new Spielberg" and after this, I can see the truth in that statement. Man seems like he's got some shit to say and express AND he likes to entertain. Nice to have a director like that back in the game. I know some will say Nolan does that, but I feel Snyder has a better balance of messenger and showman. But whatever. Either way, great flick.
Ok- off to bed. Daylight savings starts tonite (sweet! love spring) and I'm getting up and taking my girls to Disneyland (yes again!) tomorrow morning.
Later!
David
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51 comments:
disney land again? :-D ur kids are spoiled :-P have fun i might check out watchmen tommrw. i was skeptical about it aswell, but knowing that its getting good reviews makes me wanna see it.
I got season passes so it makes sense to use them as often as we can plus we only live an hour away. So it's kind of like,'why not??!' :)
I hope that I could go to Disneyland too but nothing can be done when there are no jobs right? Anyways I've been a long time fan of your blog and yes I agree on the movie, it was fantastic and not gimmicky. Glad to see somebody else appreciate it and not to talk bad about it. laters.
Why do I have a feeling that you want to go just as much as your kids do? haha
Yeah Zack Snyder has really carved a niche of his own with movies such as 300 and now Watchmen. However, I still feel that his break through movie was the zombie cult classic remake of Dawn of the Dead. In my opinion that is still one of the best zombie flicks I've ever seen along side 28 Weeks Later being the top best zombie movie.
lol Disneyland again. You're awesome dude, your children have a great dad.
On Watchmen, I can say as a big fan of the comic, I enjoyed it... However, I'm pissed off if people who didn't enjoy it or HATED it will most likely never even think of reading the comic after seeing it. Yes, there's a rant coming on. I'm not ranting to you, I'm just ranting to the air, Rorschach style. lol
The thing I like about the film is that almost everything said and seen is in the comic. The things I hate about the film is that they aren't the right things. The sex, the violence, the music, the special effects, the sellable half of Watchmen. They drug out the beginning, and as the movie progressed, it was like they sped it up. They cut out all the parts that made Watchmen so great, human superheroes.
How Rorchach got his mask and the depth of his insanity. How complicated but oddly understandable Dr. Manhattan's perception of life is. Laurie's absolute hatred for the Comedian and her complex, touching, human realizations of her past. The Comedian himself, an outright asshole to the rest of the world but capable of caring. All of these things were cut or sped up to make way for a disgustingly long and unnecessary fuck scene and Mortal Kombat fighting.
Then there were just things that made you wonder "what the fuck were they thinking?!". The 99 Luftballons scene. Janey Slater coming out in the TV studio in the movie and HILARIOUSLY screaming "Damn you Jon! Goddamn you!". The Comedian's scar being all wrong, and not having a full face mask afterward. The slow-motion hair, flaming building part. Dumb little things that could have been cut out and preserving the basic the things the comic book fan's know.
Another real thing about Watchmen is nostalgia, nostalgia for 20th century American politics and the comics that reflected it. The heroes versus the Reds, freedom against communism, the advocation of hatred toward the countries who didn't follow our lead, all of those things were done in all forms of out culture, especially comic books. The film had so little of that, a pittance for what you actually see and feel in the book.
To me, it remains the unfilmable comic book.
opening credits were the best thing about the movie....
As i said watchmen is a marvellous movie.
David there are at least 3 dvd/bluray they are going to release, the director´s cut, that it is longer and even more violent, then the black freighter storyline cut into the movie(this is going to be released by itself first this week i think) wich is an animated movie starring Leonidas himself gerard butler! anywas have a great time tomorrow!
Excellent. I haven't read the comic, and I've been hearing nothing but bad reviews it seems, but I still couldn't help but be excited about it the more I read about it. Now that a trustworthy friend of mine liked it, and now that you give it a very praising review, I'm definitely going to go see it. And I suspect I'll be right about liking it.
I thought it was a horrible adaptation of a brilliant novel. I'm really surprised you liked it.
Hahaa, your update on the sticker post made me laugh pretty good.
As for the Watchmen, I also enjoyed it. It was a different take on a superhero movie, so that's definitely a plus. Movie was close to 3 hour long, but I was into it the whole way through. Didn't get to the 2 hour mark and check the time like "Still an hour left? Damn.."
I had never even heard of Watchmen 'till the movie started getting hyped. I thought it was cool that the Minutemen were suceeded by the Watchmen. Funny to see heroes get replaced after retirement. :P
Good story, captivating film the whole way though. Oh yeah, and Rorschach's mask was awesome. I want an inkblot mask! :(
I liked the movie, wasn't the greatest movie ever, but still pretty good.
I do find interesting that when I first walked out of the theater, i was kind of mad at the things they changed, but as i looked back at it the next day and realized why they did, i felt better about it.
i mean, the movie was next to 3 hours, imagine how long it would have been if they didn't trim all that fat, and unfortunately some meat.
Still think the opening fight was too long and that it had the funniest sex scene i had ever seen.
I would call it a good movie but, for me, it had too many Zack-ish qualities, too much slo mo, unneccesarily long fight scenes, moments that were out of character for the characters involved, poignant moments left out of the movie from the book. Still I left the theater impressed.
I totally agree with you. It wasn't a perfect film but it's the best adaption anyone could have ever made. I just saw it for a second time and liked it even more. Much like the graphic novel, you have to experience it more than once.
I loved the book and thought the movie was pretty bad. Some of the acting was so awful and the music choice and placement was cheesy, even if they were pulled from the end quotes of each issue.
Maybe it's just because I knew what was coming up but the movie really dragged on at points. I found myself waiting around for Rorschach's parts. It seems like the only thing Snyder knows how to direct is action, and he did it pretty well in this movie even if it was fairly brief.
I think movies like "300" or "Sin City" translate panel for panel so well because they're both pure action & suspense. Watchmen doesn't translate as well since it's so dialogue heavy.
To refer to Snyder as the new Speilberg is ridiculous. Some of the lines were so poorly delivered and laugh out loud comical at points. With that in mind alone, comparing him to one of the greatest directors to ever live is a joke.
Oh and what the fuck was with that long-ass unnecessary sex scene?
didn't see it yet but the first 5 minutes are epic!!!
I love you Jaffe!! Thank you for liking it! There has been so much hate on this movie and I think it's absolutely brilliant. (I saw it 4 days before it came out with Zack Snyder in the theater! Even got a Q&A after it)
Zack is absolutely outstanding at what he does. He truly saved this movie from being a terrible "Hollywood Hero movie", he told us about the original scripts (they were terrible). I'm so glad you liked it!
Honestly Jaffe, I highly recommend you go and re-read the Watchmen if you have a copy around. I read it the first time around the time you did. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't the "comic book of the time." Looked dated, but I still liked it.
I re-read it back in December as the hype of the movie was starting to amp up around my comic book shop and it just took up new meaning. I'm just a little younger than you are, but I grew up and recall the 80's. After studying the history of the late 70's and early 80's, remembering the 80's, and going back and reading this again I found new meaning. There were a lot of things being said about the time that I didn't see or get my first read through.
I know you're busy with the game and the kids, but I recommend that on your next traveling trip to Utah take the graphic novel and re-read it. I really think you'll be glad you did.
As for the movie, I enjoyed it, but as most comic book fans I took issue in some place. They left huge plot points out - likely for time constraints - or removed things while leaving a hint to them for the true fan. The ending was... well the ending. The sex scenes were required I feel, but I think they were way over the top. I have to say, as a grown man, I felt kind of weird sitting in a packed iMAX theater watching that scene.
I didn't have a huge problem with action, but it was more than needed. I know and understand why they went that route, and ultimately would have liked that a number of other action movies; it just didn't fit here.
I saw the movie tonight. It was great, but looks like a typical adaption in the sense it has the exact same problems with its die-hard fan base.
I thought it was brilliant, Snyder captured the insight into the human condition so well, and it really made you think it a form that I found to be more digestible and entertaining than the book.
And Snyder's cinematography style is unique and interesting...I don't know about the next Spielberg, but he's definitely got a bright future ahead of him.
dave, how can you say snyder is the new speilberg or even compare the two? snyder, while totally capable, hasn't done a single original piece of work yet?
dawn of the dead - remake
300 - faithful comic adaptation
watchmen - faithful comic adaptation
looking over his imdb and seeing what he has coming up?
heavy metal - remake
300 sequel - adaptation
let's let him write and direct something that comes from him 1st before we start giving him lifetime achievement awards. like i said, he's totally competent, but as a creator, he is totally unproven.
Well I never said he was the next Spielberg. I said someone online mentioned that and I said I could see where he was coming from.
As for Spielberg- who readers of this blog know that I think is fantastic and who shaped my own career and childhood dreams- he doesn't write 90% of his stuff either. Be it adapted from a book or an original screenplay, it is very rare you see Spielberg with a writer credit.
And the point I agree with about his similarities to Spielberg is that he seems capable of being a director who both entertains very well AND tells stories that resonate and speak to aspects of the human condition without bogging his movies down in order to get across his 'message'. These days this is rare, you tend to be one or the other.
Spielberg I feel used to have a grand command over both skills. Not so much anymore. Snyder seems to be the new champ at this blend of- what I consider- the best kind of movie making.
Well I never said he was the next Spielberg. I said someone online mentioned that and I said I could see where he was coming from.
As for Spielberg- who readers of this blog know that I think is fantastic and who shaped my own career and childhood dreams- he doesn't write 90% of his stuff either. Be it adapted from a book or an original screenplay, it is very rare you see Spielberg with a writer credit.
And the point I agree with about his similarities to Spielberg is that he seems capable of being a director who both entertains very well AND tells stories that resonate and speak to aspects of the human condition without bogging his movies down in order to get across his 'message'. These days this is rare, you tend to be one or the other.
Spielberg I feel used to have a grand command over both skills. Not so much anymore. Snyder seems to be the new champ at this blend of- what I consider- the best kind of movie making.
Well David Jaffe, your a fucken idiot....that movie was horrible, absolutly horrible. YOU KNEW that you were going to like the movie with in the first 20 minutes after that if u thought u were going to not like it...good luck cuz ur in for a 3 hour disaster. Watchmen Sucked!
Worst movie i've seen in a long time
Seriously, what's with all the assholes that comment on this blog. If you think the guy is an idiot, then why do you pine on every word he says? How much does that actually say for yourself? Basically it says you are a bottom feeding loser who needs to find something better to do with his life.
Anyways, I loved the movie. I had always known how revered the book was growing up, but didn't read it until last year. I can say it turned me into an instant fanatic.
There were somethings that I didn't like about Snyder's version, but I understand that when switching mediums, especially with such a complicated and layered body of work such as Watchmen, something would have to be sacrificed.
Overall, though, it's the best movie I've seen in a while. Strangely enough, it kind of reminds me of Terry Gilliam's Brazil, which is my favorite movie of all time.
yea what the hell is up with the hate comments? stfu if u dont like him than dont visit his blog than. its easy ;-) stop trolling
I know you didn't make the Snyder Spielberg comparison David, but I still think it's a silly concept.
I suppose with all the controversy and time people like myself have waited for this film, it definitely fell short. We've waited so long for this story to grace the silver screen only to have it plagued amateur mistakes like bad acting and some awful make-up (see Nixon and Laurie's mother). *SLIGHT SPOILER* Laurie's lines on Mars were some of the worst acting I've seen in a major picture in a very long time.
Again, I believe why people like myself are so critical of this film is the time we've waited for it. It finally comes out and it falls flat for us. Kinda like how people felt about the new Indy.
And I'm not just a Snyder hater. I loved 300. I loved Dawn of the Dead. I just didn't enjoy this film.
Oh and did you see Somethingawful.com's Photoshop Phriday this week? The subject was classy games and someone did a pretty neat GoW:
http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/classy-games3.php?page=7
The movie was fantastic & BY GAWSH DARN I HATED the ending in the novel & thought it was pretty shitty. The new ending & the who film itself did the movie JUSTICE IMO.
I wish you could add me David so we could play a game of Killzone 2 or something but I hear you use your PSN to smuggle in Japanese sweatshop workers for your new game.... so yeah
I haven't seen it, and I probably won't until it comes to DVD. I'm not a big movie guy. It's not that I don't like movies, but I feel that they don't really have time to really develop a plot or characters in the amount of time they have. A series of movies, for example Star Wars, don't really have this problem because they have several hours to do it. Standalone movies, however, only have 2 hours or so.
And not only that, but I find it hard to commit to 2 hours or so straight of just watching. A good movie can keep me sitting down the entire time, but there are a lot of movies that don't do that for me, and I guess I just don't find the risks worth it.
Anyway, I'm sure the movie is good though. It looks pretty interesting. I've always meant to read the comics...
My only wish is that Snyder direct the God of War movie. I know it´s not going to happen but a man can dream
PS: Watchmen rules!!!
keep making amazing games david
Hey, David, if you haven't seen it already, I found this to be quite an amusing video about the Watchmen ending. (The concept's a bit old, but this one was still good.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIhHema5PNg&eurl=http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/03/oh_no_they_ruined_watchmen.php&feature=player_embedded
Just thought you might enjoy it. =)
Oh, and agree with JonhX about Snyder and the God of War movie...that would be so fucking awesome!
David did you read that 126 oage indiana jones transcript yet? It's pretty interesting. I just wrote my first script this past week and as I now read this I just kind of geek out because it's just cool to see what lucas, speilberg and kasdan were thinking about while conjuring up raiders.
LOL, watchmen was a fucken disaster...fucken idiots saying it was good, you guys don't know what is good anymore eh, or just never did
Jesus, what the hell with with all the hate comments. You honestly think that we are "fucking idiots" because we enjoyed a film that you so obviously didn't? Seriously, is that really it? C'mon get a life you douchebags...go cry somewhere else if it wasn't perfect. Good God lol.
Yeah this is pretty dumb for people to call him a fucking idiot and say that it was a horrible film and anyone who liked it is fucking stupid. There is no need for that crap. Go cry on your own message boards about how it was a horrible movie, then you fucks can go cyber with eachother and have a lemon party.
Here is something for you Jaffe. Have you seen this?
http://mysterymanonfilm.blogspot.com/2009/03/raiders-story-conference.html
125-page transcript of the original 1978 story conference between Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Lawrence Kasdan for a little film called Raiders of the Lost Ark. Fantastic read!
this movie was such a cockslap ....sucked so bad
Well that's nice of you to have taken you kids to Disneyland.........again LOL. Frankly if I lived right by Disneyland - I would go there 2x a month since I just love it that much. And I've only been there like 5 times, but it's just such an amazing "magical" place.
you better post tomorrow.
lol :)
going to see this baby at the IMAX and I just can't wait. It looks really cool at first I thought "its a Batman ripoff" cause I love Batman movies hell I even love the old-school beat em ups on NES and SNES from back in the day based on Batman. However, I think that they are onto something with this movie cause m friend told me that they aren't normal superheroes. They can be killed and there definitely "real" and not like out to try and save their enemies. Basically sinful superheroes. I got to get my ticket for the IMAX and drive about a good half hour to get to the best one in my area (never been to one). Looks amazing probably gonna see it on Sunday if I can.
Hey David,
I know this is random but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading your blog. Doing so has become a highlight of my day (that is of corse when you post ;-)
As for Watchmen...
The graphic novel and other recent comic-book-turned-films have done such a good job taking "super" heroes and giving them deeply human characteristics. Strangely, this movie about the most human of masked heroes contains a wide array of single-dimensional characters. The Watchmen, in its writing, performances, and over-stylistic directing lack the nuance and depth I've seen in the recently reinvented Spiderman, Batman, Superman, and Iron Man franchises. Worst of all, the film lacked the courage to tweak the 23 year old graphic novel for a new generation and a new story-telling medium.
Overall, I found the film version of The Watchmen to be soulless and over-stylized with a pretty unrealistic (and arguably inaccurate) message about humanity. If you truly like the Watchmen, re-read the graphic novel or wait for the DVD. I would say that If you are new to The Watchmen, go read the graphic novel first.
Just my two cents...
Anyway, keep up the good work! Can't wait to hear more juicy bits about GOW 3! (that's god of war... not gears... although I'm super pumped for whenever that comes out too!)
Cheers,
Suzy
May you need to take your defense vitamins seems your sick every other week. XD
@ sk8terdarkstar
...or should I say sheepdarkstar
The message about humanity in Watchmen is very realistic, very accurate and TRUTH.
To help explain this, here is a review by user djhives; it's the best review I've seen on the movie...
"I just returned from seeing the new allegory movie - watchmen. Where to begin here?
I'll give you the gist of it - there's a group of 5 super heroes that are supposed to be saving the world. But they are mysteriously being picked off (assassinated) for some unknown reason.
All the while there is a nuclear war brewing between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
So it turns out that ONE OF the WATCHMEN is indeed the one who is behind the assassinations of his fellow super heroes --- the reason: He needs to kill off 2/3rds of the human race in order to SAVE humanity.
Sound familiar morans? Ahh the millions of BLIND SHEEPLE who will watch this movie having absolutely NO CLUE that this movie is referring to the extermination of THEIR ASS -- indeed this is the SAME plot as the last Q&K "The day the earth stood still" --- in that movie the lead character said "If the Earth dies, YOU die. If YOU die, the Earth suvives. Well - I'm not making this up (how can I) but this is the EXACT LINE used in the ENDING of "Watchmen".
That's right fools - it's the same old metaphysical the sheep must be killed if there is to be PEACE on Earth -- which is TRUE. Basically the 'bad' watchmen blew up New York city and other major cities around the world, and BLAMED IT on Dr. Manhattan. In this way BOTH the U.S. and the Soviet Union put their differences aside in order to UNITE against their new common enemy Dr. Manhattan. Sound familiar? Of course it does. Do you remeber the FIRST "The day the earth stood still" movie -- the black and white one from the 50's? Same exactl plot, for it was around that time that the intelligencia realized that the barbarous masses must be killed in order for humanity to evolve.
And Watchmen is FULL of superheroes calling the masses SHEEP and CATTLE... LITERALLY!
The ink blot guy is cynical calling human beings "savages" and "animals". "The Commedian" character thinks ALL humanity is a wanton beast that serves no purpose. "Dr. Manhattan" is simply logical - like Dr. Spock, he sees no logic in humans invetivably repeating the same type of mob beehiveior that they have exibited for thousands of years -- he too doesn't give a damn. In fact he enjoys chilling on Mars - alone. Away from the bees that swarm around perpetually looking for a fight. The woman character, like any woman, is indefferent and brainless and is continually thinking with her vagina - her whole motive in the film is getting laid by the big blue guy - who is bucket - naked the entire movie - PENIS AND ALL.
There are MANY strong allegorical references. The biggest one being that humans bring their hell on THEMSELVES. When the police went on strike, a mob is seen rioting and breaking things, lighting fires and chanting "no more superheroes" - it is clearly shown that without order the people turn into a mob, which by its very nature is savage. The OWL character, who is the most sympatetic to humanity (and ironically the most PUSSY-WHIPPED of the team) tries to disperse the mob by politely saying over his microphone "please disperse, there is no need for violence". Well needless to say that does not work on the mass of bubbletards with sticks in theri hands. The comedian then jumps out with his shotgun and begins to speak the only language the mob understands: violence. Which of course gets the job done. He then reiterates the fact that the common man is simply a worthless ANIMAL.
The most intelligent watchmen is the 'evil mastermind' behind the climactic nuke conspiracy. He infact gave up on haminty LONG ago. He pimps in a lair in anatctica which of course resembles ancient egypt - sphinxes, prymids, and obelisk, and a grand statue of a Pharoe which had some sort of inscription on it I couldnt quite make out. Away he pulls the trigger and in an instant sets off the 'bombs' around the world. The TV blames it on Dr. Manhattan and then he goes on explaining how it needs to be kept a secret in order for the PEACE to be maintained.
The irony is siimple - all their lives they wanted PEACE on earth. They found the way to do this was to simply kill most of the population and at the same time unite them against a common enemy. The goal of self preservation in the face of annhilation overrides GREED in the surplus population. Put simply, people won't demand to borrow money if they are simply greatful to have survived a nuclear (or biological) haulocaust. In effect, this tactic teaches the sheeple how to respect their own existence.
Wathing this film is almost like a live action djhives.com blog. All the heroes could give a damn about humanity.
Dr. Manhattain pops off several intellectual thoughts too. "Time is all REALITIVE", "There are no miracles, whatever is ALLOWED to happen, HAPPENS." .... there's more - but I forget them all.
Watchmen serves as a very REAL allegory. This is whats going to happen. Period. The reason is spelled right out - it's simply necessary to fix the savage beast that we call humans.
I have NOT read the comic book, but I'm 100% sure that the 'part' where they strayed from the comic book was the whole mass killing to save humanity... am I right?"
-djhives
I just saw it today. Lots of things bothered me, but on the whole it was very enjoyable. And Jaffe, you need to re-read the book.
"Man David Jaffe, you're so cool in an interestingly subversive way! I find you to be morally straight even while standing against the repressive social norms placated upon us!"
"I want to be a ranting pseudointellectual asshole just like you when I grow up!"
Your games couldn't possibly ascend to the level of cerebral quality Watchmen has, if I had the amount of freedom and resources you have to make video games I would be making something with a meaning.
I find God of War and Twisted Metal fun, and even though you're definetly talented at making games you certainly aren't very literary or interested in great themes of any sort.
Then again 9/10s of game designers aren't interested in them either so "meh". I just find it strange of you to think of Watchmen as being dull when I sincerely find it to be a multifaceted introduction to modern literature.
It could be a great inspiration if you tried to like it instead of passing it off.
"Man David Jaffe, you're so cool in an interestingly subversive way! I find you to be morally straight even while standing against the repressive social norms placated upon us!"
"I want to be a ranting pseudointellectual asshole just like you when I grow up!"
Your games couldn't possibly ascend to the level of cerebral quality Watchmen has, if I had the amount of freedom and resources you have to make video games I would be making something with a meaning.
I find God of War and Twisted Metal fun, and even though you're definetly talented at making games you certainly aren't very literary or interested in great themes of any sort.
Then again 9/10s of game designers aren't interested in them either so "meh". I just find it strange of you to think of Watchmen as being dull when I sincerely find it to be a multifaceted introduction to modern literature.
It could be a great inspiration if you tried to like it instead of passing it off.
The 99 Luftballons song is an anti nuclear war song. The movie is pure genius in my opinion. The fact that people keep picking at that song just makes me shake my head...
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