I saw "Watchmen" on opening day, having never read the graphic novel - I had no idea what to expect. I have mixed feelings about the film, and I have a few warnings for others that are planning on seeing it.
1. Prepare to see the longest movie ever - It has a running time of 2 hours & 43 minutes, which is incredibly unnecessary. It feels like forever. I have no idea what even happens in the last hour of the film because I was so focused on the fact that it wasn't over yet. It didn't help that I had a giant cup of coffee before it started. Thought I was GOING TO DIE.
2. The beginning is awe-inspiring - I was blown away. The opening credit sequence accompanied with Bob Dylan's The Times Are A-Changin' is absolutely phenomenal. But don't get too excited, the rest of the film isn't as incredible. Not even close.
3. There's violence, nudity and moral ambiguity - but nothing you haven't seen before - No, it's not you're average superhero film, it's more film noir. The violence was graphic, but if you saw 300, then you have already been desensitized. The nudity displayed by Billy Crudup and Malin Akerman wasn't exactly sexy either, after all Doctor Manhattan is CGI, so it felt like seeing a drawing of a penis rather than an actual penis and Akerman is not hot.
4. It has both amazing and terrible acting performances - Patrick Wilson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan & Jackie Earle Haley - wow. Billy Crudup didn't have much to do, but he still did nothing well. However, how did Malin Akerman and Matthew Goode get these roles? The other actors created characters that were substantial, conflicting, flawed and interesting. Silk Spectre and Ozymandias were boring, one-note and linear thanks to Akerman and Goode's lame acting.
5. It's ambitious - The film version of Watchmen has been circling Hollywood for years, but was always considered "unfilmable". Well Zach Snyder did it and he did it well. While some scenes don't work and the film is obviously too long, I appreciate Snyders ambition and his passion for film making. It's worth watching as long as you are prepared.
No comments:
Post a Comment