I know there is no way Zack Snyder's upcoming adaptation of Watchmen can do justice to the graphic novel, even if he manages to convince Warner Bros. to release the film at its current length of three hours. To believe otherwise is foolish. A 12-hour miniseries on HBO was the only way to go, although that would have probably cost a billion dollars.
But there's no way to cram all of Watchmen into a single feature film, and the moment you start condensing and whacking away at the novel, it loses everything that made it so great. So why do I feel so hopeful every time I watch the trailer for the film?
Because you are a giant, unrepentant NERD.
Posted by: can't fight this feeling anymore | August 06, 2008 at 06:19 PM
OMG. Our mutual best friend might have just ... stolen my EXACT SAME ANSWER!
Stay golden, Ponyniko.
Posted by: Phoebe | August 06, 2008 at 06:22 PM
Also, how would you compare your level of excitement about this exercise in total utter nerdery to, say, THE SILVER SURFER?
Posted by: Phoebe | August 06, 2008 at 06:31 PM
Dude, I am with you on this. I think I am hopeful because some of the scenes in the trailer are almost EXACT replicas of certain panels.
http://www.geekanerdblog.com/2008/07/watchmen-movie-trailer-dissected.html
I am nervous about the anime Black Freighter thing, though.
Posted by: rebekah | August 06, 2008 at 06:46 PM
Oh, Bekkles. Do not encourage him.
Posted by: Phoebe | August 06, 2008 at 06:47 PM
Wait. That would have been better if I hadn't been too busy doubling over with cruel, taunting laughter every three seconds. I SHOULD have said:
Rebekah. Please do not feed the nerd.
Posted by: Phoebe | August 06, 2008 at 06:54 PM
Of course it will never be the graphic novel. No adaptation is ever the book. What we can hope for is the best possible adaptation, and a fantastic movie. Which is what this film has the potential to be. A fantastic film. Snyder has a deep love for the book, so he is putting in as much as he can. But this ahs to work as a film first. I am sure he will deliver a great film, the problem is will the studio let it fly or force him to edit the film down to a crappy 2 hour run time. I am hopeful they will leave the film alone.
The trailer looks stunning. I've already had to lend my copy of the book out to a couple of people who NEVER read comics, simply becuase the trailer looked so cool. They all love it. If anything, at least this creates a better awarness of the book, which itself is a masterpiece.
Posted by: Juan | August 07, 2008 at 12:25 AM
And rebekah, the black freighter is coming out on DVD on it's own, around the same time the movie comes out. It's going to be animated, with Gerard Butler doing the vocal work.
Posted by: Juan | August 07, 2008 at 12:27 AM
What I find interesting is that Jeffrey Dean Morgan ONCE AGAIN plays the guy who gets killed off. That poor guy! He's dead before Weeds even starts. Demons get him on Supernatural. And he leaves poor Katherine Heigl weeping on Grey's Anatomy. Is he ever going to get to play a character who lives past the opening credits????
Posted by: can't fight this feeling anymore | August 07, 2008 at 07:19 AM
Re: Jeffrey Dean Morgan -- he should have died a lot earlier on "Grey's." Ideally before he was ever on the show.
Posted by: Phoebe | August 07, 2008 at 01:55 PM
I have a confession to make. I can barely stand to do it, but I must do right: I saw the trailer yesterday for Watchmen when I went to see The Dark Knight on the IMAX screen, and I have to say it did...sort of...look...cool.
I'm so ashamed. I'm going to go watch Hamlet now.
Posted by: can't fight this feeling anymore | August 17, 2008 at 09:47 AM