Watchmen...

I wasn't going to get into this but seeing as I just posted my thoughts on Lucy's blog I figured I may as well expand on them here. I liked the film, more so the more I think about it. I do think it was too long and I really would've liked to have seen more of an adaptation. But I get it - it's a huge, culturally significant title and there is a fear of messing with that. Then again, changing the ending was a brave move and a completely understandable one - it would never have worked as a film otherwise.

I think that if it hadn't been a comic first it would be one of my favourite films now, but it was and I did have that Sin City thing of not really getting anything new from it being a film. On a personal level, I enjoyed it, especially the ending, but I did lose interest during that middle hour. But on a general, objective level, as a piece of art I think it's fantastic - it looks amazing and has a definite style and a clear tone. Generally the performances were great, particularly Jackie Earle Haley and Patrick Wilson. I think Zack Snyder is building up a really strong body of work and the film also reminded me that Alex McDowell is perhaps the greatest production designer working in cinema today. I like that it was a proper film about ideas and characters and wasn't afraid to make its audience think. I do believe that the faction of the audience who laughed every time naked Dr. Manhattan appeared are too stupid for Watchmen, but as long as we keep getting films of this intellectual standard then maybe there is hope for them too. Although that's not what Rorschach would say.

This has been posted all over the net now, but it's funny enough to be posted again here: