Watchmen... (spoiler-free)

[caddyman]

...in which Bryan gets on his soapbox


I haven't seen it yet - it's on my schedule for next weekend. After twenty-odd years, I can wait another week. Now, looking around the intarwebs we see an interesting shift from uninformed speculation to nit-picking grumble.

Firstly based upon Alan Moore's blanket disowning of movies based upon his stories (and let's be fair, he has plenty of reason), we have those who took his general lack of involvement and interest to to be a specific condemnation of each movie as it's come along: The Ego from Northampton objects, therefore I, faithful acolyte shall too object (but go to see it anyway and buy the DVD later), to those earnest souls who look at any mention of an adaptation with horror and take any spoof to be a true representation of the final offering. These are the people who will in advance, brook no deviation from the original story line, no omission or reordering; they will make no allowance for the difference in media between comics and films.

Then we have the second phase: It's too close to the original. This doesn't work on film, that should have been left out. There was no need to be so graphic: I didn't like that bit of the original, why leave it in here?

In short, if you really want to know what a film is like, ask someone who watched as a movie, not an adaptation of the source material. These latter are called "fans" and with them, you can't win. You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

And before paranoia hits, this was written before the reviews flood LJ, so it can't possibly be about you. You know I'm talking to you, right?

Comments

[ed-fortune.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to the movie. I tend to assess adaptions in 3 ways: Did I have fun, Did it work as a movie, did it work as an adaption?

I do worry about the way some fans invest so much into a creative work, but I suspect the real issue is they're powerless to make 'their vision', and thus whinge.

[wulfboy.livejournal.com]

I'm seeing Watchmen on Monday. I am looking forward to it. If it's good, I'll be pleased. If it's terrible, I'll enjoy whinging about it. Either way, I'll still read the Graphic Novel whenever I'm near it and in the mood, and I'll still enjoy it.

[kathbad]

I have already written my thoughts on the film so it must be about me

I agree, and as a film, I loved it. As an adapation, I loved it *g*

[trav28.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed it but can keep the comics and the movie *separate*. I guess that makes me a dirty fence sitter, lol.

[fencingsculptor.livejournal.com]

Loved the comic. Loved the film.
Nuff said.

[pauln.livejournal.com]

As I've said elsewhere they are different retellings of a story in different media and should each be judged on their own merits. How many different versions of King Arthur or Ulysses are there?

[littleonionz.livejournal.com]

I just don't want to watch it, just like 'book of the film' merch doesn't ring my bell either. I think its all down to having a massive creative ego,(hur hur)which I know is like Godzilla striding above the toytown reality of my actual un-l33t brain skillz, but you know, we can all dream:)
Upshot being; I prefer my imagineering of the voices, the movement, the sound of a giant squid hitting concrete,etc to that of some g33z3rz in 'ollywood. Fer me the page turning, the framing, the script, the colours of the ink on the page,the burring of the edges of a book from crisp, slice your fingers, to soft,curling velvet, all that tactile malarky, rather than the ephemeral images of the kinema is an integral part of the 'experience'(lol can I be any more of a pseud? yeah, prolly;)

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

Well put, so are you saying that we should always approach a film on this basis, or are there exceptions?