I watches the Watchmen, sneak preview that is

I know this has nothing to do with video games, but I believe there is enough of a crossover of interest to justify this post. Plus it’s my blog, so there!

I was lucky enough to be caller No. 10 at 89.7 the River last weekend and got my hands on a pair of tickets to a sneak peak of Watchmen, a movie I have been waiting for with great anticipation after reading the comic twice last fall.

Watchmen asks: To what extent do the ends justify the means? Is it just to expend millions to save billions?

The movie followed the comic VERY closely, with only slight deviation at the end. Scenes in the movie were exact recreations of panels from the graphic novel. Lines were read exactly the same. It was as faithful a movie adaption I have ever seen.

Of course some parts of the comic book have to be left out for time considerations… the movie clocked in at nearly two hours and 45 minutes. But the parts that were left on the cutting room floor were those parts that added additional depth and detail in the comic instead of major plot points.

Additional kudos are required for slightly altering the ending, which kept me on the edge of my seat, while still remaining true to the original intent of the Alan Moore comic.

Patrick Wilson was great in the roll of Dan Dreiberg, a character I didn’t like before but for whom I now have a new appreciation. The shrewdness of the Comedian was excellently portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

My only real qualm with the movie was the casting and handling of Adrian Veidt, a major character in the comic book. Admittedly, Veidt would be a difficult character to bring to life, especially since a lot of the details on him and his business ventures are told through text supplements at the end of chapters and tiny details elsewhere.

I don't think Goode practiced the Veidt method

But Veidt is the smartest man in the world, a self-starter, and a superhero. He’s strong enough to take on several men at a time and fast enough to catch a bullet. Somehow Matthew Goode doesn’t command that respect.

The more I think about it the more I enjoyed the movie. The action scenes were awesome.It was gritty and fantastic. A montage at the beginning helped to set the scene in the alternate history where the U.S. won Vietnam and Nixon was elected to multiple terms.

I particularly like that most of the superheros were just real people who donned masks and had a knack for kicking ass. It makes the characters more human and easier to relate to.

The one who did have superpowers, Dr. Manhattan, was god-like. Plus i couldn’t help but chuckle whenever you see his floppy blue dong hanging out, consider it the juvenile side of me. First GTA IV and now Watchmen with the full frontal male nudity.

For more insight, check out my friend Jim Doom’s posting over at Doomkopf, with whom I went to the screening.

Tags: movies, watchmen