Watchmen Drayonis REVIEW (I luv it, U hate it)

[Drayonis]

Me and the wife saw the Watchmen last night. While she struggled to stay awake I stayed glued to the screen. Being a cartoonist myself and major comic book collector for years of course "The Watchmen" was on my bookshelf. And being a fan made me appreciate the movie that much more. Sadly though for the "uninitiated", (those unfamiliar with Novel) the Watchmen can be a bore on the senses.

A world on the brink of war. Relationships that intertwined tightly/loosely together with the fate of the world at stake and the future of human kind up for grabs. Superman vs the common man. A man that would become a God. Past vs. the Present (1985). And the grey areas we all deal with as people.

Those are the just some of the themes that made the Watchmen movie and can easily be missed by those looking for something else in comic book movie.

Visually the Watchmen is stunning. They made 1985 come to life on screen. The costumes were a sight for the eyes. The language was deep and (you really had to listen) in order to catch key plots to the film.

They really brought the novel to life on film. Sadly I think this is what will turn off most viewers to the film. The amount of detail and time taken to tell the story has the pacing of a "Novel"....not what today's movie goer is used to.

The movie is layered heavily. There are multiple plot lines that are going on throughout the film all rushing towards one final goal and one final truth.

Is it an Action film or a Drama? A mystery movie or a Love story? Well it's all of those things wrapped together into a single medium.

In the defense of those who don't like the film I will say that the movie did drag at points (because they wanted to stay faithful to the novel) and those times it dragged can keep people from really understanding the GUTS of the film. The director wanted to stay true as possible to the Novel I get that.

For those who want to see "Batman" where the good guy beats up the crook and the crook outsmarts the "good guy" then "good guy" captures crook and things explode every 5 minutes then this movie is not for you. Save your money and wait for the "Wolverine" movie.


It's deeper than that. NO it doesn't suck. The Watchmen takes on philosophical ideas and ads in capes and "what if's". It makes us take a hard look at ourselves and reality. Every kid (at some point) puts on a cape (bath towel for me) and wishes that they could play the hero - but what happens when that kid has to grow up and reality is far more uglier than what we think it is?

Many who were born in the 90's would have a hard time understanding the "politics" that made up the 60's and the fears that gripped us all the way through the 80's up until now. How would things play out if superheros really did exist? What if there were no presidential term limits? What if we had won the Vietnam war? What if we had our own Superman who would come to eventually care little about our petty human struggles? These questions are what make the WATCHMEN not only good but great!

Bottom line the MOVIE is GREAT.....for those who think it sucks....YOU JUST DON'T GET IT (and it sucks to be you).

 

[EPDC]

Many who were born in the 90's would have a hard time understanding the "politics" that made up the 60's and the fears that gripped us all the way through the 80's up until now. How would things play out if superheros really did exist? What if there were no presidential term limits? What if we had won the Vietnam war? What if we had our own Superman who would come to eventually care little about our petty human struggles? These questions are what make the WATCHMEN not only good but great!

I think you hit the nail on the head. Great review. I haven't seen it yet, will probably catch this weekend or on a Monday matinee. I like that in your review you say that Snyder tried to stay true to the comic with all the detail and stuff. I can't wait to check it out.

 

[Nobody]

So basically, without reading too much for fear of spoiler, this is more of a narrative with superheroes, rather than a superhero movie. And people won't like it because there's not a ton of action all the time?

Fine by me, I'm big on story.

 

[Iron]

Bottom line the MOVIE is GREAT.....for those who think it sucks....YOU JUST DON'T GET IT (and it sucks to be you).

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Drayonis]

So basically, without reading too much for fear of spoiler, this is more of a narrative with superheroes, rather than a superhero movie. And people won't like it because there's not a ton of action all the time?

Fine by me, I'm big on story.

Yea you got it bro. It's more of a window into their lives past and present than a straight forward "Summer blockbuster" with mas-explosions popcorn flick. You have to really pay attention on order to get the plot nuances.

 

[DjMorpheus]

Judgin from the reviews so far looks like it's 2 different camps. THose familiar with the comic love it. THose thinkin they're goin to see xmen 4 and hate it. Hope it does good box office for more than the first weekend and shows a big profit. This could be the flic that expands the definition of what a "superhero" movie is.

 

[Nobody]

Yea you got it bro. It's more of a window into their lives past and present than a straight forward "Summer blockbuster" with mas-explosions popcorn flick. You have to really pay attention on order to get the plot nuances.

Cool, thanks.

Remember, there are a lot of people here who are Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne fans.

So when people say Watchmen Suck, it doesn't really hold any water here lol.

 

[Sam Rothstein]

The movie sucks period. I hate to be the one to bust your bubble, but the movie fucking suck. The only part that I enjoy was when dude was in prison.They should not have killed the comedian so fast. Also why the hell did most aged and some stay young. Last thing I would like to know is, Why the hell do I have to be a comic head to enjoy a good movie.

 

[EPDC]

The movie sucks period. I hate to be the one to bust your bubble, but the movie fucking suck. The only part that I enjoy was when dude was in prison.They should not have killed the comedian so fast. Also why the hell did most aged and some stay young. Last thing I would like to know is, Why the hell do I have to be a comic head to enjoy a good movie.

Because this movie is BASED ON A COMIC for COMIC BOOK FANS.

 

[Bluelaser]

Good Review Thanks.

 

[Drayonis]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Great review. I haven't seen it yet, will probably catch this weekend or on a Monday matinee. I like that in your review you say that Snyder tried to stay true to the comic with all the detail and stuff. I can't wait to check it out.

There are a lot of people that don't pay attention to politics (until Obama ran for office) so they really don't understand the gravity of the times depicted in the film. Nuclear Holocaust was on the minds of many "especially" during the 70's and 80's. This played a big part in the film.

It really is a case study on the mind set of America during that time. If you aren't a student of history you can miss some of the "greatest" sub plots of the film and simply write the movie off as boring.

I really believe those who think it (the movie) sucks are frustrated because the film completely went "over their heads".

If you ask many of the haters to explain the movie they really couldn't because they just....didn't....GET IT!

 

[Drayonis]

The movie sucks period. I hate to be the one to bust your bubble, but the movie fucking suck. The only part that I enjoy was when dude was in prison.They should not have killed the comedian so fast. Also why the hell did most aged and some stay young. Last thing I would like to know is, Why the hell do I have to be a comic head to enjoy a good movie.

See you proved my point. The ONLY part you enjoyed was the "ACTION" scene in the Jail. You completely missed all the underlying plots that were going on.

Who stayed young? And no you don't have to be a "comic head" to enjoy the movie you have to have an attention span longer than a house cat. <---no insult to House cats.

 

[Count23]

Great review, loved the comic and I am purposely seeing the matinee time to avoid the uninitiated crowd.

 

[the Imm font]

The movie sucks period. I hate to be the one to bust your bubble, but the movie fucking suck. The only part that I enjoy was when dude was in prison.They should not have killed the comedian so fast. Also why the hell did most aged and some stay young. Last thing I would like to know is, Why the hell do I have to be a comic head to enjoy a good movie.

You must be what I call a "Mummy" fan. You paid no attention to the story line. The reason why some aged because there were 2 generations of super heroes. you saw the 2nd aged throughtout the movie. The beginning scene were mostly of the 1st generation. the old guy who the Owl man was talking to was the orginal one. the chick who dated the "blue man" mother was the orginal. thats why the guy with the smilley pin was able to have (fill in the blank yaself since you saw the movie not doing spoilers) in the 2nd group.

You don't like it simply because when it comes to your attention span. A fruit fly would look like an elephant. Just admit it was confusing and you got lost verses it sucked.

that movie was deep and every one got played like a sucker by one man. The one man who had nothing might be able to destroy everything.

is it a classic flick. cant say yes. Excellent flick def a yes. Now i can read the Novel and compare both

 

[LegalMoney]

Because this movie is BASED ON A COMIC for COMIC BOOK FANS.

Generally, when the average consumer hears "superhero movie" there is a presumption that there will be action, maniacal villains, and the classic "good versus evil" dynamic. Watchmen was marketed as a superhero movie, therefore people went in with a certain expectation, which I'm absolutely sure FOX banked on. The reason why several people are disappointed Saturday morning after having to sit in a cramped sold out theater for 3 hours is because it broke all those conventions.

Compare to The Dark Knight. Batman faithful were ecstatic to see an entertaining and somewhat true to form big screen representation of Batman. Plus, Ledger's Joker had elements of Alan Moore's "Killing Joke", the quintessential Joker origin book. The average consumers were hype to see action, a great story, and an interesting love triangle. Batman had something for everybody.

Now Watchmen..eh...I'm beginning to think you had to have loved the novel to appreciate the movie. Maybe because I haven't read the source I was at a loss... But this isn't a big screen adaption of Stephen Hawking's Brief History of Time, so miss me with the complexity talk.. I just think it wasn't that good of a movie IMHO..

 

[J Storm]

The movie sucks period. I hate to be the one to bust your bubble, but the movie fucking suck. The only part that I enjoy was when dude was in prison.They should not have killed the comedian so fast. Also why the hell did most aged and some stay young. Last thing I would like to know is, Why the hell do I have to be a comic head to enjoy a good movie.

He died in issue #1

They All Aged... You just were not paying attention to dates.

 

[Drayonis]

i can see you must be what i call a "Mummy" fan. you paid no attention to the story line. Some aged because there were 2 generations of super heros. you saw the 2nd aged the old guy who the Owl man was talking to was the orginal one. the chick who dated the "blue man" mother was the orginal. thats why the guy with the smilley pin was able to have (fill in the blank yaself since you saw the movie not doing spoilers) in the group.

You don't like it simply because when it comes to your attention span. A fruit fly would look like an elephant. Just admit it was confusing and you got lost verses it sucked.

that movie was deep and every one got played like a sucker by one man. The one man who had nothing might be able to destroy everything.

is it a classic flick. cant say yes. Excellent flick def a yes. Now i can read the Novel and compare both

Now here's a man with intellect and he hasn't even read the graphic novel!

tsk, tsk....I blame the public school system

 

[Drayonis]

Now Watchmen..eh...I'm beginning to think you had to have loved the novel to appreciate the movie. Maybe because I haven't read the source I was at a loss... But this isn't a big screen adaption of Stephen Hawking's Brief History of Time, so miss me with the complexity talk.. I just think it wasn't that good of a movie IMHO..

Watch it a second time and you'll see why it's a solid film. I had to read the novel a few times to really appreciate what was being said.

 

[ClevelandDawg216]

very good review. can i post it on my site?

 

[Drayonis]

very good review. can i post it on my site?

of course. just give me credit!

 

[ClevelandDawg216]

of course. just give me credit!

c'mon, man.

 

[YeahMan1212]

stop reviewing this movie..no one that wasnt an avid reader of the comic liked it...

 

[Drayonis]

c'mon, man.

Just kidding bro you've done me right with your blogs! TDY owes you a big thanks in getting the word out.

 

[Mello Mello]

Good Review Thanks.

 

[ClevelandDawg216]

Just kidding bro you've done me right with your blogs! TDY owes you a big thanks in getting the word out.

http://turbocityofficial.ning.com/

 

[clayizaiken]

 

[clayizaiken]

props Drayonis. I'm gonna post the review on my stole-grown site's blog too! also a good look to TurboCityHQ.

 

[Enigma]

While I still think that the movie was bad. I now wish I had read the comic prior to seeing the movie. All the points you make were evident in the movie, but because I hadnt read the book it was all too much to soak up in 3hrs. This movie should NOT have been reduced to 3hrs and a mass marketing of the comic should have come before the movie was released... Just think if they would have gotten people to become interested in reading a book!

I'm glad you cleared up that Nixon thing, because I was like why in the hell is he elected for a third term.

 

[Jordan Diddy Buk]

So basically, without reading too much for fear of spoiler, this is more of a narrative with superheroes, rather than a superhero movie. And people won't like it because there's not a ton of action all the time?

Fine by me, I'm big on story.

nah people don't like it cause they didn't capture the vibe of the story.

 

[The Plutonian]

In retrospect the movie is great because real fans of the comic will love it. Pea-brained faggots with no sense of depth won't like it and can therefore eat a dick. Straight up. That is all.

 

[Drayonis]

I'm glad you cleared up that Nixon thing, because I was like why in the hell is he elected for a third term.

Yup those were some of the "nuances" of the movie I spoke of. When America won Vietnam they were all but too happy to get rid of term restraints for Presidents. This shows how directly the influence of heroes had effected reality.

 

[shaddyvillethug]

it was marketed as a "superhero" movie...every trailer had action and shit.

I saw it on IMAX I loved it.

People were expecting to see a dark knight....but saw a blue man with a "package"

 

[Kubrick]

I liked the the movie but don't try and belittle others because they did not like it. The movie had it's flaws. The fact that people have to constantly reference the comic book tells you that it's not a standalone movie.
Also, kill that noise about this movie being made solely for comic book readers b/c it was not. You don't spend 100 million dollars in production just to attract comic geeks.

 

[Lurkutus]

While I still think that the movie was bad. I now wish I had read the comic prior to seeing the movie. All the points you make were evident in the movie, but because I hadnt read the book it was all too much to soak up in 3hrs. This movie should NOT have been reduced to 3hrs and a mass marketing of the comic should have come before the movie was released... Just think if they would have gotten people to become interested in reading a book!

I'm glad you cleared up that Nixon thing, because I was like why in the hell is he elected for a third term.

Actually I believed he served a fifth term. The guy said he couldn't believe he voted for him 5 times. Good movie. Yes a brain is required. Seen the midnight showing. The funny shit was all the nerds in the movie theatre. I took a chick and told her what to expect. She fell asleep 3 times she said. When the movie was over I seen four to five black couples. All the women had this WTF look on their faces.

 

[dzlkdd]

Because this movie is BASED ON A COMIC for COMIC BOOK FANS.

The above statement is true of Watchmen.

If you don't get comics, this is a movie, and a comic, that is based deeper in well-thought out comic book conventions and lore than anything you've ever seen.

But I think it's easily possible to "get it" without liking it.

One guy put it succinctly in a review: People call Snyder "visionary" but a visionary sees what others don't see. Alan Moore was a visionary to create this comic. Zack Snyder did little more than follow as many details as he could up until his one big "change".

I also think visually, Snyder may not quite "get it". It looks so slick and expensive. The most unique characteristic of the Watchmen premise visually is how utterly mundane all the "heroes" looked. Even Dr. Manhattan, guy didn't really glow... he just sat there, regular dude, but blue and naked. Not what you'd call awe inspiring... much more "unsettling."

But I'll try not to judge the movie by the comic, as some uninspired nitpickers have already done... nitpicking because they can't really interpret on their own.