The comic is a singular work of art that was impossible to adapt with complete success, but Jackie Earle Hayley nailed this part, and that line is perfection.
The TV at the end was playing an episode of the science fiction anthology "The Outer Limits." The specific episode was "The Architects of Fear," about a group of scientists who plan to fake an alien invasion to trick the countries of Earth into uniting against a common enemy; a parallel to Veidt's plan. This reference was also made in the comic.
"I have walked across the surface of the sun. I have witnessed events so tiny and so fast, they could hardly be said to have occurred at all. But you, Adrian, you're just a man. The world's smartest man poses no more threat to me than does its smartest termite." Full body chills every single time.
@@lennyvalentin6485 Not a fan of Moore's insistence on deconstructing heroes and parading everyone's peculiar, sexual predilections in front of the audience, but the man's creative and talented, to be sure.
@@jimclayson Don't be such a prude... People have drawn sexy stuff since the dawn of mankind (literally tens of thousands of years ago.) It's nothing new at all. And, the whole point of the story is to deconstruct superheroes and look at what makes them tick, and the psychological angles that would drive a person into becoming a masked vigilante. Sexual hangups is bound to play a part there, considering how common various clothing-related fetishes are with regular non-vigilante people... :)
@@lennyvalentin6485 The level of prudishness I operate under is my decision, not yours or anyone else's, so I'll keep my own council. I'm not saying Moore (or you or anyone else) can or can't or should or shouldn't do as he (or you or anyone else) pleases. I simply stated my own take on the matter. I'm not bashing Moore's decisions... but I'd suggest his writing is reflective of his personal psyche, and isn't necessarily reflective of humanity in general. Sure, it'll speak to some more than others, and I find some aspects clever, creative, and even relatable... but I'm not required to love or endorse every aspect of his work without question. If you want someone to just parrot the party line of "Moore's a frickin' GENIUS," then I'm not your man. I respect his work, and understand that many people find it inspiring, but some parts of it don't appeal to me.
Zack Snyder was on record saying the Watchmen was impossible to translate to film. He found out WB was making the movie but the studio was changing it heavily like turning Rorschach into the hero and having a happy ending with the day being saved defeating the villain. He figured if they're already making it at least let him do it so he could make it as close as possible. The only thing he couldn't get his way was the novel ending being a giant squid. I think the new ending is better written and brings everything together. It was used against Zack that Alan Moore doesn't like the movie but it should be noted he doesn't like anything, even 1:1 reprints of his own work.
I read the script which you mentioned - it was a spec script which was written by Sam Hamm (who wrote the script for the first Batman movie). It changed the story enormously... and for the worse. The theatrical movie, both in script & production design, is SO much more faithful to the graphic novel than we had any right to expect.
So this is actually the one decent movie adaptation that kind if holds up Snyder has done? Aside from 300 if you're okay with an overabundance but alright for the time then of what would become his future staple if the Snyderisms
Sorry, but Snyder screwed up the tone of the movie completely. He chose to make everything "cool," when Moore made the characters much more flawed. V for Vendetta was much closer to Moore's work, as an example of how it can be done without making things ridiculous.
I still can’t watch the actor who played Ozzie in anything else without getting triggered. I watched him playing a character on Downtown Abby who dates on of the daughters. I shouted at the tv “don’t go out with him! He killed the Comedian and half of New York!” My wife was very confused
@@johnmiller7682 He mentioned in another post: "It tries to make everything cool when the essential message of the comic was that these people are f’d up." I get what he's saying, and I agree with him in so much as the tone of the movie was more Snyder's take than Moore's, but I disagree with him about that being the "essential message," as it were. As I posted elsewhere: consequentialism versus deontology. Ozymandias decided the ends justify the means... but as we see at the end, that's hubris, as we don't ever really KNOW what the end will be. We're not omniscient, prescient gods. Rorschach's journal could completely undo Ozymandias' efforts, making those MILLIONS of deaths/murders for nothing. The ends DON'T justify the means. Moore just can't help but set that message in a near-dystopia and mix in a huge dose of every major character's maladjusted sexual predilections on display for the world to see... which Snyder was more than happy to adapt to the big screen. Just sayin'. YMMV.
The Directors Cut is the version to watch, it actually resembles the original graphic novel pretty well. The ending has changed here slightly for the better in my opinion. This movie is under appreciated.
Disagree on the ending. Making Manhattan the scapegoat is never going to be as effective due to his close ties to the US. I could see a number of scenarios where the Soviets look at the ending as America's hubris coming back to bite them. The fake alien is a much more effective unifier, as it represents a completely foreign existential threat. The ultimate "us vs them"
@@EvoRms I think too many of us "of a certain age" saw what Lucas and Spielberg did to the works that no longer belong to them (because they belong to the world), and our first response will be "no changes!" because we felt violated. Like our memories don't matter, and younger people won't ever know. I get that, and I get specifically the change to the ending. I see it as a great idea that meets the comic and the non-comic viewers halfway. I actually like that only the extended version has Tales of the Black Freighter, because it's a literary tool that works for comics, but I don't know if it's necessary for a movie other than it is a cool visual, but I don't know if it helps a screenplay.
Jen: "Noted. If I ever go to prison, I guess that's the first impression I have to make." I just died laughing and I might have fallen in love a little bit 😂
I love Dr Manhattan's paradox. He experiences ALL moments in time, SIMULTANEOUSLY. His perception of time is not a straight line like us, events don't happen in sequence. From his point of view, all events exist at the same time, there is no progression, it all just...exists. In a way, he's held captive by this. Unable to create "change" because he already knows what happens, he's just...carrying out the actions he knows will be carried out. He's the most powerful being in the universe, but he's enslaved to his own power.
@@spacedinosaur8733 There are certainly interesting parallels between the Dr and Paul. But I think there is a difference. Despite him waxing poetically about his emotions and drives, Dr Manhattan doesn't seem to actually have any free will anymore. He sees the future as if its happening now, so he doesn't actually do anything that alters the future. Whereas Paul has a choice. Paul knows that there are countless outcomes based on the choices he makes. A major reason why he takes the path that he does is because it involves him getting revenge and securing power for his family. And more importantly, he knows that everything else he can try to do will lead to his family's death and the Harkonnens wiping out the Fremen. Just like in the movie when Jessica is told to become the new Reverend Mother, she says "it was a choice between this or death". They have a choice, and they picked the one that saved their asses.
The Comedian is an interesting character. You can tell he is intelligent, and that there are some actual serious thoughts in his head. He isn't just a muscle head, despite his shades of grey moral compass. His morality is a muddled mess, but he is a parody of humanity itself, and the complicated morality that comes with it. The actor almost turned down the role after reading the death scene at the beginning. He thought the character was killed off early. His agent encouraged him to keep reading, and expressed to him how important the character was to the whole story.
The characters follow philosophical answers to existential dread. The comedian's is Absurdism. My biggest critique against this movie is that Bay favours Rorschach's Moralism too heavily. Maybe he was just pandering to the most prevalent worldview, maybe he thinks the world is black and white. He should have given other theories a fair chance. 😁 Keep Utilitarians the villain. To me, the true heroes are Spectre and Owl, two normies just trying to live their lives.
@@CanalTremocos I am a bit of an absurdist in my worldview, but without the antisocial tendencies of the Comedian. Utilitarianism is definitely an evil in my eyes... "For the greater good" has been used way too many times to justify atrocities throughout history. I can empathize with the desire for black and white moralism, but unfortunately things are not that simple in the real world.
@@CanalTremocos I feel like following Rorsach most of the time made the ending hit even heavier when Dr Manhattan ends him. Especially because he asks for it
@@aarondonald1611 But it doesn't follow him when he's being a rotten bigot. That makes the ending hit differently. Instead of being just one more egg for Veidt to crack he's some sort of sacrificial lamb. It also misses that he doesn't have morals, he's a moralist. As in he likes to dish judgement but does whatever he wants.
@@CanalTremocos Loved the graphic, and loved the movie, directors cut is the best of course. That said, I always had mixed views on who, if anyone, is the hero. First read through I felt it was Rorschach, as he stayed true to his worldview in the face of everything. Then later I thought it was Dr Manhattan as he found the ability to value life again even as his last tie to humanity was slipping his grasp. In the end I don't think there really was a hero. If you have to kill that many people for a peace based on a lie, then you have to always wonder how long that would last. If you're unwilling to let the costly lie saves lives then you aren't fighting for others, you're fighting for yourself. If you are willing to kill a comrade so cold bloodedly when you could simply pluck them up and put them anywhere in the universe then you're too lazy to be bothered to find the heroic third choice answer that people do even in real life. After all, people find peaceful compromises in everything from getting up in the morning to utilizing limited resources within societal structures. I think that's what makes this story so great, that there aren't any real heroes, just people who are very flawed living in a world that is very, very flawed. Yet, it's all wrapped up in a superhero themed narrative. Groundbreaking for its time, and certainly has left a large mark on storytelling within the media of comics. I love this so much!
The World's Smartest Man wouldn't begin the monologue about his master plan while the heroes had any chance to stop it. He gave his monologue when it was already too late.
@@EvoRms He is one, but written to be intelligent. If he wouldn't be a comic book villain, he simply would've set his plan in motion without monologuing
I love how Watchmen destroys the stupid trope of the villain explaining his master plan to the hero so the hero can thwart the plan. Ozymandias does the obvious thing and does his masterstroke before the heroes arrive and explains it to them when it’s too late for them to do anything about it.
Also, the villain turns out to have good intentions to the point that the "heroes" decide to become complicit in his plan, destroying their comrades if they're in the way. That was new.
You're so engrossed at the start with Comedian vs Ozymandias and being introduced to this world that it took me a few viewings before it occurred to me The Comedian lasted longer against Ozymandias than everyone else combined (minus Dr. Manhattan) way past his prime in his bathrobe. He was also caught by surprise while everyone else knew they were getting in a fight with Ozymandias. The Comedian was a beast. It's no wonder why the rest of them never tried to mess with him despite all his glaring flaws. They probably knew he'd rip them in half.
What's more, the comedian had uncovered the plot in its entirety. And he knew why he was being killed and by whom. He was torn, uncertain if he should tell anyone and stop the plan to save the world or let the world be saved, understanding what kind of world it would be afterwards: one he would truly not be welcome in, nor would he want to. With that background, you realize that his fight was half-hearted against Ozzie. He was conflicted as to whether or not to actually fight back. And yet he still lasted longer than everyone else combined. Yeah. The Comedian was the baddest of bad asses. Hard core to the core and a complete piece of go-su. One that fit his world perfectly.
@@bmobert That is a really good point that he wasn't 100 percent committed to the fight. I forgot that when writing that reply. Thank you, for adding that.
“Reassembling myself was the first trick I learned. It didn't kill Osterman... did you really think it would kill me? I have walked across the surface of the Sun. I have witnessed events so tiny and so fast they can hardly be said to have occurred at all. But you, Adrian, you're just a man. The world's smartest man poses no more threat to me than does its smartest termite.”
Zack Snyder in a nutshell: The closer to source the better. 300 was basically just the comic on film and a it was big hit. I think he thinks he's a good movie-maker. But the more he gets creative the worse the movie gets.
In a stylized way yes, regarding composition and blocking... but In fact It's the opposite, the images of the comic aren't clean, colourful or flashy, nothing suggest fancy fighting or good looking people, the light and colours are in line with the depressed characters, etc. Snyder tried to make something spectacular and exciting with that stuff, but It's an impossible task, unless you betray the original
@@JulioLeonFandinho You're completely right, except I think you give Snyder too much credit. I think Snyder looked at the comic and flat-out did not understand the features you mention. All he thought was, "I can make this look awesome on film." He didn't consider how that would change the meaning.
@@noodle_fcThe best way to convince someone that Snyder doesn't understand Watchmen is to have them listen to him talk about it in interviews for about 5 seconds. Guy engages with the story on the level of a 12 year old boy.
@@Pink.andahalf Oh my god you are so right. I'd never seen any press for this movie. I'm literally less than two minutes into an interview-it's the first question-and Snyder said "make sure that tonally it had that impossibly cool Watchmen-ish-ness." ... Wow. I mean, I knew he didn't understand it, but to this level? Just wow.
The graphic novel version had lots of great detail. Dr. Manhattan transmuted enough material for batteries so that the US could move on to electric cars. The 1st masked vigilantes had capes, but one named Dollar Bill that was sponsored by a bank got shot when his cape got tangled in a revolving door. That incident proved capes weren't an asset and most vigilantes stopped wearing them. If this sounds familiar, these details AND the original ending for the Watchmen movie were used in an animated movie called The Incredibles -- along with the concept of the government shutting down the vigilante business. Yes, the 1st movie version of the Watchmen was the Invincibles. Having read the DC original material, I saw that the material had been "borrowed" at once.
The original Watchmen comic was supposed to feature other characters from DC comics. Alan Moore couldn't get the rights to those characters, so he made his own characters to replace them. Dr. Manhattan = Captain Atom, Rorschach = The Question, The Comedian = Peacemaker, Nite Owl = Blue Beetle, Ozymandias = Peter Cannon and Silk Spectre = Nightshade.
@@cookiedestroyer2801 They weren't DC characters, they were from a company called Charlton. DC had purchased the rights to the company's characters and were hoping this series would be an introduction for them into the DC Multiverse. When they saw where Moore was going they realised it would leave them unusable and so they decided to create the Watchmen characters instead.
Rorschach is the guy who was holding the sign that says The End is Near. In the comic book, Rorschach kills the kidnapper by chaining him to a stove and setting the house on fire.
Yeah in the book Rorsach tosses the kidnapper a saw to cut his own hand off to escape before he burns to death. I think the movie changed it because it was too close to similar scene in Mad Max.
@@tonyreyes8315- well Mad Max was in 1979 and Moore wrote Watchmen in the mid 80s (1986 release). But I don’t know if Alan Moore had seen the Mad Max movie.
Watchmen was one of the first works to deconstruct superhero fiction, giving readers more pathology behind many of the character archetypes in the genre, exploring a more realistic kind of effect that the existence of superheroes would have on the world, and asking difficult and uncomfortable questions about the morality of what they do. It has been a major influence on the genre ever since. As mentioned in the live chat, The Boys is a major example of that influence.
Yeah, it came out almost back-to-back with the Dark Knight Returns, which also looked at the psychology of masked vigilantes. That one-two punch changed comics forever. Sadly, this movie gets none of that tone and is more of a typical superhero presentation.
@@maxducoudray It's so not. But that's a matter of perspective, I suspect. I would guess that you are a connoisseur of the superhero comic book / graphic novel milieu, from the very informed comment you've made. But that makes it very hard to be a viewer of an adaptation: I can never see much other than the failings of adaptations of two famous texts which I studied and immersed myself in (the War of the Worlds and Frankenstein), so that I cannot clearly see how good an adaptation might really be. Except, I knew the Pal WotW before reading the OSM, so in fact I *do* know that an 'unfaithful' or just 'thinned down' adaptation *can* in fact bring the brilliance of the OSM to a new audience without being biblically authentic in every detail and nuance. I saw this movie after it had been lambasted as 'disappointing' by the viewers in the know - having never read the graphic novel / series because my comic nerd friend was too precious about lending it to me, ironically - and so I came to it with an open mind and... well I thought it was very good and a perfectly noir-esque character study and superhero inversion. There was absolutely enough of it there for me to get what I needed, intellectually and psychologically. Audiences, it seems, can fill in blanks for themselves if the tone's there. For me, it was. But, like I said, if you read Frankenstein, you're gonna hate every adaptation of it. God damn you, Kenneth Branagh.
This is my favorite Snyder movie and was way ahead of its time in terms of subverting superhero tropes. It'd be a massive hit if it came out nowadays, and even if it's not a perfect adaption storywise, it's pretty damn good.
Great analysis! But for my money, the first real such attempt was Marvel's original Squadron Supreme, which predated BOTH Watchmen and TDKR! The SS were Marvel's rip off version of the JLA, from a parallel world with thinly veiled versions of all of DC's characters; so Marvel was able to tell a 12 part story that looked at what might happen when you took off the limits of what a "superhero story" could be...
The opening credits sequence is a montage of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century: ( the Times Square Kiss, the Son of Sam murders, the Kennedy assasination, the moon landing), but with an alternate timeline twist. I remember when they dropped this as a Teaser on the internet... I had never heard of Watchmen but EVERYONE went nuts over this sequence.
I can't recommend the graphic novel enough. One of the all time greats. Also Jackie Earl Haley MADE this movie. Great acting from a former child actor!
I’m so glad somebody finally reacted to this movie and you did a great job! This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve watched it and found out new little things each time. It’s just an incredible timeless movie With great acting and cinematography and just a whole different take on reality. I think it’s just one of those perfect movies where no one wins but the world is better for it. Great job.
Such an amazing film. Closest adaptation to the comic book I’ve ever seen. Folks were mad about the lack of the Squid but I always hated that part of the graphic novel. Along with 2 or 3 smaller story sequences that were kind of important but in the end, Zack Snyder achieved the point.
An otherworldly party made sense to galvanize world peace in light of our global wars and distrust. Making Dr. Manhattan the global threat makes it a very doubtful peace because many people are going to hate or hold the Americans responsible for their mad superman.
One of my favorites. Especially the director's cut. Grim style, real people as super heroes with their flaws, good music, good action, unpredictable script. So good.
this is probably the best super hero action movie because it's so dark, so real, it does not hold your hand it forces you to think..... but just a little and enough to still just enjoy the movie
There are scenes in the movie that are direct panel for panel translations from the comic. Most fans see this as one of the most faithful comic adaptations ever. Watchmen creator Alan Moore hates it. Great reaction Jen, I love this movie and the graphic novel it came from. I'll leave you with one last thought, this is Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley, first published January 11th 1818. I met a traveller from an antique land, Who said-“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed; And on the pedestal, these words appear: My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Actually, the comic starts with the bloody smiley face, and a sequence of panels pulling up to the scene of the detective looking down the side of the building. The opening of the movie with the murder and the montage is taken from flashbacks later, as well as excerpts from books, newspaper clippings and the like, that are put in between the comic pages themselves. Although it's all from the book, it's probably the part of the movie where Zack Snyder did his own thing the most. Also his choice of music, of course. The dead guy in the montage with the dollar symbol is called Dollar Bill, and he got shot when his cape was stuck in a revolving door. You may notice that Disney/Pixar's "The Incredibles" borrows quite a bit from Watchmen, including "No capes." Snyder also changed the ending a little. Only New York was obliterated, and rather than framing Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias gave the impression that there was an alien attack. I think you're watching the theatrical version. The Director's Cut adds some important scenes, like the ultimate fate of Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl. You could also watch the Ultimate Cut, which even includes "The Black Freighter," the comic within the comic, though that's also available separately. The symbol on Dr. Manhattan's forehead is a hydrogen atom. Just one proton and one electron. Oh, the comic never actually refers to the superheroes as "Watchmen." The name only appears in the graffiti "Who watches the Watchmen."
The comic book art was by a guy named Dave Gibbons who is one of the best stylists and most precise artists from the 80s so this movie does match that precision quite well
I love this movie, it's not just "the fun adventures of superheroes", most of them are not even good people, it has layers, and the alternate 80s were cool.
Having read the comics, I gotta tell ya they were VERY faithful. Like most of it is word for word, shot for shot. Some stuff had to be cut for time ofc, but what we got is one of the most spot-on adaptations I’ve seen
Criminally underrated superhero movie. If it had come out 10 years later it would have been an instant classic IMO, 2009 just wasn't up to speed with this kind of superhero movie yet.
I actually argued at the time it should have come out 10 years *earlier*. Watchmen was HUGE in the late 80s/early 90s. By 2009, all the innovations that Watchmen started had been copied so many times that the movie no longer stood out as nearly as groundbreaking. Of course, due to technology, a late 90s Watchmen wouldn’t have looked nearly as good, so it is a timing v. quality issue.
If you liked this Jen, you'll LOVE the original graphic novel by Alan Moore. You saw how the movie repeats and reflects the bloodstained smiley face? Well the graphic novel has around a dozen of those repeating motifs, AND two scenes at a crossroads in New York where every person on each corner is a participant in the story or a side-story, looping though that moment in time, AND an entire comic-within-a-comic that reflects the moral dilemma at the heart of the main story, AND multi-page prose exerpts from various characters' books and papers at the end of each chapter, all woven seamlessly together in one of the most perfect tapestries of story and symbolism ever written. It feels like a parallel but familiar universe that by some alchemy manages to distil the very essence of the real 20th century in an entirely fantastical story. The movie was a labour of love for Zac Snyder, it shows, and it's good. It's probably the best commercially viable movie that could have been made from Watchman, who's movie rights were in "Development Hell" from virtually the moment it came out and which was described as "unfilmable" by at least two prospective directors. Nevertheless, it leaves some things out, mostly for time, but sometimes for legal reasons, and it makes a huge change to the nature of Veidt's plot, the movie version being less colourfully visual, but tighter (and probably cheaper to film to a high standard). I'll always regret that they couldn't find time for Rorschach's full speech to Dr. Long after he tells the story of the child murderer: (In the book, he burns the place) "Stood in firelight, sweltering. Bloodstain on chest like map of violent new continent. Felt cleansed. Felt dark planet turn under my feet and knew what cats know that makes them scream like babies in the night. Looked at sky through smoke heavy with human fat and God was not there. The cold, suffocating dark goes on forever, and we are alone. Live our lives, lacking anything better to do. Devise reason later. Born from oblivion, bear children, hell-bound as ourselves, go into oblivion. There is nothing else. Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose. This rudderless world in not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the children, not Fate that butchers them or Destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It's Us. Only Us. Streets stank of fire. The void breathed hard on my heart, turning its illusions to ice, shattering them. Was reborn then, free to scrawl own design on this morally blank world. Was Rorschach."
It bothers me greatly when people idolize Rorschach, because they don't understand what Moore and Gibbons were trying to say about nihilism and vigilantism. Yes, Walter Kovacs had a terrible life, and yes, things happen in the world because people make them happen, but he only uses it an an excuse to hurt people and then rationalizes his actions as the kind of "justice" that the law/state/authority makes impossible. I don't think Moore or Gibbons would say any of the Minutemen or Crimebusters/Watchmen are the kinds of people who deserve to be called "heroes" or who others should ever aspire to be.
@@Rycel2001 Yes and just to be clear, I don't idolize Rorschach, I just think it's a great dramatic, and chilling, speech. Rorschach does make a valid point about not evading personal responsibility, which has only become more of a problem in the decades since Watchmen was written. However his solution, which is essentially to be badder than the bad people, TO the bad people, and never compromise, doesn't do much to solve anything. Yes, it might take a few truly awful criminals off the streets for good, but he's still just one man in one city, so the effect is limited. As a means of imposing his will on the "morally blank" world, it's not very effective: the world is still just as bad, to a rounding error, with him in it as it would be without him. If, for instance, he'd started a charity to help people, and recruited more people to join the effort so that it had more effect and would potentially last after his death, then he;d have made a much larger and positive impact on the "moral character" of the world. However his damaged and paranoid mindset won't allow that. He's the living embodiment of the frequently observed phenomenon that child victims often grow up to be adult perpetrators.
Sorry about Blues Brothers, Jen, that reaction of yours is outstanding. Don't let the copyright weasels get you down. I'll always stand with you, as will lots of others.
now you need to watch the watchmen series, its basically a new story a bit after the events of the movie and totally worth it. the story is completely different but it feels the same.
One of the most accurate comic adaptations ever. Snyder literally used the Graphic Novel as the Story Board. Yes, there is one very major change, but that almost certainly was a studio interference thing, and it doesn't reduce the quality of the rest of the film.
Sorry I missed the premiere, was travelling. Playing now for the algo. Great reaction / great movie! 💜😃 The full length on your Patreon was amazing! Non-Patreon viewers here should consider signing up to Jen's Patreon for 1 month to check it out. 100s of films there, many more added every month.. there are a bunch tv series (TNG, The IT Crowd, etc.) and some Patreon exclusive stuff.
Compared to the Graphic Novel, this movie is almost a shot-for-shot remake. There are dozens of still shots from the novel, brought to life in these scenes. The one major difference being the ending, the threat that brings everyone together isn't Dr Manhattan, but genetically engineered psychic squids. The effect remains the same though, the World units under the threat of aliens.
As a fan of both I would have to disagree. Watching this in the theater after only knowing the graphic novel kept taking me out of it every time the film deviated from how it was depicted in the comic. Snyder did get some of it correct in the shots but then the actors and their diologue wouldn't fit. Just go back and compare the scenes with the two detectives investigating Blake's murder. All of their banter is pretty much gone and the pacing is off. But it's okay. I've gotten over the fact that it isn't like Sin City which came much closer to a shot by shot version of a comic.
Young Rorschach is played by Eli Snyder, Zack Snyder's son and a very talented up and coming director himself. He also played young Leonidas in 300, and a few other roles in his dad's movies and helped choreograph, direct, and shoot the football scene in Justice League.
A lot of first time movie reactors are all watchign the same movies at the same time. So I'm glad to see this one, because it's been a long time since I've seen this one.
Very happy that you watched and enjoyed this one! I remember seeing this in theaters wayyy back when! It was SO DARK and SHOCKING!! I had no idea what was going to be happening. :) Overall, great adaptation to a fantastic comic book. The comic is very much worth the read if you can stomach the violence and controversy. If watching this was tough for you then I'd probably suggest that you pass.
The brief black-and-white television shot is from The Outer Limits, not The Twilight Zone. If you have never seen either of them, I highly recommended both.
When I was a kid, I had read the story I don’t know how many times, and I was excited when this movie came out, so I got to the theater early. While I was waiting for the movie to start, I found it pretty funny when quite a few parents walked in with very young children with them. Shortly after the movie started, it got really funny watching them all scurry out of there as quickly as they could when they realized that this movie wasn’t going to be anything like the other superhero films.
The book is a fantastic read and was specifically written to prove that graphic novels could tell a story in a way that books or movies cant. For years it was considered an "unfilmable" story because of the way it was structured in the graphic novel. Very much worth your time if you liked the movie. (apologies if any of this was already said by others)
I remember watching this in theaters, having no knowledge of the source material. I spent half the movie trying to get Dr. Manhatten's floppy soldier out of my head. Almost 20 years later: mission failed.
“It’s all a joke.” I just realized something during the Comedian fight. There was an indirect reference to this movie in The Suicide Squad movie. SPOILERS: As Peacemaker killed Rick Flag, the latter commended on his name, saying “What a joke.” Interesting enough, the Comedian character was based on Peacemaker.😂
Visually and thematically, the film is incredibly faithful to the graphic novel, even down to specific frames. The movie actually struggles to fit in all the comic's material and themes because of how dense the Watchmen story is. It took the better part of 20 years to finally get the movie made because changing or omitting too many elements of the story irrevocably alters what makes Watchmen's themes so resonant and impactful. Some even called Watchmen "unfilmable." The movie does make changes, primarily regarding Veidt's plan. Though his goals are the same, how he goes about achieving them are different. I don't wanna spoil too much in case you ever choose to read it, but his plan was deemed too bizarre and it could risk alienating movie audiences, so the plan was altered to be an energy device that would frame Dr. Manhattan for cataclysmic global attacks. Doing this also solved another problem of trying to make sure that Dr. Manhattan remained relevant to the plot.
Back in 2009, as part of my Bachelor of Commerce degree in university, I had to take a number of elective liberal arts courses and one of them was Science-Fiction Literature which luckily, included having to read Alan Moore's 'The Watchmen' graphic novel. We covered the book in great detail and its various themes of an alternate timeline, what-if scenarios if history had unfolded differently, superheroes living in the real world, etc. so I was blown away when 'The Watchmen' was released in theatres that summer. It's not vital to have read the graphic novel, but it certainly helps and the movie is a favourite movie of mine from the 2000s. I even have the Tyler Bates score as well as the song compilation soundtrack as well as an original large French theatrical poster of the movie measuring 47 inches wide by 63 inches long, so you could say I'm a fan of this movie and book. :)
Though he actually wrote it as a modern adaptation. He didn't think that the audience would connect with the time period; it was Snyder that thought that the story had to be told as it was in the comic book.
You actually see Rohrshack’s face before, without the mask. He was posing as a bigger at the Joker’s funeral. And when Dan and Laury left the restaurant and walked into the ally where they kicked the gang’s asses, no-mask Rohrschack was standing there with a “The End is Nigh” sign. He thinks that’s his disguise, and with mask is the real him.
Actually in the prison fight scene if you pay attention closely youll notice Lorrie conveniently has flat soled boots on whenever shes fighting but magically they seem to turn into stilletto heels whenever she just has to walk around and look sexy... very high tech boots indeed (or more likely the stunt double in the fitht scenes told them to sod off and give her some better footwear :P)
Rorschach was played by former child actor, Jackie Earl Haley. Jackie is probably most famous for "The Bad News Bears" 1976, "Damnation Alley" 1977, "Breaking Away" 1979.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan almost turned down playing Blake/The Comedian after reading the first scene in the script cause he assumed that would be his only scene as his character was dead. Couldn't have been further from the truth with all the flashbacks. :)
SUPERHERO Playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLQHhQlj8i5dopvtiurLnZTGXuc5ngzQD6
KICK-ASS: ruclips.net/video/QO0KKMcR4WQ/видео.html
Congratulations on today's Premiere🎉was Hoping it would be a BIG one for Jen!🤨(Y'all know what I mean)
The Graphic novel is def worth taking the time to read, give's you a better history of the world, the charecters & the original ending😉
the actor who played rorschach became a huge celebrity when this released
I love the hbo watchman tv series even more than the movie.
@@christhompson6010 He also starred in the original 'Bad News Bears' from the 70's which is a great watch but may not be YoutTube viable....😉
"Wonder what's his powers"
Everything.
BBP. Big Blue Peen.
"I feel fear for the last time" is such a powerful line.
“None of you seem to understand. I’m not locked in here with you….You’re locked in here with me!” One of the most badass lines ever.
I totally agree, Dylan! 😊
This 👆🏻
They DEFINITELY did not understand.
I thought this movie was a masterpiece, even without being aware of the comic.
The comic is a singular work of art that was impossible to adapt with complete success, but Jackie Earle Hayley nailed this part, and that line is perfection.
"Maybe they're superheroes, but they're all kind of a-holes as well."
NAILED IT.
"The Boys" is "superheroes would suck because capitalism"
"Watchmen" is "superheroes would suck because geopolitics"
An extremely astute and accurate summarization.
@@chrisleebowers Watchmen is "superheroes suck because human."
@@jsharp3165 They are very specifically Cold-War era humans that suck in Cold-War specific ways with Cold-War specific motivations and consequences.
I never read the graphic novel ( big sin I know ) but Nite Owl / Dan seems nice in the film was he troubled in the graphic novel ?
The TV at the end was playing an episode of the science fiction anthology "The Outer Limits." The specific episode was "The Architects of Fear," about a group of scientists who plan to fake an alien invasion to trick the countries of Earth into uniting against a common enemy; a parallel to Veidt's plan. This reference was also made in the comic.
"I have walked across the surface of the sun. I have witnessed events so tiny and so fast, they could hardly be said to have occurred at all. But you, Adrian, you're just a man. The world's smartest man poses no more threat to me than does its smartest termite."
Full body chills every single time.
Alan Moore. Nobody writes stories like him.
@@lennyvalentin6485 Not a fan of Moore's insistence on deconstructing heroes and parading everyone's peculiar, sexual predilections in front of the audience, but the man's creative and talented, to be sure.
@@jimclayson Don't be such a prude... People have drawn sexy stuff since the dawn of mankind (literally tens of thousands of years ago.) It's nothing new at all.
And, the whole point of the story is to deconstruct superheroes and look at what makes them tick, and the psychological angles that would drive a person into becoming a masked vigilante. Sexual hangups is bound to play a part there, considering how common various clothing-related fetishes are with regular non-vigilante people... :)
Moore is pretty tame....
@@lennyvalentin6485 The level of prudishness I operate under is my decision, not yours or anyone else's, so I'll keep my own council.
I'm not saying Moore (or you or anyone else) can or can't or should or shouldn't do as he (or you or anyone else) pleases. I simply stated my own take on the matter.
I'm not bashing Moore's decisions... but I'd suggest his writing is reflective of his personal psyche, and isn't necessarily reflective of humanity in general. Sure, it'll speak to some more than others, and I find some aspects clever, creative, and even relatable... but I'm not required to love or endorse every aspect of his work without question. If you want someone to just parrot the party line of "Moore's a frickin' GENIUS," then I'm not your man. I respect his work, and understand that many people find it inspiring, but some parts of it don't appeal to me.
Zack Snyder was on record saying the Watchmen was impossible to translate to film. He found out WB was making the movie but the studio was changing it heavily like turning Rorschach into the hero and having a happy ending with the day being saved defeating the villain. He figured if they're already making it at least let him do it so he could make it as close as possible. The only thing he couldn't get his way was the novel ending being a giant squid. I think the new ending is better written and brings everything together. It was used against Zack that Alan Moore doesn't like the movie but it should be noted he doesn't like anything, even 1:1 reprints of his own work.
THIS
I read the script which you mentioned - it was a spec script which was written by Sam Hamm (who wrote the script for the first Batman movie). It changed the story enormously... and for the worse. The theatrical movie, both in script & production design, is SO much more faithful to the graphic novel than we had any right to expect.
@@howardbeatman2820as I've learned. David Haytr also wrote on the movie
So this is actually the one decent movie adaptation that kind if holds up Snyder has done? Aside from 300 if you're okay with an overabundance but alright for the time then of what would become his future staple if the Snyderisms
Sorry, but Snyder screwed up the tone of the movie completely. He chose to make everything "cool," when Moore made the characters much more flawed. V for Vendetta was much closer to Moore's work, as an example of how it can be done without making things ridiculous.
Ozy is a great villain, “I triggered it 35minutes ago”. Monologues only after the plan is done.
I still can’t watch the actor who played Ozzie in anything else without getting triggered. I watched him playing a character on Downtown Abby who dates on of the daughters. I shouted at the tv “don’t go out with him! He killed the Comedian and half of New York!” My wife was very confused
One of the best comic book movie adaptations. It’s so dark and Jackie Earle Haley’s performance as Rorschach was fantastic, he absolutely killed it.
Absolutely a terrible adaptation. Completely missed the point of the comic and ruined the message.
@@maxducoudray And what message was that?
@@johnmiller7682 Yeah, I'm intrigued to know what the "real" adaptation/interpretation of the message should have been.
@@Jon_from_LII mean, you could always just read it and find out?
@@johnmiller7682 He mentioned in another post: "It tries to make everything cool when the essential message of the comic was that these people are f’d up."
I get what he's saying, and I agree with him in so much as the tone of the movie was more Snyder's take than Moore's, but I disagree with him about that being the "essential message," as it were.
As I posted elsewhere: consequentialism versus deontology. Ozymandias decided the ends justify the means... but as we see at the end, that's hubris, as we don't ever really KNOW what the end will be. We're not omniscient, prescient gods. Rorschach's journal could completely undo Ozymandias' efforts, making those MILLIONS of deaths/murders for nothing.
The ends DON'T justify the means.
Moore just can't help but set that message in a near-dystopia and mix in a huge dose of every major character's maladjusted sexual predilections on display for the world to see... which Snyder was more than happy to adapt to the big screen.
Just sayin'. YMMV.
The Directors Cut is the version to watch, it actually resembles the original graphic novel pretty well. The ending has changed here slightly for the better in my opinion. This movie is under appreciated.
Disagree on the ending. Making Manhattan the scapegoat is never going to be as effective due to his close ties to the US. I could see a number of scenarios where the Soviets look at the ending as America's hubris coming back to bite them. The fake alien is a much more effective unifier, as it represents a completely foreign existential threat. The ultimate "us vs them"
i agree on that!
Once I said on reddit the movie changes were for the better... they crucified me. But I stand by it.
@@EvoRms I think too many of us "of a certain age" saw what Lucas and Spielberg did to the works that no longer belong to them (because they belong to the world), and our first response will be "no changes!" because we felt violated. Like our memories don't matter, and younger people won't ever know. I get that, and I get specifically the change to the ending. I see it as a great idea that meets the comic and the non-comic viewers halfway. I actually like that only the extended version has Tales of the Black Freighter, because it's a literary tool that works for comics, but I don't know if it's necessary for a movie other than it is a cool visual, but I don't know if it helps a screenplay.
@@EvoRmsYou were right. The nonsensical fake alien creature was moronic when the perfect threat was already there.
Jen: "Noted. If I ever go to prison, I guess that's the first impression I have to make."
I just died laughing and I might have fallen in love a little bit 😂
Jen says some surprising things from time to time 😂😂😅
Yes, imagine Jen batting other prisoners with a lunch tray, 🤣
"Timothy...Dalton...is...best...Bond...!"
I love Dr Manhattan's paradox. He experiences ALL moments in time, SIMULTANEOUSLY. His perception of time is not a straight line like us, events don't happen in sequence.
From his point of view, all events exist at the same time, there is no progression, it all just...exists.
In a way, he's held captive by this. Unable to create "change" because he already knows what happens, he's just...carrying out the actions he knows will be carried out.
He's the most powerful being in the universe, but he's enslaved to his own power.
Much like Paul Atredies in Dune. In seeing the future, he becomes trapped by it.
@@spacedinosaur8733 There are certainly interesting parallels between the Dr and Paul. But I think there is a difference. Despite him waxing poetically about his emotions and drives, Dr Manhattan doesn't seem to actually have any free will anymore. He sees the future as if its happening now, so he doesn't actually do anything that alters the future. Whereas Paul has a choice. Paul knows that there are countless outcomes based on the choices he makes. A major reason why he takes the path that he does is because it involves him getting revenge and securing power for his family. And more importantly, he knows that everything else he can try to do will lead to his family's death and the Harkonnens wiping out the Fremen. Just like in the movie when Jessica is told to become the new Reverend Mother, she says "it was a choice between this or death". They have a choice, and they picked the one that saved their asses.
The Comedian is an interesting character. You can tell he is intelligent, and that there are some actual serious thoughts in his head. He isn't just a muscle head, despite his shades of grey moral compass.
His morality is a muddled mess, but he is a parody of humanity itself, and the complicated morality that comes with it.
The actor almost turned down the role after reading the death scene at the beginning. He thought the character was killed off early. His agent encouraged him to keep reading, and expressed to him how important the character was to the whole story.
The characters follow philosophical answers to existential dread. The comedian's is Absurdism. My biggest critique against this movie is that Bay favours Rorschach's Moralism too heavily. Maybe he was just pandering to the most prevalent worldview, maybe he thinks the world is black and white. He should have given other theories a fair chance. 😁 Keep Utilitarians the villain.
To me, the true heroes are Spectre and Owl, two normies just trying to live their lives.
@@CanalTremocos I am a bit of an absurdist in my worldview, but without the antisocial tendencies of the Comedian.
Utilitarianism is definitely an evil in my eyes... "For the greater good" has been used way too many times to justify atrocities throughout history.
I can empathize with the desire for black and white moralism, but unfortunately things are not that simple in the real world.
@@CanalTremocos I feel like following Rorsach most of the time made the ending hit even heavier when Dr Manhattan ends him. Especially because he asks for it
@@aarondonald1611 But it doesn't follow him when he's being a rotten bigot. That makes the ending hit differently. Instead of being just one more egg for Veidt to crack he's some sort of sacrificial lamb.
It also misses that he doesn't have morals, he's a moralist. As in he likes to dish judgement but does whatever he wants.
@@CanalTremocos Loved the graphic, and loved the movie, directors cut is the best of course. That said, I always had mixed views on who, if anyone, is the hero. First read through I felt it was Rorschach, as he stayed true to his worldview in the face of everything. Then later I thought it was Dr Manhattan as he found the ability to value life again even as his last tie to humanity was slipping his grasp. In the end I don't think there really was a hero.
If you have to kill that many people for a peace based on a lie, then you have to always wonder how long that would last. If you're unwilling to let the costly lie saves lives then you aren't fighting for others, you're fighting for yourself. If you are willing to kill a comrade so cold bloodedly when you could simply pluck them up and put them anywhere in the universe then you're too lazy to be bothered to find the heroic third choice answer that people do even in real life. After all, people find peaceful compromises in everything from getting up in the morning to utilizing limited resources within societal structures.
I think that's what makes this story so great, that there aren't any real heroes, just people who are very flawed living in a world that is very, very flawed. Yet, it's all wrapped up in a superhero themed narrative. Groundbreaking for its time, and certainly has left a large mark on storytelling within the media of comics. I love this so much!
The World's Smartest Man wouldn't begin the monologue about his master plan while the heroes had any chance to stop it. He gave his monologue when it was already too late.
One of my favorite parts of his character
He's not a comic book villan
@@EvoRms er...
@@EvoRms He is one, but written to be intelligent. If he wouldn't be a comic book villain, he simply would've set his plan in motion without monologuing
He probably read the "Top 100 Things I Would Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord" - list.
I love how Watchmen destroys the stupid trope of the villain explaining his master plan to the hero so the hero can thwart the plan. Ozymandias does the obvious thing and does his masterstroke before the heroes arrive and explains it to them when it’s too late for them to do anything about it.
Also, the villain turns out to have good intentions to the point that the "heroes" decide to become complicit in his plan, destroying their comrades if they're in the way. That was new.
Except it wasn't too late because Rorchach's journal was already sent out.
You're so engrossed at the start with Comedian vs Ozymandias and being introduced to this world that it took me a few viewings before it occurred to me The Comedian lasted longer against Ozymandias than everyone else combined (minus Dr. Manhattan) way past his prime in his bathrobe. He was also caught by surprise while everyone else knew they were getting in a fight with Ozymandias. The Comedian was a beast. It's no wonder why the rest of them never tried to mess with him despite all his glaring flaws. They probably knew he'd rip them in half.
What's more, the comedian had uncovered the plot in its entirety. And he knew why he was being killed and by whom.
He was torn, uncertain if he should tell anyone and stop the plan to save the world or let the world be saved, understanding what kind of world it would be afterwards: one he would truly not be welcome in, nor would he want to.
With that background, you realize that his fight was half-hearted against Ozzie. He was conflicted as to whether or not to actually fight back. And yet he still lasted longer than everyone else combined.
Yeah. The Comedian was the baddest of bad asses. Hard core to the core and a complete piece of go-su. One that fit his world perfectly.
@@bmobert That is a really good point that he wasn't 100 percent committed to the fight. I forgot that when writing that reply. Thank you, for adding that.
@@chaospoet
I hadn't noticed your observation.
And I appreciated the insight.
So, my pleasure, and a thank you right back.
26:30 Not Jen planning for her first day in prison 😂😂😂
“Reassembling myself was the first trick I learned. It didn't kill Osterman... did you really think it would kill me? I have walked across the surface of the Sun. I have witnessed events so tiny and so fast they can hardly be said to have occurred at all. But you, Adrian, you're just a man. The world's smartest man poses no more threat to me than does its smartest termite.”
Practically all the shots that look so impressive are straight lifts from Dave Gibbons original comic book artwork
Zack Snyder in a nutshell: The closer to source the better. 300 was basically just the comic on film and a it was big hit. I think he thinks he's a good movie-maker. But the more he gets creative the worse the movie gets.
In a stylized way yes, regarding composition and blocking... but In fact It's the opposite, the images of the comic aren't clean, colourful or flashy, nothing suggest fancy fighting or good looking people, the light and colours are in line with the depressed characters, etc.
Snyder tried to make something spectacular and exciting with that stuff, but It's an impossible task, unless you betray the original
@@JulioLeonFandinho You're completely right, except I think you give Snyder too much credit. I think Snyder looked at the comic and flat-out did not understand the features you mention. All he thought was, "I can make this look awesome on film." He didn't consider how that would change the meaning.
@@noodle_fcThe best way to convince someone that Snyder doesn't understand Watchmen is to have them listen to him talk about it in interviews for about 5 seconds. Guy engages with the story on the level of a 12 year old boy.
@@Pink.andahalf Oh my god you are so right. I'd never seen any press for this movie. I'm literally less than two minutes into an interview-it's the first question-and Snyder said "make sure that tonally it had that impossibly cool Watchmen-ish-ness." ... Wow. I mean, I knew he didn't understand it, but to this level? Just wow.
The graphic novel version had lots of great detail. Dr. Manhattan transmuted enough material for batteries so that the US could move on to electric cars. The 1st masked vigilantes had capes, but one named Dollar Bill that was sponsored by a bank got shot when his cape got tangled in a revolving door. That incident proved capes weren't an asset and most vigilantes stopped wearing them. If this sounds familiar, these details AND the original ending for the Watchmen movie were used in an animated movie called The Incredibles -- along with the concept of the government shutting down the vigilante business. Yes, the 1st movie version of the Watchmen was the Invincibles. Having read the DC original material, I saw that the material had been "borrowed" at once.
*Incredibles
@@mannyjacobowitz5571 Thanks. My fingers and brain must have gotten disconnected. I edited it.
The original Watchmen comic was supposed to feature other characters from DC comics. Alan Moore couldn't get the rights to those characters, so he made his own characters to replace them.
Dr. Manhattan = Captain Atom, Rorschach = The Question, The Comedian = Peacemaker, Nite Owl = Blue Beetle, Ozymandias = Peter Cannon and Silk Spectre = Nightshade.
@@cookiedestroyer2801 They weren't DC characters, they were from a company called Charlton.
DC had purchased the rights to the company's characters and were hoping this series would be an introduction for them into the DC Multiverse. When they saw where Moore was going they realised it would leave them unusable and so they decided to create the Watchmen characters instead.
@@ianrhodes6928 They were owned by DC when Alan Moore took his idea to DC. But yeah, originally DC got them from Charlton.
Irony is, now DC owns the Watchmen
@@generic_sauce DC always owned the Watchmen. It's a DC series, based on characters they bought from another company.
@@generic_sauceThe rights revert to Moore and Gibbons one year after the trade paperback goes out of print… it has never gone out of print.
"I feel fear for the last time." God damn that line is cool!
Rorschach is the guy who was holding the sign that says The End is Near. In the comic book, Rorschach kills the kidnapper by chaining him to a stove and setting the house on fire.
Yeah in the book Rorsach tosses the kidnapper a saw to cut his own hand off to escape before he burns to death. I think the movie changed it because it was too close to similar scene in Mad Max.
@@andrewward5891 exactly, I always wondered who copied who, Mad Max or Watchmen?
@@tonyreyes8315- well Mad Max was in 1979 and Moore wrote Watchmen in the mid 80s (1986 release). But I don’t know if Alan Moore had seen the Mad Max movie.
And the story behind the mask is told.
He had to make a face he could live with.
I love Ozymandias so much, one of my all time favourite villains. Although he's not evil, just way over everybody else
Watchmen was one of the first works to deconstruct superhero fiction, giving readers more pathology behind many of the character archetypes in the genre, exploring a more realistic kind of effect that the existence of superheroes would have on the world, and asking difficult and uncomfortable questions about the morality of what they do. It has been a major influence on the genre ever since. As mentioned in the live chat, The Boys is a major example of that influence.
Yeah, it came out almost back-to-back with the Dark Knight Returns, which also looked at the psychology of masked vigilantes. That one-two punch changed comics forever. Sadly, this movie gets none of that tone and is more of a typical superhero presentation.
@@maxducoudray It's so not. But that's a matter of perspective, I suspect. I would guess that you are a connoisseur of the superhero comic book / graphic novel milieu, from the very informed comment you've made. But that makes it very hard to be a viewer of an adaptation: I can never see much other than the failings of adaptations of two famous texts which I studied and immersed myself in (the War of the Worlds and Frankenstein), so that I cannot clearly see how good an adaptation might really be.
Except, I knew the Pal WotW before reading the OSM, so in fact I *do* know that an 'unfaithful' or just 'thinned down' adaptation *can* in fact bring the brilliance of the OSM to a new audience without being biblically authentic in every detail and nuance.
I saw this movie after it had been lambasted as 'disappointing' by the viewers in the know - having never read the graphic novel / series because my comic nerd friend was too precious about lending it to me, ironically - and so I came to it with an open mind and... well I thought it was very good and a perfectly noir-esque character study and superhero inversion. There was absolutely enough of it there for me to get what I needed, intellectually and psychologically. Audiences, it seems, can fill in blanks for themselves if the tone's there. For me, it was.
But, like I said, if you read Frankenstein, you're gonna hate every adaptation of it.
God damn you, Kenneth Branagh.
This is my favorite Snyder movie and was way ahead of its time in terms of subverting superhero tropes. It'd be a massive hit if it came out nowadays, and even if it's not a perfect adaption storywise, it's pretty damn good.
Great analysis! But for my money, the first real such attempt was Marvel's original Squadron Supreme, which predated BOTH Watchmen and TDKR! The SS were Marvel's rip off version of the JLA, from a parallel world with thinly veiled versions of all of DC's characters; so Marvel was able to tell a 12 part story that looked at what might happen when you took off the limits of what a "superhero story" could be...
the 70s a ton of realistic superhero stuff before watchmen. for example like people dying from drugs or getting beaten to death for being gay.
No one is really a "good guy" 100% in the Watchmen universe. That`s why is so good.
Dan is
The opening credits sequence is a montage of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century: ( the Times Square Kiss, the Son of Sam murders, the Kennedy assasination, the moon landing), but with an alternate timeline twist.
I remember when they dropped this as a Teaser on the internet... I had never heard of Watchmen but EVERYONE went nuts over this sequence.
35:50 Woah, did you just drop "Vimana from the Vedas" knowledge on us? Nice!
Im indian and i was surprised too. Kudos to her knowledge
Jen's journal. September 10th, 2024.
"Today I learned, if I ever go to prison, what kind of first impression I have to make."
My fav superhero movie of all time. Rorschach is the everyday man getting swept up in the insanity of looking behind the fence...
Dr. Manhattan killing Rorschach is one of the most tragic moments in all of film.
I was glad to see him go.
Rorschach was messed up but his heart was in the right place.
Moore and Gibbons didn't realize he wouldn't survive the end of the book until they were about halfway done
oh no a dead fascist piece of shit, I'm so sad.
besides Comedian the best character.
I can't recommend the graphic novel enough. One of the all time greats. Also Jackie Earl Haley MADE this movie. Great acting from a former child actor!
He's AMAZING as Walter/Rorschach
Thanks for the mental image of Jen on Cell Block D. 🤣🤣
"I feel fear for the last time."
Truly haunting.
I’m so glad somebody finally reacted to this movie and you did a great job! This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve watched it and found out new little things each time. It’s just an incredible timeless movie With great acting and cinematography and just a whole different take on reality. I think it’s just one of those perfect movies where no one wins but the world is better for it. Great job.
Such an amazing film. Closest adaptation to the comic book I’ve ever seen. Folks were mad about the lack of the Squid but I always hated that part of the graphic novel. Along with 2 or 3 smaller story sequences that were kind of important but in the end, Zack Snyder achieved the point.
An otherworldly party made sense to galvanize world peace in light of our global wars and distrust. Making Dr. Manhattan the global threat makes it a very doubtful peace because many people are going to hate or hold the Americans responsible for their mad superman.
Agreed.
One of my favorites. Especially the director's cut. Grim style, real people as super heroes with their flaws, good music, good action, unpredictable script. So good.
Rorschach and his mask is one of the best comic book characters ever made.
I feel Comedian just slightly outweighs him though.
This movie is an underrated gem worth watching multiple times, glad you enjoyed it.
this is probably the best super hero action movie because it's so dark, so real, it does not hold your hand it forces you to think..... but just a little and enough to still just enjoy the movie
There are scenes in the movie that are direct panel for panel translations from the comic.
Most fans see this as one of the most faithful comic adaptations ever.
Watchmen creator Alan Moore hates it.
Great reaction Jen, I love this movie and the graphic novel it came from.
I'll leave you with one last thought, this is Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley, first published January 11th 1818.
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said-“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
28:00 Jen: Cool shot. IKR! I thought so too when I saw it in theaters. I grabbed the screen short as soon as I could.
_"Hustler and a gun with a smiley face on it"_ - Jen knows a good time when she sees it.
Actually, the comic starts with the bloody smiley face, and a sequence of panels pulling up to the scene of the detective looking down the side of the building.
The opening of the movie with the murder and the montage is taken from flashbacks later, as well as excerpts from books, newspaper clippings and the like, that are put in between the comic pages themselves. Although it's all from the book, it's probably the part of the movie where Zack Snyder did his own thing the most. Also his choice of music, of course.
The dead guy in the montage with the dollar symbol is called Dollar Bill, and he got shot when his cape was stuck in a revolving door. You may notice that Disney/Pixar's "The Incredibles" borrows quite a bit from Watchmen, including "No capes."
Snyder also changed the ending a little. Only New York was obliterated, and rather than framing Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias gave the impression that there was an alien attack.
I think you're watching the theatrical version. The Director's Cut adds some important scenes, like the ultimate fate of Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl. You could also watch the Ultimate Cut, which even includes "The Black Freighter," the comic within the comic, though that's also available separately.
The symbol on Dr. Manhattan's forehead is a hydrogen atom. Just one proton and one electron.
Oh, the comic never actually refers to the superheroes as "Watchmen." The name only appears in the graffiti "Who watches the Watchmen."
The comic book art was by a guy named Dave Gibbons who is one of the best stylists and most precise artists from the 80s so this movie does match that precision quite well
I love this movie, it's not just "the fun adventures of superheroes", most of them are not even good people, it has layers, and the alternate 80s were cool.
I love the movie Watchmen but that random cute little SUBSCRIBE whisper message at 4:48 sealed the deal. I am now subscribed to you, haha.
Happy to have you here! :)
Having read the comics, I gotta tell ya they were VERY faithful. Like most of it is word for word, shot for shot. Some stuff had to be cut for time ofc, but what we got is one of the most spot-on adaptations I’ve seen
"Kicked in his door, ate some beans." 😂
I want Jen to vlog, and start each one by growling: "RORSCHACH'S JOURNAL, 1985..."
Such an amazing movie. Love your reaction Jen.
That's the perfect visual representation of the 80's "Hustler with a gun and a smiley face on it".
I loved the full length reaction on patreon so much! Made it to the yt premiere half way in. Vimana from the Vedas? You're just the best, Jen.
Criminally underrated superhero movie. If it had come out 10 years later it would have been an instant classic IMO, 2009 just wasn't up to speed with this kind of superhero movie yet.
I actually argued at the time it should have come out 10 years *earlier*. Watchmen was HUGE in the late 80s/early 90s. By 2009, all the innovations that Watchmen started had been copied so many times that the movie no longer stood out as nearly as groundbreaking.
Of course, due to technology, a late 90s Watchmen wouldn’t have looked nearly as good, so it is a timing v. quality issue.
Looooove this movie - Bought the comic book after having seen it the first time. Slightly different events but ofc very good.
Watchmen puts all the MCU/DCU movies to shame. It's so underrated.
All the Alan Moore and Frank Miller adaptations are perfect for film. V for Vendetta, Sin City, 300, Watchmen, and the animated Dark Knight.
Watching this reminded me how much I enjoy this movie.
If you liked this Jen, you'll LOVE the original graphic novel by Alan Moore. You saw how the movie repeats and reflects the bloodstained smiley face? Well the graphic novel has around a dozen of those repeating motifs, AND two scenes at a crossroads in New York where every person on each corner is a participant in the story or a side-story, looping though that moment in time, AND an entire comic-within-a-comic that reflects the moral dilemma at the heart of the main story, AND multi-page prose exerpts from various characters' books and papers at the end of each chapter, all woven seamlessly together in one of the most perfect tapestries of story and symbolism ever written. It feels like a parallel but familiar universe that by some alchemy manages to distil the very essence of the real 20th century in an entirely fantastical story.
The movie was a labour of love for Zac Snyder, it shows, and it's good. It's probably the best commercially viable movie that could have been made from Watchman, who's movie rights were in "Development Hell" from virtually the moment it came out and which was described as "unfilmable" by at least two prospective directors. Nevertheless, it leaves some things out, mostly for time, but sometimes for legal reasons, and it makes a huge change to the nature of Veidt's plot, the movie version being less colourfully visual, but tighter (and probably cheaper to film to a high standard). I'll always regret that they couldn't find time for Rorschach's full speech to Dr. Long after he tells the story of the child murderer:
(In the book, he burns the place)
"Stood in firelight, sweltering. Bloodstain
on chest like map of violent new continent.
Felt cleansed. Felt dark planet turn under my
feet and knew what cats know that makes
them scream like babies in the night.
Looked at sky through smoke heavy with human
fat and God was not there. The cold, suffocating
dark goes on forever, and we are alone.
Live our lives, lacking anything better to do.
Devise reason later. Born from oblivion,
bear children, hell-bound as ourselves,
go into oblivion. There is nothing else.
Existence is random. Has no pattern save
what we imagine after staring at it for too long.
No meaning save what we choose to impose.
This rudderless world in not shaped by vague
metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the
children, not Fate that butchers them or Destiny
that feeds them to the dogs.
It's Us. Only Us.
Streets stank of fire. The void breathed hard on my
heart, turning its illusions to ice, shattering them.
Was reborn then, free to scrawl own design
on this morally blank world.
Was Rorschach."
It bothers me greatly when people idolize Rorschach, because they don't understand what Moore and Gibbons were trying to say about nihilism and vigilantism. Yes, Walter Kovacs had a terrible life, and yes, things happen in the world because people make them happen, but he only uses it an an excuse to hurt people and then rationalizes his actions as the kind of "justice" that the law/state/authority makes impossible. I don't think Moore or Gibbons would say any of the Minutemen or Crimebusters/Watchmen are the kinds of people who deserve to be called "heroes" or who others should ever aspire to be.
@@Rycel2001 Yes and just to be clear, I don't idolize Rorschach, I just think it's a great dramatic, and chilling, speech. Rorschach does make a valid point about not evading personal responsibility, which has only become more of a problem in the decades since Watchmen was written. However his solution, which is essentially to be badder than the bad people, TO the bad people, and never compromise, doesn't do much to solve anything. Yes, it might take a few truly awful criminals off the streets for good, but he's still just one man in one city, so the effect is limited. As a means of imposing his will on the "morally blank" world, it's not very effective: the world is still just as bad, to a rounding error, with him in it as it would be without him.
If, for instance, he'd started a charity to help people, and recruited more people to join the effort so that it had more effect and would potentially last after his death, then he;d have made a much larger and positive impact on the "moral character" of the world. However his damaged and paranoid mindset won't allow that. He's the living embodiment of the frequently observed phenomenon that child victims often grow up to be adult perpetrators.
"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villian" harvy dent
Sorry about Blues Brothers, Jen, that reaction of yours is outstanding. Don't let the copyright weasels get you down. I'll always stand with you, as will lots of others.
now you need to watch the watchmen series, its basically a new story a bit after the events of the movie and totally worth it. the story is completely different but it feels the same.
26:30 Jen and her Serious Girl Spectacles Rule this Block! And don't none of y'all forget it!
One of the most accurate comic adaptations ever. Snyder literally used the Graphic Novel as the Story Board. Yes, there is one very major change, but that almost certainly was a studio interference thing, and it doesn't reduce the quality of the rest of the film.
I really like when someone really enjoys the details of a movie.
The Phillip Glass ost that they took from koyaanisqatsi was perfect to illustrate the birth of Dr Manhattan 👌🏻
Sorry I missed the premiere, was travelling. Playing now for the algo. Great reaction / great movie! 💜😃
The full length on your Patreon was amazing! Non-Patreon viewers here should consider signing up to Jen's Patreon for 1 month to check it out. 100s of films there, many more added every month.. there are a bunch tv series (TNG, The IT Crowd, etc.) and some Patreon exclusive stuff.
The comic explains Rorschach's mask. It's a weird gel filled fabric, and he didn't invent it he stole it.
Compared to the Graphic Novel, this movie is almost a shot-for-shot remake. There are dozens of still shots from the novel, brought to life in these scenes.
The one major difference being the ending, the threat that brings everyone together isn't Dr Manhattan, but genetically engineered psychic squids.
The effect remains the same though, the World units under the threat of aliens.
As a fan of both I would have to disagree. Watching this in the theater after only knowing the graphic novel kept taking me out of it every time the film deviated from how it was depicted in the comic. Snyder did get some of it correct in the shots but then the actors and their diologue wouldn't fit. Just go back and compare the scenes with the two detectives investigating Blake's murder. All of their banter is pretty much gone and the pacing is off. But it's okay. I've gotten over the fact that it isn't like Sin City which came much closer to a shot by shot version of a comic.
The symbol on Dr. Manhattan's forehead is hydrogen, (one electron orbiting one proton)
There's also a sequel series on HBO. It does take elements from the original comic such as the creature Ozymandias creates being a giant squid.
"I assume he's a good guy, idk"
Ha... funny joke
Young Rorschach is played by Eli Snyder, Zack Snyder's son and a very talented up and coming director himself.
He also played young Leonidas in 300, and a few other roles in his dad's movies
and helped choreograph, direct, and shoot the football scene in Justice League.
A lot of first time movie reactors are all watchign the same movies at the same time. So I'm glad to see this one, because it's been a long time since I've seen this one.
Professor Manhattan’s various appendages do feel like a battery. The voltage and amperage are just right. Attuned to necessities.
I can't stress enough, read the graphic novel!!
Very happy that you watched and enjoyed this one! I remember seeing this in theaters wayyy back when! It was SO DARK and SHOCKING!! I had no idea what was going to be happening. :)
Overall, great adaptation to a fantastic comic book. The comic is very much worth the read if you can stomach the violence and controversy. If watching this was tough for you then I'd probably suggest that you pass.
I like how the story starts on my tenth birthday. The alternate time line is always something I enjoy in a story.
The brief black-and-white television shot is from The Outer Limits, not The Twilight Zone. If you have never seen either of them, I highly recommended both.
And that announcer was Vic Perrin, whose voice was used all over Star Trek TOS. He even appeared onscreen in "Mirror Mirror."
When I was a kid, I had read the story I don’t know how many times, and I was excited when this movie came out, so I got to the theater early.
While I was waiting for the movie to start, I found it pretty funny when quite a few parents walked in with very young children with them. Shortly after the movie started, it got really funny watching them all scurry out of there as quickly as they could when they realized that this movie wasn’t going to be anything like the other superhero films.
still to this day, the best comic book adaption ever made, period. and absoluteley top 3 of all comic book movies.
"2 minutes to midnight" ...is a fantastic IRON MAIDEN song, check it out if you have got the time.
The book is a fantastic read and was specifically written to prove that graphic novels could tell a story in a way that books or movies cant. For years it was considered an "unfilmable" story because of the way it was structured in the graphic novel. Very much worth your time if you liked the movie. (apologies if any of this was already said by others)
One of my favorite all time under rated mlvie lines......."What happened to the American Dream?.......IT CAME TRUE!!!!"
I remember watching this in theaters, having no knowledge of the source material. I spent half the movie trying to get Dr. Manhatten's floppy soldier out of my head. Almost 20 years later: mission failed.
In the sequence about Dr. Manhattan, when you say "Cool music", the music comes from the movie "Koyaanisqatsi" and has been written by Philip Glass.
Cool movie. Thanks Jen your reactions are awesome. Loved your air guitar lol. Keep up the great work. Hello from Pa USA 🇺🇸 ❤❤❤
The same writer did "V for Vendetta."
“It’s all a joke.” I just realized something during the Comedian fight. There was an indirect reference to this movie in The Suicide Squad movie. SPOILERS: As Peacemaker killed Rick Flag, the latter commended on his name, saying “What a joke.” Interesting enough, the Comedian character was based on Peacemaker.😂
Visually and thematically, the film is incredibly faithful to the graphic novel, even down to specific frames. The movie actually struggles to fit in all the comic's material and themes because of how dense the Watchmen story is. It took the better part of 20 years to finally get the movie made because changing or omitting too many elements of the story irrevocably alters what makes Watchmen's themes so resonant and impactful. Some even called Watchmen "unfilmable."
The movie does make changes, primarily regarding Veidt's plan. Though his goals are the same, how he goes about achieving them are different. I don't wanna spoil too much in case you ever choose to read it, but his plan was deemed too bizarre and it could risk alienating movie audiences, so the plan was altered to be an energy device that would frame Dr. Manhattan for cataclysmic global attacks. Doing this also solved another problem of trying to make sure that Dr. Manhattan remained relevant to the plot.
Hi Jen hope you are having an great and awesome day ❤
Thanks John you too :)
Thanks for sharing another reaction, Jen! Good choice!
I cracked up when Jen said, "if I ever go to prison, I guess that's the 1st impression I'll have to make."
The blood on the pin badge switched sides! 1:28 1:41
Back in 2009, as part of my Bachelor of Commerce degree in university, I had to take a number of elective liberal arts courses and one of them was Science-Fiction Literature which luckily, included having to read Alan Moore's 'The Watchmen' graphic novel. We covered the book in great detail and its various themes of an alternate timeline, what-if scenarios if history had unfolded differently, superheroes living in the real world, etc. so I was blown away when 'The Watchmen' was released in theatres that summer.
It's not vital to have read the graphic novel, but it certainly helps and the movie is a favourite movie of mine from the 2000s. I even have the Tyler Bates score as well as the song compilation soundtrack as well as an original large French theatrical poster of the movie measuring 47 inches wide by 63 inches long, so you could say I'm a fan of this movie and book. :)
"I assume he's a good guy. I don't know who's whom here." Haha perfect response to this story.
Fun fact: solid snake from MGS wrote the script to this movie.
Though he actually wrote it as a modern adaptation. He didn't think that the audience would connect with the time period; it was Snyder that thought that the story had to be told as it was in the comic book.
You actually see Rohrshack’s face before, without the mask. He was posing as a bigger at the Joker’s funeral. And when Dan and Laury left the restaurant and walked into the ally where they kicked the gang’s asses, no-mask Rohrschack was standing there with a “The End is Nigh” sign. He thinks that’s his disguise, and with mask is the real him.
Actually in the prison fight scene if you pay attention closely youll notice Lorrie conveniently has flat soled boots on whenever shes fighting but magically they seem to turn into stilletto heels whenever she just has to walk around and look sexy... very high tech boots indeed (or more likely the stunt double in the fitht scenes told them to sod off and give her some better footwear :P)
Rorschach was played by former child actor, Jackie Earl Haley. Jackie is probably most famous for "The Bad News Bears" 1976, "Damnation Alley" 1977, "Breaking Away" 1979.
i mostly remember him as Dukes in Semi Pro. he was also a pretty good Freddy Krueger wish they made more with him.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan almost turned down playing Blake/The Comedian after reading the first scene in the script cause he assumed that would be his only scene as his character was dead. Couldn't have been further from the truth with all the flashbacks. :)