March 05, 2009

Watchmen

I got to watch an advanced screening of The Watchmen on Tuesday.  It was an interesting experience.   I have attended several advanced screenings in the past.  They have all been pretty standard.  You get there early with your pass, get in line, and aside from seeing a movie before it is released, it is a normal theater experience.
 
This wasn't.
 
They begin letting us in and instead of being greeted by your regular movie theater usher taking tickets, we're greeted by a bunch of guys in black suits.  They have metal detectors in their hands.  As I go through screening they ask me if I have a phone.  I show it to them.  They tell me they have to see me turn it off before I can go into the theater.  I advise them that I am still waiting for my sister to get there and that I have her ticket (I show them the extra ticket) and need my phone on for her to call me.  They again tell me that if I want to go inside I need to turn off my phone now.  So, I need to stand off to the side while I wait for my sister to arrive.  Eventually we get in and we're advised that we cannot leave the theater, even to go to the bathroom, until the entire auditorium is full and they have a feel for how many people are here.  I spot more guys with suits towards the front of the auditorim scanning the crown with small scopes (like a single-lensed binocular).  WTF?  Is this movie really so special to warrant Secret Service type security?  It was bizarre.
 
As for the movie itself, I liked it.  It was shot very stylistically, as Zach Snyder tends to do.  Lots of cool shots, plenty of slow-motion, and the man does not shy away from the gore and violence.  Which was one thing I enjoyed, even though this can be considered a "super-hero" movie, it is not for kids.  It is dark and violent.  I was surprised the studio didn't force them to cut it down to a PG-13 to maximize its box-office.  Bravo.  Sin City and 300 also had R ratings, but even at a glance a viewer can tell those movies are not really for kids; by the trailer alone I can see people thinking Watchmen is just another comic book movie ala Spider-Man and X-Men and be very surprised by what they find.
 
The movie had its share of flaws.  I applaud them for trying to be as true to the graphic novel as possible and release this as a 2hr 40 minute flick, but aside from pleasing fans of the novel, it could have probably been trimmed down to make it flow better as a movie.  It can also be a bit overwhelming for those that know absolutely nothing about the source material.  They will be left wondering who all these costumed heroes are and what their background is.  Some of their origins are told throughout the movie, but until that point you are left wondering just who all these characters are.
 
The movie definitely has a lot of polish and flair.  Special effects are a mixed bag, but I suspect most of it is intentional.  Some special effects don't look particularly "real", but I believe it is because they are going for more of that graphic novel/comic book look, rather than trying to emulate the real world.  If you can make that adjustment, then things are fine.  If you cannot, then everytime you see Dr. Manhattan on screen (the glowing naked blue guy who can bend space and time to his will), you will just think he looks silly.
 
Overall, I really enjoyed it.  The Watchmen is a very tough graphic novel to translate to live-action and in the hands of most directors this could have been a laughable experience.  But, Zach pulled it off.  So far he is 3 for 3 in my book.
 

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