Watching the Watchmen

My colleagues & I saw the Watchmen movie together, and as usual, we shared our reviews with each other. Here are some of the reviews:

Mine:

WATCHMEN gets a 7 out of 10 rating from me.

As DL reminded me after the show, I did borrow the comic from CTPL because this was a hot title in secondary school days but I never got down to reading it as the artwork was not to my taste. Instead, I passed it to DL .... :-)

I was curious enough to read about it in Wikipedia a week before today, and I must admit that the storyline was rather interesting and was in many ways, ahead of its time. I mean we now have a few anti-superhero TV series and comics like:
* HEROES (no costumes, got superpowers)
* THE BOYS (CIA superpowered agents keeping "superheroes" who are perverts, jerks or deviants in line)
* WANTED (supervillains have killed off all superheroes& are ruling the world together)
* AFTER THE CAPE (fallen superhero turns alcoholic bank robber)

but I don't recall another comics world in the 1980s in which all (but one) superheroes are actually normal humans without any superpower, which makes them more 'human' and credible. In the movie, the costumed heroes in the 1940s actually looked kind of cheesy because all they had to show for were ill-fitting costumes and newspaper cutouts, esp. the Mothman and the old Night Owl. If our world really had costumed vigilantes, that's how they might be...

What I also liked was how these superheroes were weaved into an alternate history, like the Comedian being JFK's assassin or Dr Manhattan taking Neil Armstrong's photo on the moon. I also liked the opening sequence which sums up the rise & fall of superheroes, set to Bob Dylan's song.

What I didn't like about the Watchmen movie was the lack of personality in most of the 6 superheroes, except The Comedian and Rorschach:
* Dr Manhattan... you might as well talk to a toaster. For all the intellect and power he has, he has no perspective and becomes a weapon and a puppet. And no one could really criticise his costume... because he has none to speak of. ;-)
* Night Owl II... is a low-budget Batman wannabe w/o the detective brains or style (look at his Archie craft vs the Batmobile) ... which may explain why he needs Rorschach to be his partner.
* Silk Spectre II ... is the obligatory female in the team, methinks. If you read THE BOYS, you would have thought that Ozymandias was trying to make the Watchmen look like a bunch of fags....
* Ozymandias... I think his real power is not his quick kung fu moves or super brain, but his skin...

I really wonder how the 6 Watchmen actually functioned as a team in their hey-days.... :-)

When we first encounter Dr Manhattan talking to Rorschach (plus the Vietnam War scene), he was giant-sized and we learn that he can increase his size at will... Does that mean his *ahem* grows proprtionately too? No wonder he has the b**ls to toast Rorschach at the end.... :-)

Oh, if you're wondering which Watchmen character you are, try these quizzes:

• http://www.angelfire.com/comics/mooreportal/wpi.html (I am Night Owl I)
• http://www.quizilla.com/quizzes/259121/which-watchmen-character-are-you (I'm Night Owl II)
• http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=6060670582074285026 (I'm Rorschach ??!!)
  

Try it!



GT:
I loooooved the film.

Think I confessed to sm of u aft the show tt I actually cheated and saw it on Sat cos I wanted to watch it once w/o knowin anythin and once aft knowing evth. Read the comic on Sun, includin at the hairdresser's, on the train, over dinner, etc.

Loved it for those heart-stoppin moments set to Unforgettable (Comedian being flung across room), Times they are a Changing (Silhouette waltzing rd Times Sq aft VJ day kssin the nurse), Sounds of Silence (Comedian's funeral even as Rorshach as Walter watches w The End is Nigh).

And the piece tt broke my heart: Rorshach's final stand in the snow. Cried both times.

Loved it Loved it. LOOVED IT.

Best line I think will get evn better w age. Sally Jupiter: " As u get older, the future gets more unclear, and yet the past, even the grimier parts, get brighter all the time."

9/10

-1 for all the useless sex and chat up scenes btw Owl/Specter.



RH:
Cutting the review short.

I like the movie. The stylised slow motion fighting scene is nicee.
It's interesting how they link the movie periodically.

I think Rorcharch steals the show and
Dr Manhattan should put his pants on.

ratings: 8/10 :)


S Cedar:
7/10

Not a comic book fan and this is not the type of movie I would actually see, especially since ST gave it bad review (2/5). I was worried that this movie would be like "The Spirit", but thankfully it wasn't, though at times the movie was 'draggy'. (CK, i insist i saw u sleeping lor)

Was impressed by the soundtrack and the opening scene crafted to the tune of "Unforgettable" and the flashback to how the "minutemen" was formed...also impressed with the movie set design and the attention paid to details (the 3.5" diskette anyone?)
then the rest I mostly hide behind my fingers and bag because it was too violent..hahaha...

P2:
to cut a long story short.

i super like the show. especially since the director is Mr 300!

8.5 out of 10


AAA:
I've not read the comic before nor read anything abt it so the only info I got about the story was from watching the movie. The 1st part was a little draggy but thru the middle, it was interesting how the story got pieced together with flashbacks and snippets and how it got linked. It was always raining in the show eh? Somehow some of the characters and bits reminded me of some of Batman.

And it WAS a violent movie! All the head hitting, bangings on tables, glass and the toilet bowl..... 6.5/10


SK:
how on earth to beat DL's review?

i liked the movie. it's something different from all the one-dimensional hero movies out there. Was thinking how a face off between Wolverine and Rorcharch would turn out. Wolverine might not win. There are some bits I dont like though: you can tell that the dialogue in some bits were transplanted from the book and this doesnt always make cinematic sense. Rating 7/10



NS:
To begin with, it's not really the kind of movie that I'd normally go for. So pardon me if some of my views are pretty jarring compared to those who raved it. =)

I agree that the special effects were fantastic and the way they linked one scene to another with such deep thinking dialogues made it marvellous. The fact that it's action-packed is another plus point. However, I felt that some scenes were too draggy and unnecessary which explains for the movie lasting more than 2 hrs.. I think I've also had enough of America trying to save the world.. With the massive credit crunch that's hit the world worse than great depression, it's time that the Americans save themselves first!


Can't deny that 'Roscharch's' character/presence was such a steal though...

ratings: 6/10


MHI:
7/10...

Doing flashback scenes, as far I know, is the most easiest thing to do - as far as writing, directing etc are concerned. But I thought the many flashback techniques used in this movie was commendable.... it helped me to get acquainted to the many many superheroes in just a movie... the plot, action scenes, flashback scenes, excellent scripting etc were balanced....

I havent heard of Watchmen until I saw their picture on a magazine cover sometime last year ( i think it was the First mag and initially, i thought 'watchmen' is a some kind of movie involving security guards or something.....ha! ...Maybe next time there will be a comic book heroes made up of all security guards....)

On another note, maybe I''m wrong but i think this is also another extension of the list of superheroes, mixed and matched together to come out with Watchmen (does it sound like De-Construction and Re-Construction? hmmm):

I could see the Nite Owl on similar grounds with Zorro and Batman. All three use animals as their heroic symbols, have an "office" underground that store their costumes and vehicles. When Bob Kane created Batman, he was highly influenced by Zorro. Not sure if Nite Owl was also influenced by either Batman or Zorro....

Dr Manhattan - similar to Incredible Hulk - scientific experiments went wrong, so he becomes strong. The glowing Dr reminds me of the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four too....

The Comedian - reminds of The Joker and The Riddler put together, but with a darker personality....

In a nutshell, I think the director/ producer wanted to highlight the importance of values and morals among each character in the movie - brotherhood-friendship-love-the nemesis within etc....


DL:
One of the things i keep thinking about is, why is Rorschach's mask like that?
IS that part of his power? haha, of course i know its not, since i read the comic before. But I am very fasinated by it through out the whole movie.
When he was unmasked in the prision, i felt kinda disappointed, but i was wrong, the man behind the mask was more interesting and unbreakable.
So i did some search on wiki on his name, then i found out about "Rorschach inkblot test". It is then i realize the movie is what you want it to be.

If you want action, it has it and it does it pretty good without too much of it. If you want effects, Dr Manhattan is the effects man. If you want sex Owl and Silk give you some. But if you would to go deeper into the plot you will find some mind-blogging stuff about grey moral world and the themes that Watchmen is all about.
So it just like the Rorschach inkblot test, whether its good or bad, its up to your own taste to judge the movie. The movie will be good if you read comics before and have a nerd knowledge for superheroes or even better read the Watchman comic itself, but most of the mindblogging stuff is from the interviews of the creator itself.

For me the movie works cause it stirs up a thinking ...... Rorschach inkblot test .... interesting...That how the world works ...


CK:
"I'm not stuck here with you, you all are stuck here with me!!!" - Roscharch's/Walter Kovacs

8 / 10

Not just an action movie, this comes with good storyline and witty dialogue...kept me up throughout the 160 mins. (yes S Cedar i didn't sleep)


AS:
Wondering why is this movie known as Watchmen? Are they supposed to look after USA / planet Earth?
Anyway, the story is interesting enuf to keep me stay awake (enough plots, actions, artistic scenes)
I give a 8 / 10 points..

The only interesting character so far is Dr Manhattan (with the ability to bi-locate, teleport, reintegrate, manipulating objects and his god-like manner in analysing things),
The rest are more like "Kung-Foo" Buffs with not much of superpowers (except for that young handsome guy, who is fast (able to catch a bullet) and supposedly highly intelligence)

Mai Hiam Buay Pai Loh...


PS:
From the guts:

I think it was excellent! I read the comic novel, true, and knew the ending, or at least according to the book, but to see almost everything come to life on the screen, almost word for word from the book was awesome! No wonder they could only pull it off now, rather than before, cos the CGI and SFX is much more sophisticated today to allow the book to be turned to film.

The comic book was already groundbreaking when it was released, to be an anti-superherom initiative that only Alan Moore can think of. The dialogue was good, and above average in most scenes. The acting by all was pretty okay, but I like Roscharch's/Walter Kovacs the best. He acted better behind the mask than out of it.

Only worst actor award would be for Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman), she was so stiff. The best scenes with her was only when she was in action, fighting.

My ratings: 8/10.