old post - i watched the watchmen

Another old one - this one from March 15, 2009

i watched the watchmen

First, I hate that I went two full days with no update... Both days were kinda out of the ordinary though, so I’ll use that as an explanation.

Yesterday, I found myself alone with a few hours, so I went to see Watchmen. I was VERY impressed with the characterization as well as the cinematography. Was it 100% with the graphic novel? No. Did it remain true to the original? Yes! I was very satisfied with the adaptation and in some ways it surpassed it... All of the dark, gritty drama of the graphic novel was there, PLUS the fight scenes were brought “alive” with bullet time and superhuman speed. I text my nephew right afterward and told him that if it had been made pre-Matrix, it would not have had the punch that it did.

If you’ve seen screen shots, pics or the trailer (or read the novel), then you know it’s an alternative history piece with some nostalgia thrown in. But I must say the costumes do not look dated and it does NOT have the flow of a comic book movie. If you liked the novel but were afraid this would not be “close enough” to make you happy, go see it anyway. If you are squeamish, though, be warned. Just like the novel, there’s more than a little blood, and it is NOT done comic book style...

I was a fan of Alan Moore (who has nothing to do with the film, BTW - I even noticed his name NOT appearing in the credits even as inspiration) back in the late 80’s/early 90’s when I got back into comic books. He was writing for Batman at the time and his stories were more gritty and dramatic than campy. This is especially true of Watchmen and it carries over nicely to the film.

Please feel free to add a comment, but try to remain spoiler free, at least for the next few months. :)