Drive By Review: Watchmen
I was nearly as hyped up as any fangirl, although I haven't read the graphic novel (I haven't read any, so no shock there). I really enjoyed 300 despite the lame dialogue because it was visually luscious; it was gore ballet, but still ballet.
The trailers, which no one with any sort of electronic media device could escape, looked gorgeous. It's not bad. But not as great as I'd hoped.
And I don't think the whole "unfilmable" rap was it. It was the 'music video' component that annoyed me. Yes it had a very complicate plot, but I have a brain, I could follow that. It felt a bit dated, but I can live with that, too.
Instead of integrating the music in to support the rest of the film, it became a focus several times. Most notable was the sex scene supporting Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". That and the incendiary money shot. The music worked best when it was subtle, like the elevator muzak version of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." I could tell there was a lot of story cut just from the possibilities of storylines. I found myself thinking about them during the music video portions.
Still, it's visually stunning, and worth watching. Performance wise, Jackie Earle Haley steals the scenes he's in, especially his final scene. If you thought his performance in Little Children was a fluke, this will change your mind.
If you're in Austin or anywhere near it, you MUST see it at an Alamo. Get there extra early, as it will be sold out, but also for the pre-show, which has some great fangeek featurettes, and some useful ones for us on-graphic novel geek types.
And for those who've seen it... is it me, or was Nixon's nose growing?
I noticed the nose thing too!
And I have to say that what annoyed me the most was that every single woman in the film was a whore. If Moore had written a main character who was an atrocious racial stereotype, you wanna bet that character would have been changed? Grrrrr.
And where's a real penis? Blue and glowing...whatever. But putting a terrible, obvious codpiece over a real one? I cry LAME!
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Glad it wasn't just me. It was rather distracting, as it was less Pinnochio and more penile.
I wasn't impressed with the women in the story, either. It's one thing to have a complicated relationship but they were so selfish and so superficial. Although there wasn't a lot of depth to any of the characters, other than Rorschach. I haven't read the graphic novels, but I was thinking that maybe it should've been broken into a few films instead of one. There were what, 12 comics worked into the book version? I haven't read it yet. But that probably would've ruined the chances in getting it made. I haven't read too much about the making of and the hurdles to making it.
And the ONLY reason I kept checking the bared crotch was your codpiece observation a few days ago! LOL Although I think the reason is that Crudup was wearing a sensor suit when he was Dr. Manhattan, based on a 'making of' picture I saw, so I doubt they'd let him hang it out just to have an authentic penis. Considering how skinny the guy is, and how bulky the sensor suit, that would've looked REALLY funny.
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Hehe! I was talking about Night Owl's "nude" scene.
And I should note that being a despicable character could be made interesting by good acting. I loved the Comedian, and he was a disgusting person who I'd never want to know. But Silk Spectre II seemed to smile through all of her lines making her utterly unbelievable and annoying.
"Will you get naked and have realistic sex on screen? You're hired! Oh, yeah I guess you should read a few lines for us before you go."
Remind me to tell you about the short film idea that's been in my head for a few years.
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Ohhhhh! LOL that's even funnier. I didn't even notice Patrick Wilson's bits, in part because of the music, and in part because he looked so awful. He was creeping me out; I couldn't decide if he looked like a serial killer or a pedophile. I like his other work, but this was just .. *shudder. His lips were almost as bad as Carla Gugino's. I'm surprised they did that, since he's no stranger to full nudity in film (or even on stage, although it was "The Full Monty").
I'll pick your brain about the short idea in line next week. I'm sure we'll run into each other a LOT.
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TOTAL pedophile!
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