Posts Tagged ‘Watchmen’
Watchmen
It’s a movie that fanboys have been waiting for years to see on the silver screen. Thankfully, technology has enabled Zack Snyder to produce a worthy movie adaptation of the twelve part comic book series that has featured on Time‘s most influentual literature list.
By now, you’ll know the story even if you haven’t ever been exposed to the Watchmen. It’s an alternate future for the USA: Nixon has been re-elected more times than anyone cares to remember after having won the Vietnam war through the intervention of Doctor Manhattan, erstwhile physicist Jon Osterman who has gained true superpowers in a freak laboratory accident. The US victory in Vietnam has increased tensions with the USSR and those tension cause both nations to teeter on the brink of nuclear war at the time the story starts with the murder of The Comedian in late 1985. The murder of The Comedian is investigated by Rorschach, part of a group of costumed crime fighters who have been outlawed in recent times. The mystery of the murder deepens as Rorschach‘s investigation continues.
So I’ll come out and say it: this is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. It’ s by far the best adaptation of any comic book I have ever witnessed and it remains as faithful and true to the original as possible. The costumes are fantastic, as is the 1985 street scene in New York. The CG effects utilized to bring Doctor Manhattan to life and Nite Owl‘s flying craft Archie are too cool. I enjoyed this one from start to finish and cannot find fault with it. The two and a half hour running time provides ample time for the story to be developed and the most relevant elements of the iconic comic book to be included.
I can’t wait for the three hour DVD edition to be released in July. Before then, I planning to see the movie at least one more time. If you’re a fanboy, you should already have seen this movie 
06
03 2009
One week to Watchmen
Like all other fanboys the world over, I can’t wait for the release of the Watchmen movie on 6 March. For an event we’ve waited almost twenty years for, another week isn’t too long to go. If you haven’t read the acclaimed graphic novel yet, I highly recommend you seek out your nearest comics retailer and pick up a copy.
It will take some effort to read and a second pass is a good idea. To get into the storyline in more detail, check out the excellent annotations at Cap’n Wacky.
If that’s too much work for you, I can recommend the Watchmen motion comic for the iPod Touch, which is a direct translation of the comic book including narration. A Watchmen video journal documents the making of the movie.
Boing Boing Video has a sneak peek at the Watchmen in a recent episode and Wil Wheaton has a spoiler-free write-up.
6 March 2009. Almost here.
26
02 2009
No more lawyers for the Watchmen
The legal case that could have delayed the eagerly anticipated Watchmen movie has been resolved.
The details of the settlement are not known at present, but who cares! It seems as though the March 2009 debut is a go. Time to break out that graphic novel, start watching the trailers and get in line for some tickets…
19
01 2009
Motion Comics
It is unfair of Apple to allow users beyond Yankee borders to browse the content of the iTunes store. There are some great shows on there. A really innovative way of presenting comic books is present on the iTunes store in the form of a Watchmen Motion Comic.
Intended to make the graphic novel more accessible and to assist with hype generation leading up to the movie’s release date, the Motion Comic is a movie using the panels of the comic book synchronized with narration. For USD 20, those in the right territory get to purchase the full run of the Watchmen Motion Comic series. For those not permitted to purchase from the American iTunes store, you may get away with alternate means of accessing the content. A pity that one always has to find ways around company policies to gain access to content one is more than willing to pay for…
The Motion Comic concept works very well and will be rolled out to other DC franchises in the future. Look forward to Batman Motion Comics! The art is original and is animated to a certain degree to provide fluidity. The narration is top notch and makes the story come alive.
Certainly a great way for those who have never read the Watchmen to gain some insight into its excellent story. For those who have read the graphic novel, this is a great way to get through the material much faster.
09
10 2008
Watch the lawyers, Men!
The Watchmen are in post production and still on track for a release date in March 2009. But now there’s a lawsuit brewing between Fox and Warner Bros. which could cause delays, at best. Since I’m no lawyer, I’ll simply quote from The New York Times:
Fox has said it will seek an injunction blocking Warner’s planned release of the film next March. Warner has argued that Fox should not be allowed to stop the movie, after standing by while Warner and its partners on the film, Paramount Pictures and Legendary Pictures, spent more than $100 million on the production.
In a summary of its position in Friday’s report, Warner said Fox “sat silently” as one of the producers of “Watchmen,” Lawrence Gordon, took the project “to studio after studio with Fox’s express knowledge.”
Fox, which filed a lawsuit in February, has claimed in its own filings that Mr. Gordon did not keep the studio apprised of his plans, as required by a 1994 agreement. That deal granted Mr. Gordon rights to “Watchmen” in “turnaround” — an industry term for arrangements under which producers can move a project from one studio to another under certain conditions.
No comedian active here! From my perspective, it’s simply another example of the ridiculous nature of a Yankee litigious society. Why wait until a studio has completed all work on a movie before starting legal action? Why not simply take the opportunity of producing a megahit that millions of fans are waiting to see instead of turning down the offer then changing one’s mind? Typical big business trying to stomp out the competition by any means possible.
After we’ve waited so long for the Watchmen to get to the big screen it’s a serious pity to have the launch of the movie threatened by a bunch of sharks.