The comic book geek world has been a-flutter with the news that a movie has been made based on DC Comics' Watchmen graphic novel (written by Alan Moore). I looked into the book a bit more, and it seemed like hyperbole was running rampant about how good this book is, how it transcends the comic genre, etc. I decided to give it a shot because well what else did I have to do.
What I found was that it is in fact very good, and it does in fact transcend the comic genre. (At least the traditional comic genre; I am aware that there are comics that are quite substantial and meant for adults, but I would say most people are familiar with the traditional superhero books.) While it is about superheroes, even they are dealt with in a realistic manner. The story and storytelling style are most certainly adult oriented, but not in the "porn" sense; rather, in the sense that not only would much of the content be frightening or disturbing to children, but the story in general would be lost on a young audience.
I'm not going to get too into the plot, since a plot summary won't really get into the complexity of the storytelling; however, here's a brief synopsis. Many years after the government forces superheroes to stop their superhero-ing (I guess now we know where The Incredibles got the idea from), former masked avengers start being murdered left and right; one of the former heroes, who many believe has gone insane, is implicated. Which forces the ones left alive to revisit their crime-fighting past, and the skeletons that that digs up; while in the meantime the fate of the world may be at stake.
Like the show Heroes, Watchmen tries to explore what superheroes would really be like; however, the idea is dealt with very differently in each. Heroes deals with people who have super powers, and posits that they would for the most part shun their powers except in extreme circumstances. Whereas Watchmen deals with people without powers who, inspired by comic book heroes, sought to become masked crime-fighters; Moore suggests that there is more than a little bit of psychosis involved in deciding to put on spandex and beat people up. This concept leads to much of what makes the story great, the psychological angst and troubled relationships among the former heroes.
Anyway that's all I got. Bottom line, Watchmen, highly recommended.
Watchmen
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4 comments:
Having just read the book, I'm curious what you think of the trailer. It makes me think that the movie might deviate from the book in some crucial ways.
Also, I highly recommend Top Ten, Alan Moore's other series about superheroes fitting in to everyday life.
What immediately pops out is that apparently they're actually calling the superhero team the "Watchmen," which honestly makes some sense. In the book they were called the "Crimebusters," and the "Watchmen" thing was from a JFK quote that got mentioned a couple times in the book. I like the change.
Otherwise, I don't think you can really tell what will be different. They show a lot of action, but most of it looks like it's from the prison breakout scene.
In your opinion, what are the "crucial ways" it clearly differs?
Well, I felt like the trailer portrayed them all as a cohesive crime-fighting unit, when they really never were – they were individuals with their own agendas who would occasionally work together, but they were never (except in the pre-Dr. Manhattan olden days) an organization.
Second, the trailer looks completely earnest and humorless, and I felt like one of the strengths of the comic was showing the whole range of human emotions – including irony, vulnerability, and even a few laughs. The director’s other major movie was 300. Here is the part where I get judgmental and say that although I never saw that movie, it looked like utter pap.
My third concern is not in the trailer, but I do not think I am spoiling anyone who hasn't read it when I say this: THERE IS NO SQUID! I don’t know if the ending is the same in other ways BUT IT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE SQUID! Booooo!
All that said, I realize that a) sometimes changes are necessary when translating a text to the screen, and b) trailers often misrepresent a film’s actual focus/feel. In short, I'm still excited for the flick.
Also, sorry for the late reply. That was just me slacking :^)
Yeah, I'm going to go with choice "b" and reserve judgment. There have definitely been movies I've seen in the past where the trailer over-emphasizes "exciting" aspects of the movie in order to attract more people to see it.
Though, truth be told, I'm probably not going to see the movie. I can't imagine that it would add anything to my enjoyment of the story, so I think I will just let it be. But you'll have to let me know how it is.
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