If the film adaptation of Watchmen has taught me about anything, it is the diehard blindsighted loyalty of fans who, unable to separate a project from its parent, will stay aboard the Titanic knowing all the while that it must sink.
Watchmen, the comic series, is a rich, emotional, controversial and provocative piece of fiction meriting its place as one of Time Magazine's 100 best English language novels. It has, however, long been deemed unfilmable by its author, fans and great filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Terry Gilliam. Still, many clamored for someone to take the reins and attempt the unthinkable and in March 2009, in what will be known for a long time as the Berlin wall of fanboys, Watchmen was made.
Many believe that this is the greatest Watchmen that could ever have been made and should thus be celebrated on par with the novel. Others feel that the film gave a cursory glance at greatness and would have been better suited for an HBO mini-series. And, as the former prepares their pitchforks and torches, I declare loyalty to the failurists.
Even as a three hour movie the film feels shortened, truncated and superficial. In what could be a fine emotionally driven exploration about what it really means to be a superhero, Snyder has instead provided us with, as he has called it, a trailer for the novel. Apparently this is an incomplete version of the film and several other versions will be released either in theaters or on dvd in the future with the hopes of rounding up fans who felt the movie lacked elements of the novel.
I will be curious to see this though my hopes are small as Snyder ultimately missed the enormity of the novel in hopes of making something more commerically accessible.
The film begins with a montage sequence to the tune of Dylan's The Times They Are A Changin' so beautiful it gave me chills. I was thrilled to see some of my favorite comic book characters be brought to life in what begins as something faithful to the spirit of the novel but entirely of its own creation.
Unfortunately, the movie then transform into something altogether acutely faithful to the novel though unable to provide more than a cursory glance at something rich and unique. Instead of plunging headfirst into the waters of Watchmen Snyder recreates panel by panel the comic book using the brilliant words of Alan Moore to guide this heavily intellectual piece along.
The problem, however, is that for almost three hours, it doesn't stop. The dense intellectualism of the novel, which transcended the superhero genre, is not an alien beast for film to slay. Such a high level of intellectualism has been done before with films like 2007's Syrianna. What is missing, however, is the emotional depth that makes Watchmen so special. The characters, so well conceived by Moore, are given a superficial rendering that by all means looks amazing but amounts to nothing at the same time. It doesn't take a great film to make you care about flawed characters maybe just a little more time, and coming in at close to three hours, time is something Snyder has used up.
Instead Snyder hopes spoonfeed songs as heavy handed as Unforgettable during a funeral and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah (?!) during a passionate sex scene that are offensively two-dimensional renderings of a three dimensional drama. Ironic, considering it was transferred from two to three dimensional images.
The costumes, plucked directly from artist Dave Gibbons' comic book panels, are fantastic and worn well by a mostly strong cast led by Jackie Earle Haley's fascinating Rorscach and rounded out by Billy Crudup's Dr. Manhattan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian.
In the end, Watchmen succeeds in giving the viewer three hours of eye candy but it is a lollipop without a bubblegum center. There is nothing for us to chew on, except maybe the memory of a flavor
Watchmen, the comic series, is a rich, emotional, controversial and provocative piece of fiction meriting its place as one of Time Magazine's 100 best English language novels. It has, however, long been deemed unfilmable by its author, fans and great filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Terry Gilliam. Still, many clamored for someone to take the reins and attempt the unthinkable and in March 2009, in what will be known for a long time as the Berlin wall of fanboys, Watchmen was made.
Many believe that this is the greatest Watchmen that could ever have been made and should thus be celebrated on par with the novel. Others feel that the film gave a cursory glance at greatness and would have been better suited for an HBO mini-series. And, as the former prepares their pitchforks and torches, I declare loyalty to the failurists.
Even as a three hour movie the film feels shortened, truncated and superficial. In what could be a fine emotionally driven exploration about what it really means to be a superhero, Snyder has instead provided us with, as he has called it, a trailer for the novel. Apparently this is an incomplete version of the film and several other versions will be released either in theaters or on dvd in the future with the hopes of rounding up fans who felt the movie lacked elements of the novel.
I will be curious to see this though my hopes are small as Snyder ultimately missed the enormity of the novel in hopes of making something more commerically accessible.
The film begins with a montage sequence to the tune of Dylan's The Times They Are A Changin' so beautiful it gave me chills. I was thrilled to see some of my favorite comic book characters be brought to life in what begins as something faithful to the spirit of the novel but entirely of its own creation.
Unfortunately, the movie then transform into something altogether acutely faithful to the novel though unable to provide more than a cursory glance at something rich and unique. Instead of plunging headfirst into the waters of Watchmen Snyder recreates panel by panel the comic book using the brilliant words of Alan Moore to guide this heavily intellectual piece along.
The problem, however, is that for almost three hours, it doesn't stop. The dense intellectualism of the novel, which transcended the superhero genre, is not an alien beast for film to slay. Such a high level of intellectualism has been done before with films like 2007's Syrianna. What is missing, however, is the emotional depth that makes Watchmen so special. The characters, so well conceived by Moore, are given a superficial rendering that by all means looks amazing but amounts to nothing at the same time. It doesn't take a great film to make you care about flawed characters maybe just a little more time, and coming in at close to three hours, time is something Snyder has used up.
Instead Snyder hopes spoonfeed songs as heavy handed as Unforgettable during a funeral and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah (?!) during a passionate sex scene that are offensively two-dimensional renderings of a three dimensional drama. Ironic, considering it was transferred from two to three dimensional images.
The costumes, plucked directly from artist Dave Gibbons' comic book panels, are fantastic and worn well by a mostly strong cast led by Jackie Earle Haley's fascinating Rorscach and rounded out by Billy Crudup's Dr. Manhattan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian.
In the end, Watchmen succeeds in giving the viewer three hours of eye candy but it is a lollipop without a bubblegum center. There is nothing for us to chew on, except maybe the memory of a flavor
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