Watchmen

I don’t see any other topics about it, and did a couple of quick searches - so I figure I’m the first but if not, whoops!



Anybody looking forward to this one as well? I saw the trailer a day before seeing The Dark Knight, but seeing it in theaters was an experience. I’ve read the books, and have conflicted views on it (the only person in history) but still can’t wait to see how it plays out on the big screen. What they will include, what they will exclude - there’s just a lot of stuff that I can’t see translating to the big screen. Like the little boy who reads the pirate comic book throughout much of the series; and how it reflects on the dialogue/situations happening in real-time. That sort of stuff plays off fine in a comic, but translating it to film should be pretty interesting. Hopefully Snyder delivers a faithful adaptation, and from the trailer it definitely looks possible. Rorschach with the can/flame thrower, Dr. Manhattan holding the watch before his transformation… could be good stuff!



For those who haven’t seen, trailer is located here:

iTunes Movie Trailers

It’s kinda cool that all these underground cult comic books are making it to the big screen. I am not familar with the material, but it seems the comic has many different characters.











I hope the movie won’t suffer from character saturation lile League of Extraordinary Gentlemen did.

LOEG was horrendous wasnt it? That movie alone gives Moore a reason to not want to be involved with his other works being turned into films.



I never read Watchmen, but I love comic books like that, so Im really interested in checking the movie out. The thing is since I havent read the books, I wont know how true Synder is staying to the comic etc. But I guess Ill just start by seeing if i like the movie itself.



It sounds like its a very dense kind of story too, the trick will being able to tell it well in the film format.

I downloaded some Watchmen a year or so ago and just couldn’t get into. Don’t think I even made it past the first book but the trailer looked kind of interesting. I guess I’m kinda on the fence about this one. Maybe I’ll give the books another try.

For those unfamiliar with the book; here’s a little description of basically what Watchmen is all about.



The thing about Watchmen is it’s almost an anti-superhero book. Where in most comics the heroes are out saving people all the time, doing heroic things - Watchmen is essentially a drama with superheroes in the lead. The book takes place in an alternate 1985 where superheroes are part of the moral fabric of America, ever since the 1930s when the Superman comics helped to influence a cast of caped crusaders who went out to protect their neighborhoods. None of them had superpowers of any sort, they were just people spurred to protect common decency. They called themselves The Minutemen. The heroes became celebrities, but inside their little group (much like the Avengers or something of that sort) many were melting down. The Comedian attempts to rape The Silk Spectre, leading to his exile from the group and him becoming a rogue agent for the government who has lost all sense of morality (he is the one smoking a cigar in the pic). The Silk Specter fell in love with her agent, got married and settled down to have a kid. Then the rest of the group just kind of fell apart over the years.



Flash forward, during the years since that first stable of heroes many things have happened. After an atom-splitting related accident on the campus of a college led to Dr. Osterman becoming a walking god of sorts (the blue gentleman in the picture), America earns the upperhand in the cold war. Dr. Manhattan (as he is now called) is the first ever “Superman”, with the ability to do literally ANYTHING, he single handedly wins the Vietnam war for America and is the only real security from the soviets ever trying to nuke America. The original Silk Specter’s daughter, also known as The Silk Specter falls in love with Doc Manhattan and the two spend many years together. Although they never formed a real group like the original Minutemen; Doctor Manhattan, Ozymandias (the smartest man in the world), Rorschach, Comedian, Captain Metropolis, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre II at least tried to unite under the Crimebusters label. When that fell apart though, it wasn’t long until the Keene act was written into law and becoming an adventurer was outlawed.



Now the only crimefighters out there are Dr. Manhattan and Comedian, who both work for the government - and Rorschach: the gentleman with the mask on in the center at the bottom of that pic. Rorschach has pretty much lost it in the years of adventuring and covering murder case after murder case - but it is he who stumbles upon the death of one of their own - and begins to consider a conspiracy at foot. Turns out, he might be right - and all masked aventurers might just be in trouble.



-------------------------



Every one of the books ends with about four pages worth of excerpts worth of information taken from fictional novels/books/newspaper clippings within the universe of The Watchmen. So the mythos is huge, but it’s only a 13 book series so I don’t think it is as impossible to bring to the screen as some would have you think. After seeing yesterday’s coverage of Comic-Con on G4TV, I see that indeed they have kept the inner pirate comic that takes place in the book - so I’d say Snyder is being pretty faithful in his adaptation which makes me happy. Although the trailer actually makes it seem more “action” oriented than any issue of the comic ever was :stuck_out_tongue:

Never read any of it. Like I maybe mentioned before I’m not a huge fan of comic book / superhero movies but I’ve known of this one and the gist of it for a while. I think it has the potential to be great but, like so many superhero movies that have gone before, if it gets into the hands of the wrong people it could be a huge let down. It must suck to be a fan of something like that (like LOEG) and have someone fuck it up for you.

[quote=“FoxForceFive”]
Never read any of it. Like I maybe mentioned before I’m not a huge fan of comic book / superhero movies but I’ve known of this one and the gist of it for a while. I think it has the potential to be great but, like so many superhero movies that have gone before, if it gets into the hands of the wrong people it could be a huge let down. It must suck to be a fan of something like that (like LOEG) and have someone fuck it up for you.
[/quote]Yeah, although their has been a tear of faithful adaptations recently and with flicks like Iron Man, 300, A History of Violence (although I hear the second half of the film is nothing like the book), Sin City and now The Dark Knight doing so well and giving fans what they want - it is certainly a good sign. Marvel taking over their own productions was a great idea as well, and they are 2-2 in my book so far. With The Dark Knight doing so well, and if Watchmen can be successful as well as being true to the book - comic books in film might just start growing up.



Flicks like Fantastic Four and Ghost Rider might be a thing of the past.

[quote=“pantsman”]
Yeah, although their has been a tear of faithful adaptations recently and with flicks like Iron Man, 300, A History of Violence (although I hear the second half of the film is nothing like the book), Sin City and now The Dark Knight doing so well and giving fans what they want - it is certainly a good sign. Marvel taking over their own productions was a great idea as well, and they are 2-2 in my book so far. With The Dark Knight doing so well, and if Watchmen can be successful as well as being true to the book - comic books in film might just start growing up.



Flicks like Fantastic Four and Ghost Rider might be a thing of the past.
[/quote]

i hope so lol FF and GH were shit, i have a feeling this might do well at the box office it’s been advertised as the next movie of the “visionary director” of 300 and everyone i know including me loved that and it grossed a massive amount. this looks like the story will keep me entertained and the visuals look stunning defintely looking foward to this one

[quote=“mr blonde_22”]
i hope so lol FF and GH were shit, i have a feeling this might do well at the box office it’s been advertised as the next movie of the “visionary director” of 300 and everyone i know including me loved that and it grossed a massive amount. this looks like the story will keep me entertained and the visuals look stunning defintely looking foward to this one[/quote]Well if they keep it as faithful to the book as they are portraying, it should be a heck of a film. It’s going to surprise a lot of people by how drama oriented it is though, but the fans of 300 should be pleased I suppose :slight_smile:

[quote=“pantsman”]
Well if they keep it as faithful to the book as they are portraying, it should be a heck of a film. It’s going to surprise a lot of people by how drama oriented it is though, but the fans of 300 should be pleased I suppose :slight_smile:
[/quote]
THats what im looking foward to, zack snyder impressed and showed he could do action with 300, now lets see if he can a bit of drama into the mix

Brand spankin’ new posters, just released at Comic-Con this week!

I’m the only person in the world that didn’t like 300. But I’m still looking forward to this and those posters look great. Still a while to wait for it though!

I love these promotional posters. This is exactly the kind of graphic novel movie Ive been waiting to see. Cant wait!



As far as the CGI/greenscreen type stuff. I didnt mind it in Sin City, 300 I wasnt really into though. Im hoping Watchmen wont be too heavily CGI’d like those. I mean theres def gonna be CGI effects but I dont want every scene to pull me out of the realistic atmosphere.



Frank Millers new film The Spirit looks exactly like Sin City but it has color. From what Ive seen I dont dig it.

[quote=“FoxForceFive”]
I’m the only person in the world that didn’t like 300. But I’m still looking forward to this and those posters look great. Still a while to wait for it though!
[/quote]You are not alone. It was good I thought, but it didn’t blow my mind.



Those posters are fantastic though! That original silver specter picture is just perfect! I believe it was in one of the black & white pictures at the end of one of the books. Most likely one of the first few.



I also just had a geekgasm over Ozymandias with his pet cat/manufactured animal thing from the book! WIN!



I’m still on the fence about the new Silver Specter II version of her costume, in the book it’s more of an 80’s looking skirt one-piece. Not the most faithful, but a more modern look for sure.



I’m excited!! ;D



EDIT: I also spotted all of the “Who Watches the Watchmen?” in all of the pictures except the one with the first Silver Specter and the prisoner. This is a reference to the books, as the phrase is littered in every issue - usually hidden or partially covered. In the pic with Rorschach in that alley, the graffiti actually plays a role in a few of the last books. The phrase never comes into play or is explained, but it’s the part of an old Roman poem/satire thing. In the book it basically asks: if these characters are looking after us, who is looking after them? Heavy book ;D

Just started reading this really cool article:



Alex McDowell Blogs On AICN With Exclusive Photos Regarding The Owlship from WATCHMEN!!!

Zack Snyder is cool, I loved the new Dawn of the Dead and 300.



I’ll set my watch to watch the Watchmen first day it comes out.



Whatcha gonna do when the Watchmen watch on youuuuu??



I’m a fan already.

I think this topic needs a little bit o’ new vitality.



New feature trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXRdlOvLNeo

Behind the scenes.

<LINK_TEXT text=“http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea … d=48917596”>Featured Content on Myspace</LINK_TEXT>

Official poster, too. ;D

I wasn’t too enthousiastic about this movie but the trailer changed my opinion about it. 300 was great to watch, Watchmen will probably be great to.

The voice of the character you have in your avatar Spiros, it’s brilliant, it’s a good thing he talks all along the trailer

[quote=“RatQuiRit”]
I wasn’t too enthousiastic about this movie but the trailer changed my opinion about it. 300 was great to watch, Watchmen will probably be great to.

The voice of the character you have in your avatar Spiros, it’s brilliant, it’s a good thing he talks all along the trailer
[/quote]
Yeah. I was very excited to see Rorschach finally come to life after all these years.