So I have seen the movie 3.66 times now and I feel I can give this movie a proper review. Lets just start out with a couple facts;
#1. I have read the comic
#2. I am a huge fan of the comic
#3. No, really, I am a huge fan of the comic.
So, with this information out of the way, lets start with the obvious. Is the movie as good as the comic? Short answer, no. Long answer, it's not fair to compare. Firstly, the movie is a shaved down version of the director's original vision. So, I'm sure there are a lot of things that got cut that would make this movie better for the fans of the comic and maybe even for people new to The Watchmen. Secondly, movies and books are not fair to compare. Ever. As a movie, Watchmen falls short of the comic, yet still is heads above almost every other comic book movie out there.
The movie stays true to the overall feel and tone of the source material. Many scenes and some of the dialog is straight from the comic. I would say that the best way to explain it is that the movie is a Cliff Notes version of the story. You get the important characters, the important themes and the important plot points. There are changes made in the story and this is an unavoidable act. Whenever a story is translated between medias, changes need to be made to tailor that experience to the chosen form. The biggest change being the ending. I personally had no problems with the new ending for a couple reasons. It actually works better for the movie I think. It helps cut out things that really weren't needed for the plot and I think is a little easier to wrap you head around if you're new to the world. Another reason I think it works is that it gives even the fans that know the story something to look forward to. Yeah, we know how it ends, but not knowing exactly how it will get there makes it a little more enjoyable in my opinion.
The casting in the movie was great. Every one of the main characters in the film were perfectly portrayed by their actor. It is clear that all the actors were familiar with the source material or the writers and director just did an amazing job informing the actor of what their character was about. I find myself saying "X" was a real stand out in this movie, only "X = the entire cast". I'm not sure how they pulled it off, but they had a cast where each character was dynamic and stood out. I can't praise the actors enough for this movie.
The one thing I can't help but wonder is if Alan Moore will ever see this movie and what he will think of it if he does. I would assume he will hate the story changes, but maybe he will understand why they were made. I think extreme care was taken to preserve his voice and that it is a clear that the people involved with the production of this movie have a great respect for the source material.
Overall, I give this movie a 9 out of 10. It holds up through multiple viewing for me and each time I notice something new in the background. I wait and long for the directors cut, an ultimate vision of one of the best books of modern time. Till then, I am happy with the Cliff Notes.
. So, I have that too look forward to.
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