The author of BEATING UP DADDY and ''The Other Worst-Case Scenario'' web site shares his random insights.
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Monday, March 9
Posted
Monday, March 09, 2009
by Gene
Not bad. That's my official review: not bad. Zach Snyder is a long way away from a "visionary" director, but he is very good at being faithful to source material, and in that sense he did just fine. As a movie, it was a bit over-full, much in the same way Dark Knight was, but I don't think anybody who was familiar with the book minded that much.
Other thoughts:
--I've read that Snyder directed the film in the order in which it is seen, i.e., the first scenes in the film are the first shots committed to film. This approach may have helped the actors grow into their roles, improving the impact of their performances as the story progressed. But it was a disaster for the opening scenes, which should have been re-shot. I refer mainly to the largely terrible but very pretty Malin Akerman, whose initial take on her character was desperately, glaringly bad.
--Jackie Earle Haley's performance was nearly as good as Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. Yes, I'm completely serious. He played a character-- Rorschach-- that I thought would be impossible to capture at all well on film. I was wrong. Billy Crudup? Nearly as good.
--And then there was Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt. Extraordinarily miscast.
--The ending. Save for a few non-canonical moments-- Nite Owl's behavior at the climax in particular was just wrong-- the ending was very good, and much more interesting than the original in a couple of ways. I'd discuss how it was more interesting here, but I'm trying to keep this spoiler free.
--I haven't a clue how someone who never read the book would feel about this film. None.
Comments:
Shannon, who has never read the book, really liked the movie. He thought it was thought provoking and visually beautiful. AND he liked how the "superheroes" weren't comic-booky - as in they were complex and flawed people.
I'm somewhere in between you and him. I've read the book but am not a fangirl. And I really liked it too. Loved the prison scenes with Rorschach. I also loved the little touches they threw in for the 80's feel.
I skimmed the book last night and am amazed at how much Snyder took shot for shot. And I too liked the ending better - gave more weight to the choices Dr. M made.
I'm somewhere in between you and him. I've read the book but am not a fangirl. And I really liked it too. Loved the prison scenes with Rorschach. I also loved the little touches they threw in for the 80's feel.
I skimmed the book last night and am amazed at how much Snyder took shot for shot. And I too liked the ending better - gave more weight to the choices Dr. M made.
1: Shannon hasn't read Watchmen? How is this possible?
2: I'm glad his reaction was positive; it means the book translated reasonably well.
3: I think I was more disappointed by these two things than anything else: the pre-credits scene didn't need to exist, lasted too long, and was really awful; they short-cutted some of the story by giving Dr. M additional powers, viz. his "I'll show you what the world looks like to me" woogie woogie. Dude has enough powers already.
2: I'm glad his reaction was positive; it means the book translated reasonably well.
3: I think I was more disappointed by these two things than anything else: the pre-credits scene didn't need to exist, lasted too long, and was really awful; they short-cutted some of the story by giving Dr. M additional powers, viz. his "I'll show you what the world looks like to me" woogie woogie. Dude has enough powers already.
I've not read it either, but am excited to see the movie. Trying to to be TOO excited as I don't want my expectations to trump the reality of the film. But I like the 'concept' of the story, so...
Here's to hoping, I suppose. Though I'll be waiting until it's available on blu-ray and netflix it. I refuse to spend that much $$ for 2+ hours :-O. Glad you took one for the team, though ;-).
The reviews have been really hit or miss, so I'm nervous. but then again, TDK was said to be "The best thing to happen to crime thrillers since 'The Godfather'" and I watched it and cant' help but think that everyone was trying to get a piece of the Heath Ledger Humble Pie, because that movie just wasn't 90%+ on the tomatometer kind of good, either. 75% at best perhaps, and definitely not as good as #1 in that series.
I think the schism bodes well for me liking this feature, though. And hey, I DID like 300....
Here's to hoping, I suppose. Though I'll be waiting until it's available on blu-ray and netflix it. I refuse to spend that much $$ for 2+ hours :-O. Glad you took one for the team, though ;-).
The reviews have been really hit or miss, so I'm nervous. but then again, TDK was said to be "The best thing to happen to crime thrillers since 'The Godfather'" and I watched it and cant' help but think that everyone was trying to get a piece of the Heath Ledger Humble Pie, because that movie just wasn't 90%+ on the tomatometer kind of good, either. 75% at best perhaps, and definitely not as good as #1 in that series.
I think the schism bodes well for me liking this feature, though. And hey, I DID like 300....
Shannon's geek gene didn't seem to activate until later in life (teenage years devoted to dirt biking in W. Texas) and once in college, didn't have time.
Not knowing the book by heart, I didn't have any trouble with the credits. In fact, I remember saying to myself that I didn't actually read the opening credits as I was too busy watching what was going on behind them, which I found kinda cool and interesting.
Not knowing the book by heart, I didn't have any trouble with the credits. In fact, I remember saying to myself that I didn't actually read the opening credits as I was too busy watching what was going on behind them, which I found kinda cool and interesting.
Nono, the credit sequence was great. I'm talking about the murder of Edward Blake, which was not great, it was overdrawn and entirely unnecessary. The establishing sequences on the television were amateurish-- seriously, they couldn't get makeup to get an actor to look at least a little bit like Nixon?-- and the fight went on too long. Better to flash back to moments in the fight like the book does, which also makes it less awkward that they aren't bothering to show us the face of the killer, who seems to have a Special Shadow power over his head.
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