I've always thought that Jeffery Dean Morgan's portrayal of the Comedian was what nailed him for the role as Negan in The Walking Dead. He's great here.
When I read the novel, I heard in my head, Dr. Manhattan's voice as godlike and powerful, but hearing Billy Crudup's soft and detached voice is all I hear now. It's perfect.
Seriously. The sequence of Dr. Manhattan being in the accident and then slowly gaining his powers with that amazing narration in top of it all is one of my favorite sequences in film.
9:40 He wasn't blaming Dr. Manhattan, he was merely pointing out the fact that he is complicit because he had the power to do something about it, and he didn't. From The Comedian's perspective, he's beginning to see Dr. Manhattan's apathy toward humans. As you noted, his powers seem limitless since he can perceive all time and control matter. If someone had those powers, they could easily prevent just about anything from happening. But, from Dr. Manhattan's perspective, having nearly god-like powers, what is the point of interfering? Do you as a human watch every step you take to make sure you don't trample ants when you walk? Most people probably do not because it is inconsequential to us. We have more important things to mind. Humans are the ants beneath Dr. Manhattan, but the difference being that he was once one of them and is slowly losing that part of himself.
The Watchmen basically inspired THE BOYS tv Series and Comic books. Basically asking the Question what if Super Heros weren't what we thought they were.
7:45 Didn't show it but the guy holding 'the end is neigh' sign outside Comedians funeral is Rorschach without his mask which we don't know till way later.
In the scene where the Comedian murders the pregnant woman, he wasn't blaming Dr. Manhatten for it, he was call out his fake outrage by saying if he didn't want it to happen he could have stopped it, because thats how powerful he is, so he was clearly OK with it happening.
Exactly, He is standing there with his phony outrage when he could have easily stopped him! Eventually he leans into not even acting like he cares what happens.
I don't think it was necessarily him being okay with it, I think it was just him being too cut of from human life that he just couldn't care to interfere.
"I did it 35 minutes ago" remains one of the most chilling and incredible twists in any media. Like, BUT THEY'RE SUPERHEROES! THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO WIN IN THE NICK OF TIME But nope, they had lost well before they even got there, and the 'villain's' victory is effectively total. The intro set to Bob Dylan also might be the greatest opening sequence in a comic book film. This movie didn't/doesn't get a ton of love, but I think that overall they did a really good job. It's one of those films that suffers from the source material being widely regarded as a work of genius and the movie "only" being very good.
this is one of my favorite superhero movies. this and Deadpool prove that more of them should be made rated R. i'm sooooo tired of every superhero movie having to be PG-13 just to pack more people into the seats. imagine Thanos cutting through the Avengers in an R rated version.
@@dirtycash36 The thing is American comic books, since the medium was unfairly persecuted for instigating juvenile delinquency in the 1950s, was looked at and produced for children and pre-teens. Overseas, graphic novels were more adult and artistic. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the creators of the story, are two Brits, who wanted to make fun American superheroes, let alone America itself, in a dystopian fashion. I think, with the shit going down nowadays, they weren't too far off in 1987.
@@rallyking13 I never going to understand why some ppl think framing DR Manhattan with the event is better than the Alliens. The fear of the unkown is the biggest fear, Alliens from unkown dimension is much better because we don't know if they come back or there is others like them, it is like better to be ready. VS a God like being who turned againist humanity, sure it work if he stay on Earth but he left the Galaxy, soon enough humanity will realize he no longer intervenes with stuff anymore and everything just changes back to normal.
That whole sequence explaining Dr. Manhattan's back story was amazingly done! And included my favorite line... "I feel fear for the last time." (2nd favorite was "I'm not locked in here with you... you're all locked in here WITH ME!"). Also, I find it interesting how happy you were that Rorschach's journal was gonna be written about. Revealing the secret puts 1 man in jail and subjects the entire world to the threat of nuclear annihilation 🤷
@@normative And the particular piece of fabric Rorschach used for his mask was taken from a dress ordered by (real life victim) Kitty Genovese from Manhattan Fabrics where he worked, whose rape and murder was one of the incentives for him to turn into a vigilante.
RIP Rorschach. Alan Moore also wrote V for Vendetta. He basically hates every mainstream version of his work but his stories are amazing. The original Watchmen story had quite a different ending but the point is still the same.
I have to point something out to newcomers of Watchmen, and that is... Dr Manhattan being a prisoner to his own power... We know he doesn't perceive time in a linear way like we do, he lives through, sees, and feels all moments in time simultaneously. His existence isn't a straight path, it's a sphere. So in a way he's a slave to this perspective, he can't change events, he can merely live through them, experience them first hand. He already knows what will happen, and at most all he can do is gain further understanding of the events. The most powerful man in the universe, incapable of free will, a slave of time.
Well, he's basically a nuclear-powered deity (Sally Jupiter in the comic book limited series calls him a H-bomb) that wishes he was still human but can't because it's practically nonsensical. If you were God, why would you wear clothes?
The graphic novel has many brilliant pieces of dialog, most of which made it into the movie, but one of my favorite exchanges was left out. It occurs on the Owlship, right after Dan and Laurie make love. "Dan?" "Hmm?" "Was tonight good?" "Yeah... Really good." "Was it the costumes that made it good?... Dan?" "Yeah... Yeah, the costumes had a lot to do with it. It feels so strange to just say that, you know? To come out of the closet. "
I absolutely adore this graphic novel/movie, and how complex it is! Dr. Manhattan even inspired a mental disorder called Dr. Manhattan Syndrome, where someone has such power/money in the world that they start to identify less and less with humanity. The more and more power that he discovered, the more detached that he became to humanity. Humans are ants walking beneath him that he could squash with his foot without even asking himself why. It's basically why Manhattan walks around naked - he is so powerful that his idea of what humans would think of him is absolutely inconsequential.
28:02 it's not that he doesn't care about her, it's that he's increasingly _unable_ to care about her. Not by choice, but due to what happened to him. Imagine yourself trying to care about a Mayfly, with proportionate lifespans and power levels, while high on weed, which can make you unable to focus on any insignificant thing longer than a few seconds.
Alan Moore is an Extremely Gifted Writer....The Watchmen, V For Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell, Batman: Killing Joke, Swamp Thing, etc.
@@AddieCounts and in a way you still don't. There were 3 versions of this film. The one you watched is the original theatrical cut.. then they did director's cut, and finally, the WB released the ULTIMATE Cut.. that one runs almost 4 hours.
Watchmen is a graphic novel that was published in 12 issues between 1986 and 1987, written by Allan Moore (the same author of V for Vendetta), drawn by Dave Gibbons and colored by John Higgins. It is a critique of the whole superhero genre, of which Alan became very critical of, displaying what would happen to the world if they did exist while deconstructing and making a satire of the genre, all that while he also make political commentary as well.And your suspicion is right Addie, aside Dr. Manhattan no one have real superpowers, only their skills and strength (although one can argue that Adrian Veidt's superior intelligence can be understood as a superpower, it is still within human limits). One thing that have to be said is that while this is a pretty faithful adaptation, the ending was changed in the movie: instead of nuclear attacks with an energy source derived from Dr. Manhattan, in the comics it was a forged alien invasion with giant squid/octopus-like creatures that made a psychic energy attack with the same results (except no one blamed Dr. Manhattan for that). That change was criticized by the fans at the time, to the point that the HBO Watchmen series uses the comics' attack version instead of the movie one to tell their story. As always, Alan Moore was not credited because since his disagreements with Warner Studios over another adaptation of his work (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) he does not want to be associated with the movies, since he believes they change his stories to the point of defacement and have a different message than the original works (that's specially true with V for Vendetta). I must say that the graphic novel is much better than the movie, as it has a lot of material that was cut and makes you dive more into this world's lore. Also, there are some ways the story was told that is only possible in the comics, especially the mirror symmetry in the drawings and colorization on the issues dedicated to Rorschach that can't be replicated properly on the screen.
Another thing the graphic novel did brilliantly was place the dialog from one scene over the visuals from another, creating some magnificent dramatic irony.
"The search for more money, the serie"(what have nothing to do with the original other then stoleing its name) Rings of power, Witcher, Watchmen, Star Wars, .... when they gonna learn not the name what peoples did like but the story, buying up something just to change it is a dump idea(an expensive dump one)...
Glad you watched this. It wasn't well liked when it came out but it's one of the best comic book films that doesn't try to make jokes every two minutes. Plus, every character feels like the main character and is fully fleshed out with their own stories. Superb movie.
2:50 The 1940s Minutemen, from my understanding, are inspired by The Mighty Crusaders, a fictional superhero team published by Archie Comics. Meanwhile, the present-day version of the team is based on characters from Charlton Comics, such as The Question, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Thunderbolt, Nightshade, and Peacemaker, all of whom inspired the characters seen in the Watchmen film and comic. The Charlton Comics characters mentioned above were later incorporated into the DC Universe during Crisis on Infinite Earths (1986), a pivotal event in which the DC Multiverse was destroyed, and elements of various realities were merged into a single universe known as New Earth. This new continuity unified DC's vast catalog of characters, including those acquired from other comic companies, including Charlton Comics, bringing them together into a shared reality where they could coexist. Also fun little detail. At the very beginning of the opening montage, it shows the original Owlman saving "Bruce Wayne's" parents from being killed at the Gotham Opera Hall, with a young child standing beside them. The scene even includes posters of Batman #1 (1940) in the background, depicting Batman swinging alongside Robin. This was not part of the original graphic novel, Gotham itself along with DC's other cities and characters don't exist in the Watchmen universe. It’s just a fun little nod added by Zack Snyder, who would later direct Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) the sequel to Man of Steel.
Not just based on A graphic novel, probably the most highly regarded super hero story ever. Its on the 100 best Novels and 10 best graphic novels list. So yeah, a comic book on the 100 best novels list. A desconstruction of super heroes
Addie: “Dr. Manhattan is crazy! What can he do?” You have no idea how overpowered he is. Dr. Manhattan is Nigh Omnipotent which means he can basically do anything he wants. He is by far the strongest comic character you’ll ever see on-screen without being Omniscient or Omnipresent.
Addie!! You're going to get many comments like this, but I want to add to the algorithm!! The graphic novel ends a little differently, and the HBO mini series is a direct sequel to that comic, not this movie. Glad you liked it. It's truly an anti hero film, and so many shots seem to come directly from the graphic novel, which reads like a films' storyboard.
Adrian Veidt's plan was basically a better version of Thanos's plan in Endgame. Sacrifice the few to save the many. 😂 Whereas Thanos sacrificed the many to prolong the inevitability of future world starvation.
Veidt's plan was a deconstruction of a typical comic book villain's plan like Thanos had. The problem with it was he took the hope for peace and twisted into something ugly, not giving humanity enough credit to save itself. Veidt saw the "big picture", but not the little details (Dan's relationships with Hollis, Laurie and Rorschach; the Bernies at the street corner) that make it up.
@@aTofuJunkie Co-writer David Hayter (the voice of Solid Snake of "Metal Gear Solid) noted in an interview that when he got the job, the day was Sept 10, 2001. That's why the giant squid and the dead bodies weren't used for the ending.
The way I like to see this film, all of the watchmen have their own sense of morality. Nite Owl approaches morality like batman, a force for justice. Rorschach simply wants to punish criminals. Ozymandias believes in the greater good. The comedian thinks what's best is what's best for him. Dr. Manhattan believes morality is a pointless endeavor. It's beautiful and dark, and it has to be one of my all-time favorites.
The movie is very faithful to the graphic novel (if you read it), the only major difference is the end whereas in the book Ozymandia has scientists make a giant squid alien as a threat to unite the US and the USSR while in the film he replicates Doctor Manhattan's power to nuke cities. I personally think the film improved on this. Also the actors they casted are great, especially Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian and Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. This film grew on me and now is among my favorites, I especially LOVE the intro, so smartly done to advance the plot while showing the credits. These 'heroes' are not all mr. Nice Guy, I'm not sure The Comedian is someone that a damsel in distress would wish to see coming to her help 🤪
Probably the best comic book adaptation, although they do change the ending... Doctor Manhattan had a major role in a recent DC comics reboot... The Watchmen TV series is also good.
In the graphic novel, they explain Rorschach got the material for his mask from a material that Veidt Industries developed. If I remember correctly, the material reacts to his body heat and that causes the ink to move around. Also, to confirm. The only person who had what one would consider legitimate superpowers is Dr Manhattan. Nite Owl (Daniel Dreiberg?) is sort of like Batman since he has a special vehicle and various gadgets. The others were just good at hand-to-hand combat.
If you go to the extras section of the film, there's an extended cut. Most of everything you see in this film was in the graphic novel already, so a lot of people already knew these characters right away. DC comics also released prequel comics which the original creator didn't think we needed, but I found a few of them to be enjoyable. The comics also had them crossover with the Justice League.
Slightly alarmed by the joy joy feelings on the last scene..... You do realize it means the peace will end and nuclear annihilation upon learning the truth.
I don't know about that. If you look at Robocop (1987), it's the first R-rated superhero film. Batman (1989) and the first live action Ninja Turtles film (1990) have a dark vibe, despite both being PG-13. Watchmen wasn't ahead of its' time. It was a culmination of what a comic book superhero film can be without fear of prudism.
I have to say my preferred version is the Ultimate Cut of Watchman; which although arsenumbingly long, is just about perfect. It adds in a few cut scenes & also the ‘Tale of The Black Freighter’ animation, which is animation of the comic we see the youth at the news stand reading throughout the film. As a long time fan of the graphic novel I was stunned when I first saw this film; shots are lifted straight off the pages of it. I’d recommend watching the Watchmen tv series; not only is it epic, the soundtrack by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross is unreal. Fun Fact: the war room set is based on the design for the same room from Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove. ‘There will be no fighting in the war room’.
@@jrd33oh definitely. I’d read the graphic novel multiple times prior to the films release. But first seeing the theatrical cut & then the ultimate cut makes total sense for newcomers to the world of Watchmen.
I like the Ultimate Cut too (eight minutes longer than "Seven Samurai"?!) and it made me love Zack Snyder, especially when the Knot-Top leader called Little Bernie a retard for reading a comic book. I was that kid eons ago. Despite his haters, Zack actually respects comic books as an art form while talking about the human condition.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan played The Comedian perfectly especially when he wore both versions of his character's costumes. plus when he was being a drunken jerk that ruined people's lives just being himself really made the character the most hated character of the comics & movie
6:57 No. He knows the future up to the point of the temporal anomaly blocking his ability. 22:40 No. The only person with powers is Dr. Manhattan. The rest simply have extraordinary abilities. Some might say that Veidt's extreme intelligence is a superpower, but it's at a level that frequently is associated with insanity. 23:22 That version is the ORIGINAL version by the incomparable Leonard Cohen. Treat yourself to some of his aural delights. "The Essential Leonard Cohen" is a great start (and has "Hallelujah" on it).
This movie is based on the, amazing,1986 Watchmen graphic novel written by Alan Moore. Zach Snyder does, imho, an excellent job at bringing the graphic novel to life. Is it perfect? Far from it, but I think he recreates the feeling of the comic pretty well. Fans of the comic take issue with some of the changes that were made in the movie where they differ from the comic. There are three version of this movie, Theatrical, Extended and Ultimate cut. The Ultimate cut includes an animated second comic book interwoven into the movie. The original comic has a character in the comic reading a comic that was also included into the comic. The Ultimate Cut does a great job of including, "Tales of the Black Freighter" as it was in the original comic. HBO did a limited Watchmen series. It is NOT a sequel to this movie but of the original comic and it is a brilliant show and don't let certain groups tell you differently.
This movie is such an interesting dive into moral absolutism, moral relativism and the dark sides of vigilantes. I know a lot of people don't like it (and that it isn't true to the source material) but I still think this is a great movie ...and "Without condemning or condoning, I understand" is such a powerful line. Always give me chills.
I read the graphic novel in a library when I was young. Both are respectively amazing works in fact even having read the comic I was still blown away by the film too. Worth reading the graphic novel as well. It owns as much accolades as this film for good reason.
Addie, the really interesting bit is that these characters afterwards make a journey over to the DC Universe to interact with Superman, Batman, Joker, Luthor and others in a brilliant piece of writing. The miniseries was called The Doomsday Clock, and it was covered here on Y tube by Comicstorian and also by Comics Explained. Thank you for presenting this to us today =)
It's a good movie, but I don't think it really captures the genius that was in the original comic series written by Alan Moore and artists Dave Gibbons and John Higgins. The same can be said for another of Moore's works turned into movie, V for Vendetta. Moore has a penchant for capturing the political nuances and feeling of a moment in time. Watchmen perfectly captures the mid-80's world while deconstructing superhero tropes and presenting a weird alternate history. Watchmen isn't just a comic book classic, but a literary classic as well.
I was so excited when I saw you were watching this, and your reactions did not disappoint! One of the single best superhero stories/movies ever, imo, and Rorschach is my spirit animal. Cheers!😁
You HAVE to do the show. In order to do that, you'd either need to read the comic or watch the animated comic on RUclips, because the show is a sequel to the comic, which has some important differences from the movie.
If you liked this, you should check out the HBO tv show. It’s set 30 or so years later in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is wonderfully written. It is based on the graphic novel, which is very good and has a very different ending.
Dr. Manhattan's The only one with powers in the strictest comicbook sense. Everybody else are just humans at peak physical condition, like Batman, just speciallizing in different skill sets. Adrian is a genius who just prepped for everything, every contingency, even in fighting so he has counters for every move thrown at him especially those coming from other Watchmen. If Batman was insane and used guns he'd be the Comedian. If he focused more on his gadgets he's Owlman. If he was female and dressed like Catwoman he'd be Silk Spectre. PS. Rorschach's mask was made by Doctor Manhattan and it changes patterns according to emotion.
That’s so interesting you feel Batman would be the Comedian. I feel like Night Owl was the rich Bruce Wayne type based on Batman however I feel like Rorschach most resembles the detective element of Batman.
Rorschach would kill everyone for his absolute obsession with the truth, and quite possible has doomed everyone at the end of The Watchmen. The story was written mainly as a reaction to the massive moral absolutism of comic writer/illustrator Steve Ditkos characters. Rorschach represents Ditko's popular old comic characters Mr A and The Question, both of whom saw morality in black and white - and therefore would never agree to the massive compromise/trick of Ozymandias and Dr Manhattan at the end of The Watchmen. Alan Moore, who wrote the Watchmen, even did a song called Mr A when he had a band.
In the opening credits, you see a guy punching someone who's firing a pistol in the air. There are three people behind him who got saved that night, and those people are Thomas, Martha, and Bruce Wayne. Because of him, Batman was never born.
This was an awesome watch along, I really enjoyed your reactions and take on the movie, so glad to see you enjoyed it! I'm looking forward to seeing you react to more Zack Snyder movies. Watchmen is a brilliant movie, but definitely the darkest of them all for what it's worth 😅 congrats on 100K Subscribers by the way!
Thank you for reacting to this. I'm with you and Rorschach Adrian was wrong. One of the things I like about the graphic novel was everybody except Dr. Manhattan was human without powers. So glad you liked this movie. The source material is very good and I recommend it.
Hey Addie, not sure on your feelings about reacting to shows with subtitles but you should give Shōgun a watch. It's about 80% in subtitles but the show is SO good! The main actress won an Emmy for her role.
USA & USSR were labeled "nuclear super-powers" when discussing the top-of-mind threat of war in the 80s. So Dr. Manhattan's actual superpowers were in a juxtaposition that isn't as potent today.
Yes, it's so "fun", ha. The Watchmen show was an amazing follow up, some didn't give it a chance for../reasons/, but the story is an amazing follow up, it's only a single season
I watched this movie in the theater when it came out, and I found it quite entertaining after a dad came in with two small children, around 5 or 6 years old, as it took him until the sex scene before he finally got up and hurried them all out of there.
Same sort of thing happened when I watched it in the theater, but it was a mom and a daughter. I was going to tell the mom that the film wasn't meant for kids, but she and the daughter left before I could move.
it's only after many watches later that i understood "the point" of the film/novel. more than a "story" - it is rather an exploration of the concept of the "superhero" and "heroism" in general. the one who saves humanity in the end isn't the world's (only) true superhero who is capable of virtually anything - but actually "the villain" - who sacrifices millions to save billions. He makes the difficult moral choice that is apparently necessary - that no one else had the "courage" to do. meanwhile, the actual true superhero (dr. Manhattan) - exactly BECAUSE he is so far beyond the concerns of mortals, and beyond the constraints of time and space --- he cannot even care enough about human concerns to intervene. the less human you are (in terms of super-human capabilities) - predictably - the less interested you would be in human affairs. other concepts being explored are the other motivations of "superheroism" that would theoretically arise if it were a real phenomenon: * sexual arousal * sadism * vengeance * nihilism almost none of which fit the classic "altruistic" character of the superhero (with superman being the ultimate example).
He only led them there because he needed them to know his plans. Without them knowing the grand reveal (someone knowing), he would've been stopped the end would be for naught.
@@aTofuJunkie Precisely. The fact that they went in chasing Ozymandias made them waste precious time that could be used to avert all these machinations.
"Im not reacting here with you. YOU'RE REACTING HERE WITH ME!"
😂😂😂
@@AddieCounts
i don't think you understand my heart does not belong to you. you're heart belongs to me
Waited for that the entire time! It's the best line in the movie!!
@@tylermcclain5332 You need help
Too bad she cut that.
I've always thought that Jeffery Dean Morgan's portrayal of the Comedian was what nailed him for the role as Negan in The Walking Dead. He's great here.
i always thought that Addison's portrayal of being adorable is what nailed her role in the TV series loving Addie
When I read the novel, I heard in my head, Dr. Manhattan's voice as godlike and powerful, but hearing Billy Crudup's soft and detached voice is all I hear now. It's perfect.
Seriously. The sequence of Dr. Manhattan being in the accident and then slowly gaining his powers with that amazing narration in top of it all is one of my favorite sequences in film.
9:40 He wasn't blaming Dr. Manhattan, he was merely pointing out the fact that he is complicit because he had the power to do something about it, and he didn't. From The Comedian's perspective, he's beginning to see Dr. Manhattan's apathy toward humans.
As you noted, his powers seem limitless since he can perceive all time and control matter. If someone had those powers, they could easily prevent just about anything from happening.
But, from Dr. Manhattan's perspective, having nearly god-like powers, what is the point of interfering? Do you as a human watch every step you take to make sure you don't trample ants when you walk? Most people probably do not because it is inconsequential to us. We have more important things to mind.
Humans are the ants beneath Dr. Manhattan, but the difference being that he was once one of them and is slowly losing that part of himself.
The Watchmen basically inspired THE BOYS tv Series and Comic books. Basically asking the Question what if Super Heros weren't what we thought they were.
7:45 Didn't show it but the guy holding 'the end is neigh' sign outside Comedians funeral is Rorschach without his mask which we don't know till way later.
In the scene where the Comedian murders the pregnant woman, he wasn't blaming Dr. Manhatten for it, he was call out his fake outrage by saying if he didn't want it to happen he could have stopped it, because thats how powerful he is, so he was clearly OK with it happening.
Exactly, He is standing there with his phony outrage when he could have easily stopped him! Eventually he leans into not even acting like he cares what happens.
I don't think it was necessarily him being okay with it, I think it was just him being too cut of from human life that he just couldn't care to interfere.
"I did it 35 minutes ago" remains one of the most chilling and incredible twists in any media. Like, BUT THEY'RE SUPERHEROES! THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO WIN IN THE NICK OF TIME
But nope, they had lost well before they even got there, and the 'villain's' victory is effectively total.
The intro set to Bob Dylan also might be the greatest opening sequence in a comic book film.
This movie didn't/doesn't get a ton of love, but I think that overall they did a really good job. It's one of those films that suffers from the source material being widely regarded as a work of genius and the movie "only" being very good.
this is one of my favorite superhero movies. this and Deadpool prove that more of them should be made rated R. i'm sooooo tired of every superhero movie having to be PG-13 just to pack more people into the seats. imagine Thanos cutting through the Avengers in an R rated version.
My controversial opinion is that this ending is better than the graphic novel. I love the graphic novel, but I think this ending is more grounded.
@@dirtycash36 The thing is American comic books, since the medium was unfairly persecuted for instigating juvenile delinquency in the 1950s, was looked at and produced for children and pre-teens. Overseas, graphic novels were more adult and artistic. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the creators of the story, are two Brits, who wanted to make fun American superheroes, let alone America itself, in a dystopian fashion. I think, with the shit going down nowadays, they weren't too far off in 1987.
@@rallyking13 I never going to understand why some ppl think framing DR Manhattan with the event is better than the Alliens. The fear of the unkown is the biggest fear, Alliens from unkown dimension is much better because we don't know if they come back or there is others like them, it is like better to be ready.
VS a God like being who turned againist humanity, sure it work if he stay on Earth but he left the Galaxy, soon enough humanity will realize he no longer intervenes with stuff anymore and everything just changes back to normal.
That whole sequence explaining Dr. Manhattan's back story was amazingly done! And included my favorite line... "I feel fear for the last time." (2nd favorite was "I'm not locked in here with you... you're all locked in here WITH ME!"). Also, I find it interesting how happy you were that Rorschach's journal was gonna be written about. Revealing the secret puts 1 man in jail and subjects the entire world to the threat of nuclear annihilation 🤷
In the comics it's explained that Rorshacks mask was created by Dr Manhattan.
Well, not quite. It was a new sort of fabric made possible by Dr. Manhattan, incorporated into a designer dress, which Rorschach turned into his mask.
@@normative And the particular piece of fabric Rorschach used for his mask was taken from a dress ordered by (real life victim) Kitty Genovese from Manhattan Fabrics where he worked, whose rape and murder was one of the incentives for him to turn into a vigilante.
RIP Rorschach.
Alan Moore also wrote V for Vendetta. He basically hates every mainstream version of his work but his stories are amazing.
The original Watchmen story had quite a different ending but the point is still the same.
I have to point something out to newcomers of Watchmen, and that is... Dr Manhattan being a prisoner to his own power...
We know he doesn't perceive time in a linear way like we do, he lives through, sees, and feels all moments in time simultaneously. His existence isn't a straight path, it's a sphere.
So in a way he's a slave to this perspective, he can't change events, he can merely live through them, experience them first hand. He already knows what will happen, and at most all he can do is gain further understanding of the events.
The most powerful man in the universe, incapable of free will, a slave of time.
You ready for a 4th loss in a row to Michigan?
Well, he's basically a nuclear-powered deity (Sally Jupiter in the comic book limited series calls him a H-bomb) that wishes he was still human but can't because it's practically nonsensical. If you were God, why would you wear clothes?
The graphic novel has many brilliant pieces of dialog, most of which made it into the movie, but one of my favorite exchanges was left out. It occurs on the Owlship, right after Dan and Laurie make love.
"Dan?"
"Hmm?"
"Was tonight good?"
"Yeah... Really good."
"Was it the costumes that made it good?... Dan?"
"Yeah... Yeah, the costumes had a lot to do with it. It feels so strange to just say that, you know? To come out of the closet. "
I absolutely adore this graphic novel/movie, and how complex it is! Dr. Manhattan even inspired a mental disorder called Dr. Manhattan Syndrome, where someone has such power/money in the world that they start to identify less and less with humanity. The more and more power that he discovered, the more detached that he became to humanity. Humans are ants walking beneath him that he could squash with his foot without even asking himself why. It's basically why Manhattan walks around naked - he is so powerful that his idea of what humans would think of him is absolutely inconsequential.
28:02 it's not that he doesn't care about her, it's that he's increasingly _unable_ to care about her. Not by choice, but due to what happened to him. Imagine yourself trying to care about a Mayfly, with proportionate lifespans and power levels, while high on weed, which can make you unable to focus on any insignificant thing longer than a few seconds.
Alan Moore is an Extremely Gifted Writer....The Watchmen, V For Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell, Batman: Killing Joke, Swamp Thing, etc.
pausing @ 22 seconds.. oh no.. she's in wayyyyyyyy too good a mood for this movie.
😂😂😂 I didn’t know what I was getting myself into!
@@AddieCounts and in a way you still don't. There were 3 versions of this film. The one you watched is the original theatrical cut.. then they did director's cut, and finally, the
WB released the ULTIMATE Cut.. that one runs almost 4 hours.
@@AddieCounts But it was worth it, thank you.
@@AddieCounts
How long did it take you to recover from this? 😂
Watchmen is a graphic novel that was published in 12 issues between 1986 and 1987, written by Allan Moore (the same author of V for Vendetta), drawn by Dave Gibbons and colored by John Higgins. It is a critique of the whole superhero genre, of which Alan became very critical of, displaying what would happen to the world if they did exist while deconstructing and making a satire of the genre, all that while he also make political commentary as well.And your suspicion is right Addie, aside Dr. Manhattan no one have real superpowers, only their skills and strength (although one can argue that Adrian Veidt's superior intelligence can be understood as a superpower, it is still within human limits).
One thing that have to be said is that while this is a pretty faithful adaptation, the ending was changed in the movie: instead of nuclear attacks with an energy source derived from Dr. Manhattan, in the comics it was a forged alien invasion with giant squid/octopus-like creatures that made a psychic energy attack with the same results (except no one blamed Dr. Manhattan for that). That change was criticized by the fans at the time, to the point that the HBO Watchmen series uses the comics' attack version instead of the movie one to tell their story.
As always, Alan Moore was not credited because since his disagreements with Warner Studios over another adaptation of his work (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) he does not want to be associated with the movies, since he believes they change his stories to the point of defacement and have a different message than the original works (that's specially true with V for Vendetta). I must say that the graphic novel is much better than the movie, as it has a lot of material that was cut and makes you dive more into this world's lore. Also, there are some ways the story was told that is only possible in the comics, especially the mirror symmetry in the drawings and colorization on the issues dedicated to Rorschach that can't be replicated properly on the screen.
Another thing the graphic novel did brilliantly was place the dialog from one scene over the visuals from another, creating some magnificent dramatic irony.
Thanks for the reaction. I'd love to see your reaction to the Watchmen tv series!
Not really
Now THAT is a polarizing piece of media. 😂
"The search for more money, the serie"(what have nothing to do with the original other then stoleing its name)
Rings of power, Witcher, Watchmen, Star Wars, .... when they gonna learn not the name what peoples did like but the story, buying up something just to change it is a dump idea(an expensive dump one)...
Yes!!! The TV show being one of the best mini-series of recent memory.
Glad you watched this. It wasn't well liked when it came out but it's one of the best comic book films that doesn't try to make jokes every two minutes. Plus, every character feels like the main character and is fully fleshed out with their own stories. Superb movie.
2:50 The 1940s Minutemen, from my understanding, are inspired by The Mighty Crusaders, a fictional superhero team published by Archie Comics. Meanwhile, the present-day version of the team is based on characters from Charlton Comics, such as The Question, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Thunderbolt, Nightshade, and Peacemaker, all of whom inspired the characters seen in the Watchmen film and comic.
The Charlton Comics characters mentioned above were later incorporated into the DC Universe during Crisis on Infinite Earths (1986), a pivotal event in which the DC Multiverse was destroyed, and elements of various realities were merged into a single universe known as New Earth. This new continuity unified DC's vast catalog of characters, including those acquired from other comic companies, including Charlton Comics, bringing them together into a shared reality where they could coexist.
Also fun little detail. At the very beginning of the opening montage, it shows the original Owlman saving "Bruce Wayne's" parents from being killed at the Gotham Opera Hall, with a young child standing beside them. The scene even includes posters of Batman #1 (1940) in the background, depicting Batman swinging alongside Robin. This was not part of the original graphic novel, Gotham itself along with DC's other cities and characters don't exist in the Watchmen universe. It’s just a fun little nod added by Zack Snyder, who would later direct Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) the sequel to Man of Steel.
Not just based on A graphic novel, probably the most highly regarded super hero story ever. Its on the 100 best Novels and 10 best graphic novels list. So yeah, a comic book on the 100 best novels list. A desconstruction of super heroes
was on Time magazines 100 best books of the 20th century list.
Addie: “Dr. Manhattan is crazy! What can he do?”
You have no idea how overpowered he is. Dr. Manhattan is Nigh Omnipotent which means he can basically do anything he wants. He is by far the strongest comic character you’ll ever see on-screen without being Omniscient or Omnipresent.
"I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here _WITH ME!"_
Great power fantasy for powerless wimps
@@josephwallace202There there. It's okay. You're okay.
@@SwiftJusticetoo bad the fantasies couldn't protect you from real life abuse
@@SwiftJustice too bad the fantasies can't undo the beatings you took
@@SwiftJustice too bad the fantasies can't undo your high school experience lol
Addie!! You're going to get many comments like this, but I want to add to the algorithm!! The graphic novel ends a little differently, and the HBO mini series is a direct sequel to that comic, not this movie. Glad you liked it. It's truly an anti hero film, and so many shots seem to come directly from the graphic novel, which reads like a films' storyboard.
Rorschach is my spirit animal.
Adrian Veidt's plan was basically a better version of Thanos's plan in Endgame. Sacrifice the few to save the many. 😂 Whereas Thanos sacrificed the many to prolong the inevitability of future world starvation.
Veidt's plan was a deconstruction of a typical comic book villain's plan like Thanos had. The problem with it was he took the hope for peace and twisted into something ugly, not giving humanity enough credit to save itself. Veidt saw the "big picture", but not the little details (Dan's relationships with Hollis, Laurie and Rorschach; the Bernies at the street corner) that make it up.
@@Madbandit77much better than a GIANT SQUID?!!! 😂🤣 I really wanted to see it though.
@@aTofuJunkie Co-writer David Hayter (the voice of Solid Snake of "Metal Gear Solid) noted in an interview that when he got the job, the day was Sept 10, 2001. That's why the giant squid and the dead bodies weren't used for the ending.
@@Madbandit77David Hayter doesn't get enough credit as a writer. X2 Xmen United was a really good sequel.
You will never recover from seeing the big blue...
Waffle...?
@@KyleYoung-b2qcock
Johnson!
Billie!! (Crudup)
@@heyskra penis
Love how much Watchmen subverts the superhero genre, lots of unexpected and cynical twists and themes
The way I like to see this film, all of the watchmen have their own sense of morality. Nite Owl approaches morality like batman, a force for justice. Rorschach simply wants to punish criminals. Ozymandias believes in the greater good. The comedian thinks what's best is what's best for him. Dr. Manhattan believes morality is a pointless endeavor. It's beautiful and dark, and it has to be one of my all-time favorites.
"I leave it entirely in your hands"
I highly recommend watching the Watchmen series (as seen in the background at 36:02). It's a bit of a mind bender, but it's so good!
Jeffrey Dean Morgan had such a short role in the movie but was undoubtedly my favorite character
The movie is very faithful to the graphic novel (if you read it), the only major difference is the end whereas in the book Ozymandia has scientists make a giant squid alien as a threat to unite the US and the USSR while in the film he replicates Doctor Manhattan's power to nuke cities.
I personally think the film improved on this.
Also the actors they casted are great, especially Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian and Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach.
This film grew on me and now is among my favorites, I especially LOVE the intro, so smartly done to advance the plot while showing the credits.
These 'heroes' are not all mr. Nice Guy, I'm not sure The Comedian is someone that a damsel in distress would wish to see coming to her help 🤪
Probably the best comic book adaptation, although they do change the ending...
Doctor Manhattan had a major role in a recent DC comics reboot...
The Watchmen TV series is also good.
A reaction to the tv show would be great, it's short and mind blowing. Got to get an egg now
only saw this once and it was a long time ago, so thank you Addie for this latest reaction!
In the graphic novel, they explain Rorschach got the material for his mask from a material that Veidt Industries developed. If I remember correctly, the material reacts to his body heat and that causes the ink to move around.
Also, to confirm. The only person who had what one would consider legitimate superpowers is Dr Manhattan. Nite Owl (Daniel Dreiberg?) is sort of like Batman since he has a special vehicle and various gadgets. The others were just good at hand-to-hand combat.
Veidt had "super powers" at the end of the movie as well thanks to genetic manipulation.
if she starts watching the watchmen show, some will have to explain that the show used the book's ending, not the movie's.
A
Rorschach test uses ink blots made with a folded piece of paper. Rorschach's mask is like a constantly changing ink blot.
If you go to the extras section of the film, there's an extended cut. Most of everything you see in this film was in the graphic novel already, so a lot of people already knew these characters right away. DC comics also released prequel comics which the original creator didn't think we needed, but I found a few of them to be enjoyable. The comics also had them crossover with the Justice League.
Slightly alarmed by the joy joy feelings on the last scene..... You do realize it means the peace will end and nuclear annihilation upon learning the truth.
YES! One of the best Graphic Novel adaptations of all time!
This movie was really ahead of its time, before the big superhero craze.
I don't know about that. If you look at Robocop (1987), it's the first R-rated superhero film. Batman (1989) and the first live action Ninja Turtles film (1990) have a dark vibe, despite both being PG-13. Watchmen wasn't ahead of its' time. It was a culmination of what a comic book superhero film can be without fear of prudism.
*The book, not movie, just because it was copypasted
Rorschach : None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with *ME*!.
I have to say my preferred version is the Ultimate Cut of Watchman; which although arsenumbingly long, is just about perfect. It adds in a few cut scenes & also the ‘Tale of The Black Freighter’ animation, which is animation of the comic we see the youth at the news stand reading throughout the film.
As a long time fan of the graphic novel I was stunned when I first saw this film; shots are lifted straight off the pages of it.
I’d recommend watching the Watchmen tv series; not only is it epic, the soundtrack by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross is unreal.
Fun Fact: the war room set is based on the design for the same room from Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove. ‘There will be no fighting in the war room’.
I'd say watch the theatrical cut first and, if you love it, watch the Ultimate Cut after, when you will appreciate it more.
@@jrd33oh definitely. I’d read the graphic novel multiple times prior to the films release. But first seeing the theatrical cut & then the ultimate cut makes total sense for newcomers to the world of Watchmen.
I like the Ultimate Cut too (eight minutes longer than "Seven Samurai"?!) and it made me love Zack Snyder, especially when the Knot-Top leader called Little Bernie a retard for reading a comic book. I was that kid eons ago. Despite his haters, Zack actually respects comic books as an art form while talking about the human condition.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan played The Comedian perfectly especially when he wore both versions of his character's costumes. plus when he was being a drunken jerk that ruined people's lives just being himself really made the character the most hated character of the comics & movie
And his redemption arc made him one of the most beloved at the same time. The movie just doesn't quite show this. Still a great movie.
@@aTofuJunkie agreed
Definitely read the graphic novel, it's fantastic
Hi Addie hope you are having an great and awesome day ❤
6:57 No. He knows the future up to the point of the temporal anomaly blocking his ability.
22:40 No. The only person with powers is Dr. Manhattan. The rest simply have extraordinary abilities. Some might say that Veidt's extreme intelligence is a superpower, but it's at a level that frequently is associated with insanity.
23:22 That version is the ORIGINAL version by the incomparable Leonard Cohen. Treat yourself to some of his aural delights. "The Essential Leonard Cohen" is a great start (and has "Hallelujah" on it).
Greatest Intro in Movie-History 🤩🤩🤩
This movie is based on the, amazing,1986 Watchmen graphic novel written by Alan Moore.
Zach Snyder does, imho, an excellent job at bringing the graphic novel to life. Is it perfect? Far from it, but I think he recreates the feeling of the comic pretty well. Fans of the comic take issue with some of the changes that were made in the movie where they differ from the comic.
There are three version of this movie, Theatrical, Extended and Ultimate cut.
The Ultimate cut includes an animated second comic book interwoven into the movie. The original comic has a character in the comic reading a comic that was also included into the comic. The Ultimate Cut does a great job of including, "Tales of the Black Freighter" as it was in the original comic.
HBO did a limited Watchmen series. It is NOT a sequel to this movie but of the original comic and it is a brilliant show and don't let certain groups tell you differently.
One of my favorite movies ever made! I love this film, I am not. a huge super hero movie guy but this film is fantastic! very underrated!
This movie is such an interesting dive into moral absolutism, moral relativism and the dark sides of vigilantes. I know a lot of people don't like it (and that it isn't true to the source material) but I still think this is a great movie
...and "Without condemning or condoning, I understand" is such a powerful line. Always give me chills.
Such a phenomenal film, I have no criticism of it. I'm so happy you watched to it!
Adrian let himself be hit in the end because he knew he deserved it, he was good but facing an impossible problem.
Deadpool; "You're so dark! Are you sure you're not DC?"
One of the greatest visualizations of a hero creation ever. Dr. Manhattan is just a awesome origin.
His plan was smart.
I read the graphic novel in a library when I was young. Both are respectively amazing works in fact even having read the comic I was still blown away by the film too. Worth reading the graphic novel as well. It owns as much accolades as this film for good reason.
There are two extended cuts of this movie "Extended" and "Ultimate" cut. Both have more backstory on the Minutemen
We finally have an answer to the old riddle: Addie watches the Watchmen.
Addie, the really interesting bit is that these characters afterwards make a journey over to the DC Universe to interact with Superman, Batman, Joker, Luthor and others in a brilliant piece of writing. The miniseries was called The Doomsday Clock, and it was covered here on Y tube by Comicstorian and also by Comics Explained. Thank you for presenting this to us today =)
It's a good movie, but I don't think it really captures the genius that was in the original comic series written by Alan Moore and artists Dave Gibbons and John Higgins. The same can be said for another of Moore's works turned into movie, V for Vendetta. Moore has a penchant for capturing the political nuances and feeling of a moment in time. Watchmen perfectly captures the mid-80's world while deconstructing superhero tropes and presenting a weird alternate history. Watchmen isn't just a comic book classic, but a literary classic as well.
I was so excited when I saw you were watching this, and your reactions did not disappoint! One of the single best superhero stories/movies ever, imo, and Rorschach is my spirit animal. Cheers!😁
0:17 and we are watching you watch the Watchmen.
You know there's an ultimate cut that's 3.5 hours long and you definitely need to watch it.
such an original version of the 'super hero" genre. especially the major plot twist at the end :)))
Pretty sure the version of Hallelujah in this movie was Leonard Cohen's original version, by the by, and my favourite by far.
There is a Director‘s and an Ultimate Cut that really makes it so much better. You should watch it.
"Watching Watchmen."
LOL Do we have an Alliterative Addie here?
You HAVE to do the show. In order to do that, you'd either need to read the comic or watch the animated comic on RUclips, because the show is a sequel to the comic, which has some important differences from the movie.
If you liked this, you should check out the HBO tv show. It’s set 30 or so years later in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is wonderfully written.
It is based on the graphic novel, which is very good and has a very different ending.
"This should be a fun movie right?".
Oh you poor innocent woman...
Dr. Manhattan's The only one with powers in the strictest comicbook sense. Everybody else are just humans at peak physical condition, like Batman, just speciallizing in different skill sets. Adrian is a genius who just prepped for everything, every contingency, even in fighting so he has counters for every move thrown at him especially those coming from other Watchmen.
If Batman was insane and used guns he'd be the Comedian. If he focused more on his gadgets he's Owlman. If he was female and dressed like Catwoman he'd be Silk Spectre.
PS. Rorschach's mask was made by Doctor Manhattan and it changes patterns according to emotion.
That’s so interesting you feel Batman would be the Comedian. I feel like Night Owl was the rich Bruce Wayne type based on Batman however I feel like Rorschach most resembles the detective element of Batman.
Rorschach would kill everyone for his absolute obsession with the truth, and quite possible has doomed everyone at the end of The Watchmen.
The story was written mainly as a reaction to the massive moral absolutism of comic writer/illustrator Steve Ditkos characters. Rorschach represents Ditko's popular old comic characters Mr A and The Question, both of whom saw morality in black and white - and therefore would never agree to the massive compromise/trick of Ozymandias and Dr Manhattan at the end of The Watchmen.
Alan Moore, who wrote the Watchmen, even did a song called Mr A when he had a band.
Please continue with Star Trek.
In the opening credits, you see a guy punching someone who's firing a pistol in the air. There are three people behind him who got saved that night, and those people are Thomas, Martha, and Bruce Wayne. Because of him, Batman was never born.
We as a people really need to start listening to Alan moore
One of my favorite movies of all time!
Now we know who watches the Watchmen. Addie does.
watching watchmen is fun to say and fun to do
This was an awesome watch along, I really enjoyed your reactions and take on the movie, so glad to see you enjoyed it! I'm looking forward to seeing you react to more Zack Snyder movies. Watchmen is a brilliant movie, but definitely the darkest of them all for what it's worth 😅 congrats on 100K Subscribers by the way!
Thank you for reacting to this.
I'm with you and Rorschach Adrian was wrong. One of the things I like about the graphic novel was everybody except Dr. Manhattan was human without powers.
So glad you liked this movie. The source material is very good and I recommend it.
Hey Addie, not sure on your feelings about reacting to shows with subtitles but you should give Shōgun a watch. It's about 80% in subtitles but the show is SO good! The main actress won an Emmy for her role.
USA & USSR were labeled "nuclear super-powers" when discussing the top-of-mind threat of war in the 80s. So Dr. Manhattan's actual superpowers were in a juxtaposition that isn't as potent today.
4:11 Freddy Kruger?!
*What can't he do?"
Dr. Manhattan is arguably more powerful than any god.
The Watchman series is worth a watch, if you want to dwell deeper into this film’s universe.
it was fun watching you watching Watchmen
Yes, it's so "fun", ha.
The Watchmen show was an amazing follow up, some didn't give it a chance for../reasons/, but the story is an amazing follow up, it's only a single season
1:31 I guess you weren’t aware we’re closer than that on the real clock.
Amazing movie and fun reaction 👍. Adrian was my favorite character in this movie. I was NOT sad about Roxac dying 😂. And happy comedian died.
I watched this movie in the theater when it came out, and I found it quite entertaining after a dad came in with two small children, around 5 or 6 years old, as it took him until the sex scene before he finally got up and hurried them all out of there.
Same sort of thing happened when I watched it in the theater, but it was a mom and a daughter. I was going to tell the mom that the film wasn't meant for kids, but she and the daughter left before I could move.
it's only after many watches later that i understood "the point" of the film/novel.
more than a "story" - it is rather an exploration of the concept of the "superhero" and "heroism" in general.
the one who saves humanity in the end isn't the world's (only) true superhero who is capable of virtually anything - but actually "the villain" - who sacrifices millions to save billions. He makes the difficult moral choice that is apparently necessary - that no one else had the "courage" to do.
meanwhile, the actual true superhero (dr. Manhattan) - exactly BECAUSE he is so far beyond the concerns of mortals, and beyond the constraints of time and space --- he cannot even care enough about human concerns to intervene. the less human you are (in terms of super-human capabilities) - predictably - the less interested you would be in human affairs.
other concepts being explored are the other motivations of "superheroism" that would theoretically arise if it were a real phenomenon:
* sexual arousal
* sadism
* vengeance
* nihilism
almost none of which fit the classic "altruistic" character of the superhero (with superman being the ultimate example).
Fun fact, the comedian is played by the same actor who plays negan in the walking dead
I know him more from The Good Wife. 😂
26:50 Smartest man in the world and his password is a commonly known name that's on a book in the same room...
He only led them there because he needed them to know his plans. Without them knowing the grand reveal (someone knowing), he would've been stopped the end would be for naught.
@@aTofuJunkie Precisely. The fact that they went in chasing Ozymandias made them waste precious time that could be used to avert all these machinations.
This one always seems like such a challenge to edit. So, well done to the editor, in advance.
Good luck, Mr. Gorsky!
I remember seeing that big blue junk in IMAX...😮
Happy Thanksgiving Addie ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I think you said "I love this movie" a little too early Addie! LOL :P