I remember in high school that going to see the Lord of the Rings films was an officially sanctioned way to get out of class and go see something that was entertaining. They were epic, landmark films and I look back on those experiences very fondly. Today, I ditched class after sleeping on a wooden floor so that I could see Watchmen. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be Moses coming down the mountain here. To put it bluntly: this movie has flaws.
There were so many choices that I saw as inappropriate. The soundtrack is a clashing, incongruous mess. Jimmy Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower" as Night Owl and Rorschach approach Ozymandias' base in the Archimedes? The use of Nena's "99 Luftballoons"? Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'"? Even though Watchmen is based around historical things, I don't feel that those songs were of that world at all. They took me out of the movie entirely as I would roll my eyes or cringe at them. I would have much rather had a good score placed behind these scenes. Sticking old pop songs on top of them is cheap.
The ultra-violence is also something I could have done entirely without. There were several moments where I had to look away from the screen because the violence was sickening. It's also the ultra-violence that ruins much of Kill Bill for me. I find it stupid mostly -- it's over the top and seems to have no purpose other than grossing you out or proposing a self-declaration that the film that you're watching is "badass." I think the most effective form of violence is something that you don't see. I hate to bring up the Dark Knight, but I feel far more menace and fear and danger in that world than I do in the Watchmen. Not everything needs to be so blunt. Subtlety is far more elegant and effective.
The acting is also something that took me out of the film. In parts it's embarrassing (not to mention the embarrassment that comes from the "orgasm scene") and I never felt that these where real people as opposed to actors. Jackie Earle Haley does a pretty good job as Rorschach I guess, and maybe in a better film his performance would have been stronger. Billy Crudup had a very difficult job in portraying Dr. Manhattan. It's nearly impossible to warm up to something that's near emotionless. Unfortunately, he didn't succeed, but I think it's just in the nature of the role. Patrick Wilson's Night Owl is more of an awkward nerd than I read him, but that's probably closer to how he should be read. He should be awkward and you should feel sorry for him, but you should also find triumph and reinvigoration in him as well when he progresses. I didn't really feel that in the film. It's there, but it's not developed.
What is there to like though? For being just shy of three hours, the film does encapsulate a good deal of the story. However, I doubt that anyone who hasn't read Watchmen will fully get the movie and will probably be severely confused at times. Technology and film making have advanced far enough that the movie isn't poorly or cheaply done (although I am not a fan of much of the style of it). Even X-Men or Spider-man feel dated and laughable now, so it's good that we at least waited at least this long to attempt to make the film. It's unfortunate that this film had to come out after Dark Knight because that isn't just a great superhero movie, it's a great movie. Watchmen feels just like a superhero movie, however. And as far as those go, in some respects I prefer Watchmen to the overly "wink-wink" style that the Marvel films have that make you feel like you're in on some kind of joke (when really that just makes them cheesy and reduces them to merely "popcorn" movies). Sure there are some silly 300 references, but those can easily be ignored.
But even for all of it's flaws, I don't hate it and I don't have any ill will to those who made it. I have my version of how I see Watchmen, and they have theirs. I can deal with that. Is this a film that will be looked at in later generations as something that changed cinema? Absolutely not. My only hope is that if someone sees this movie and dislikes it that they don't apply those same prejudices towards the comic, which is still phenomenal.
Grade: C+
There were so many choices that I saw as inappropriate. The soundtrack is a clashing, incongruous mess. Jimmy Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower" as Night Owl and Rorschach approach Ozymandias' base in the Archimedes? The use of Nena's "99 Luftballoons"? Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'"? Even though Watchmen is based around historical things, I don't feel that those songs were of that world at all. They took me out of the movie entirely as I would roll my eyes or cringe at them. I would have much rather had a good score placed behind these scenes. Sticking old pop songs on top of them is cheap.
The ultra-violence is also something I could have done entirely without. There were several moments where I had to look away from the screen because the violence was sickening. It's also the ultra-violence that ruins much of Kill Bill for me. I find it stupid mostly -- it's over the top and seems to have no purpose other than grossing you out or proposing a self-declaration that the film that you're watching is "badass." I think the most effective form of violence is something that you don't see. I hate to bring up the Dark Knight, but I feel far more menace and fear and danger in that world than I do in the Watchmen. Not everything needs to be so blunt. Subtlety is far more elegant and effective.
The acting is also something that took me out of the film. In parts it's embarrassing (not to mention the embarrassment that comes from the "orgasm scene") and I never felt that these where real people as opposed to actors. Jackie Earle Haley does a pretty good job as Rorschach I guess, and maybe in a better film his performance would have been stronger. Billy Crudup had a very difficult job in portraying Dr. Manhattan. It's nearly impossible to warm up to something that's near emotionless. Unfortunately, he didn't succeed, but I think it's just in the nature of the role. Patrick Wilson's Night Owl is more of an awkward nerd than I read him, but that's probably closer to how he should be read. He should be awkward and you should feel sorry for him, but you should also find triumph and reinvigoration in him as well when he progresses. I didn't really feel that in the film. It's there, but it's not developed.
What is there to like though? For being just shy of three hours, the film does encapsulate a good deal of the story. However, I doubt that anyone who hasn't read Watchmen will fully get the movie and will probably be severely confused at times. Technology and film making have advanced far enough that the movie isn't poorly or cheaply done (although I am not a fan of much of the style of it). Even X-Men or Spider-man feel dated and laughable now, so it's good that we at least waited at least this long to attempt to make the film. It's unfortunate that this film had to come out after Dark Knight because that isn't just a great superhero movie, it's a great movie. Watchmen feels just like a superhero movie, however. And as far as those go, in some respects I prefer Watchmen to the overly "wink-wink" style that the Marvel films have that make you feel like you're in on some kind of joke (when really that just makes them cheesy and reduces them to merely "popcorn" movies). Sure there are some silly 300 references, but those can easily be ignored.
But even for all of it's flaws, I don't hate it and I don't have any ill will to those who made it. I have my version of how I see Watchmen, and they have theirs. I can deal with that. Is this a film that will be looked at in later generations as something that changed cinema? Absolutely not. My only hope is that if someone sees this movie and dislikes it that they don't apply those same prejudices towards the comic, which is still phenomenal.
Grade: C+
1 comments:
I can't believe this film is getting such high praise... It's 300 syndrome, I assure you. Everyone said they where blown away when they saw it at the theater, and now everyone's all "meh" about it.
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