Waaaait wait wait, ""squidless?" Really? Like at the end there's no giant fake alien squid? Really? I want raw spoilers people, please. I plan to see this for a dollar at the cheap show and haven't invested anything into since I love the comic so much, but I DO have to know if they altered the ending that much. If so, what crap.

I heard the biggest issue with the movie is that it's dumbed down and everything is explained to you like you're an idiot. Sad if that's true. I don't expect comic movies to 100% accurate, but I have standards.

Anyway, raw spoilers please, particularly on the changing of the end. PM me if you feel you shouldn't post it.

I agree 100%!

How many times is the movie better then the book? I can think of one...FIGHT CLUB!

Enjoy the movie for what it is, a movie.

I just heard what was changed. I don't think I want to see it. Not angry or nerd-raged, it's just knowing now what I know, I know I won't enjoy it but I'm glad I have the comic.

I don't think it will be a "good movie" and can't "just let it go" and enjoy myself. I would be in denial if that's what I did and I can't lie to myself. I'd watch just being erked by what COULD have been, and for no good reason, isn't.

Ah well, I'm glad I didn't think much would come if this in the first place, I feel bad for those who did. They'll either be way pissed and go on about it forever or sink themselves into a diluted lie and say "it wasn't so bad" and a part of them will know that's just not true.

OK, that's a little harsh, I'll say MOST will be that way. Some might really dig it and not mind the major changes, good for you.

Hey Blood, have you checked out the Motion Comic DVD for Watchmen? It pretty good! You should check it out.

I don't even know what a "Motion Comic DVD" is, so no I haven't. I'm pretty good with just the comic, but what is it?

Also I don't want to come off as the "bitter fanboy." When book/comic movies hit, there's 2 big camps. 1- Hate no matter what and 2- Love no matter what. I like to walk in between. I know WHY changes are made, and don't have an issue with them, mostly.

But there are some things you DON'T change, they define characters and what the story is/means. The changes made to this story do that as far as I'm concerned. But again, I wasn't set on the movie anyway.

Someone sent me a quote recently along the lines of "great, now the internet has something new to I FART A LOT about for the next year and a half" that made me laugh pretty hard.

If you go in with no expectations, you won't need to worry which side of the great fanboy debate you fall on. Go into it each film with a clean state and take it for what it is.

I think that after the Great Star Wars Let down of 1999, I stopped investing so much of myself into caring how movies turned out. I've been excited about a few films like Lord of the Rings (yay - especially the extended edition!) and the new Indiana Jones (ugh), but if a film disappoints, eh, no big deal, I just won't see it again.

Yes, if you go in with fan expectations you might not fully enjoy it for what it's worth. But in all, it followed the book dialogue pretty close. Jackie Earle Haley played a fantastic Rorschach in my opinion.

I would say I agree, but this story in particular I can't do that with. I can say I'll try, but I know I can't. It's really more of an "I'm content with what I have" deal. Even if the movie wasn't changed, I'd still be in the range of the same opinion I have now, which is something like "That's cute, they tried to make that a movie, oh well back to something else."



I don't think the expectation of "don't change any MAJOR plot points or characters, particularly the ending" is too much, in fact I think it's all we should really have. Gotta have standards, otherwise we're left with crap. I DID hear the acting was the best part though.

so what happens? little squid?

BD...I'm not baggin' on ya man...but you're a debbie downer. About 80% of your posts are about what you DON'T like. How about something you DO like?

Really? I can post a lot of links of me saying "this toy rules, here's why I think so!" but I'm not going to.

In fact I make it a point to really not talk about toys I don't like, of course I have, we all have, but generally I'd think I'm pretty positive, and at least I'm actually contributing to the critique if I AM being negative, especially compared to a lot of the "that sucks!" talk around here. And, I'm sorry, my "bags-n-header" stance stays, if that's what you're pointing at (though I don't think that + my movie opinions = 80% of my posts, but if so thanks for counting.)

Or do you just mean on movies? Cause' I'll take it if you're just talking movies, I have no problem with being as critical as I am.

Nothing wrong with being critical at all, I totally emphasize in that department. In my case I just went in there expecting complete shit and was pleasantly surprised. Lots of stuff was skimmed over... but I guess most of the violence made up for it.

The stated reasons for doing so are sooooo pathetic and condescending. Namely, that the producers/director felt that the public just couldn't handle ...



I DON'T THINK THIS IS MUCH OF A SPOILER BUT JUST IN CASE, STOP READING NOW IF YOU'RE SPOILER-SHY








...scenes of massive devastation and death in NYC, post-9/11. Gee, seems audiences were able to handle "Cloverfield" just fine, not to mention the much more harrowing "United 93."

It's a lame excuse that makes you wonder if that was the real reason for the change or not. Despite my feeling about this, I can't wait to see the movie this weekend.

I'm one of those sorta-oldsters who, along with a few other excitable friends, was absolutely galvanized by the original series (before it was a "graphic novel") in '87. I was disappointed, when the first book edition was published, to see that the colors weren't nearly as vibrant as in the comic. The use of color was so important, so well done. Perhaps that's been improved in successive editions, I don't know. I've kept the original comics in pristine condition all these years and am glad I did. I keep planning on re-reading them but never have. Maybe after seeing the movie.

I haven't seen the movie yet but I read the comic, and I think keeping the giant squid out was a smart idea. It would have looked totally stupid on film and killed any positive word-of-mouth.

"It was a pretty good movie until a giant squid was dropped on Manhattan."

No doubt. How cool was it seeing Kelly on the big screen again!

Oh yeah, and they should make a film version of Transmetropolitan and have him or Billy Bob Thorton play Spider.

Funny but Patrick Stewart had been talked about as Spider for a while.

Yeah? I dunno, I'm having trouble seeing that (beyond the obvious similarities in hair style.) Spider needs to be grittier and more subversive. I think Billy Bob would have all kinds of fun with the character.

Do you believe someone had the nerve to bring there two young children to see this?!!! WTF

Don't you have two young children?

Yeah - but I knew upfront that they won't have gone with me anyway since they were afraid of the "glowing blue naked man with his bulging stomach bubbles"

How 'bout The Shining?

+++Spoilers+++

Anyway, just got back from seeing the movie. In my opinion, it was fantastic. I thought I still knew what was happening in the comic world in '86 (Hell, it was just a year after I graduated High School), but I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of The Watchmen until I saw the trailer for the movie during the previews for Dark Knight. I thought, "Who the Hell are these characters, and why is everyone in the theater cheering?"
I think not knowing about the comics (and the giant fuckin' squid ) really kept my expectations low. It was a long movie, but unlike Dark Knight (where I felt that Two-Face could have been kept out) I don't think you could have kept any of it on the editing floor; just too much going on. The ending made perfect sense to me and I don't see how 'squidy' could have helped. My favorite scene was when Doctor Manhattan was goin' Blitzkrieg on Charlie as The Ride of the Valkyries played.
I felt this comic book movie had it all: intriguing story, flawed heroes, great costumes, cool ship (Archie), a generous amount of extreme graphic violence and a fair amount of skin. My wife kept commenting on Doctor Manhattan's package; I said "Calm down Baby, that's all CGI; God doesn't make 'em that big."
This has surpassed Dark Knight as the best comic book movie I've ever seen. Curious to see what the die-hard Watchmen fans have to say.

just got back and all I can say is that I was pleasantly surprised. Leave all expectations at home. It's not the book but a decent visual adaptation. Nothing more nothing less.

totally agree. just came back, have read the comics, and feel exactly the same.

not bad at all.

I'm not a movie critic by any stretch, but I thought this was really good. I enjoyed the entire thing.