Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Watchmen movie (sneak peek)


I saw Watchmen for free tonight! Actually, I'm more excited about the fact it was free than the fact that I saw Watchmen. I'm really glad I read the book. The book was great. It was successful in both writing and art. The movie, was not.
I went in expecting the movie to be excellent or terrible. It was neither (but if I had to choose, which I don't because it's my blog, I would choose terrible.) I told myself not to be too harsh on the writing, after all, it had to be dumbed down for movie audiences. I thought, maybe, the artistic direction would be so pretty it would distract from the terrible dialogue and Rorschach's Christian Baled voice. It didn't. Visually, the movie was... surprisingly bland. I, wrongly, expected a 300 type masterpiece of a movie (remember, this is visually.) Instead, I got a movie that looked like it had had cement poured atop it, was then forgotten about, and eventually discovered by some kids who had a basic film editing system with color correcter. It wasn't flashy or bright. There weren't many colors. and the only colors there were in the movie were greys and browns. Even the blood was shadowed or crusty, which is scientifically accurate, but it isn't pretty.
Not to mention the acting/writing/everything else. Whenever Malin Akerman was on screen as Silver Spectre I thought to myself, "Where have I seen this character before... cute, girl next door, always seems somewhat worried... not an incredible actress... OH! She's playing Kirsten Dunst playing MJ in Spiderman! Wow, she certainly isn't trying!" and if she is... I'm sorry I hated your acting so much, Malin Akerman, I'm really truly sorry. I think my main problem with the movie was, they tried too hard to make it feel like the 80s. The whole opening credits was just a montage of major events that had happened through the 70s and early 80s. It made me think of That 80s show, the spin-off of That 70s show. That 70s show worked because it wasn't all about the 70s, it was about people's lives, they were just living in the 70s. That 80s show focused far too much on 80s pop culture. That's what this movie felt like, That 80s show.
The movie was, for the most part, accurate to the book. All the major plot points were there, and stated quite bluntly. SPOILER SPOILER "Edward Blake is her father." "Edward Blake got you pregnant?!" "Mom, I know Edward Blake is my father." "I wasn't upset Edward Blake tried to rape me, because he eventually gave me you." Wow! Who could be Laurie's father?! In the book, Laurie mention "her father" and then leaves, and Laurie's mother kisses Edward Blake in the picture of the Watchmen. It isn't stated so obviously. END OF SPOILER But hey, people are more willing to spend a few bucks on a movie than actually read a book. (And a good one too!)

Costume were pretty good. Also, warning, there are boobs in this movie, so don't freak out, or bring your parents.

Out of four stars, this movie would get 2. Of 5 stars, 2 1/2. Out of 100, 68. On a grading scale, C.
On Koolthingzzz, the movie lands between The Sims and Season 2 of LOST.
The book will sit between Radiohead and Joy of Painting.

Teddy Roosevelt/Bruce Campbell
High Fidelity
Samuel L. Jackson
Radiohead
Watchmen (Book)
Joy of Painting
Seinfeld
Tokyo Police Club
Aviator Sunglasses
Google
The Sims
Watchmen (Movie)
Season 2 of LOST
Under the Influence of Giants
Cells phones
Jet's "Are you gonna be my girl"
High School Musical
Across the Universe

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