Thread: I just saw The Watchmen on blu-ray...

Ok, I had no intention of seeing it, but a bunch of folks at work were talking about it. So I decided to watch it so I could interact with them about it.

Man, it was a terrible movie. Terrible. It was depressing in every way. It was totally nihilistic and utilitarian to the core. Hopeless, despair, jaded... ugh. I pity the fool who took his gal to it as a date movie. I'm just happy that I chose to watch it while my wife was away so that I didn't have to put her through it.

Beyond the utterly horrible worldview, mood, and "tone," of the movie, it was just plain old boring. It plodded along, broken up by a few actions scenes. The language was horrible, the gore silly, the sex dumb, the costumes corny... It was terrible. Terrible.

When it was over I had to pop in Tommy Boy just to clear my head.

Don't waste your time or money with the Watchmen. I'm going to go back to the office on Monday (we're having a 4-day weekend right now... heh heh!)... I'm going to go talk to those guys and challenge them on why they'd be drawn to a movie with that kind of outlook.

It sounded great until you said corny costumes. That's not acceptable.

Oh, and based on the reviews, I'm not surprised. Isn't it strange how people actually enjoy stuff like that? Wild.

Actually that is part of the point of the movie and graphic novel. The costumes are purposefully corny and overdone.

Hehe, Ben I wished this thread was around 2 weeks ago. I completely agree with you. It was a waste of time. In fact, it felt like time was moving backwards. Having never read any of the comics I'm wondering if the storyline was just that bad, or perhaps Hollywood (as usual), ruined it.

Funny thing about costumes. In the case of one of the characters (and on occasion a few others) I would say "What costumes?"

Originally Posted by Solus Christus

Hehe, Ben I wished this thread was around 2 weeks ago. I completely agree with you. It was a waste of time. In fact, it felt like time was moving backwards. Having never read any of the comics I'm wondering if the storyline was just that bad, or perhaps Hollywood (as usual), ruined it.

Funny thing about costumes. In the case of one of the characters (and on occasion a few others) I would say "What costumes?"

LOL You are right about the costumes.

To answer your questions about the comic. Yes it is pretty much the same. At least it makes the same statement. Although the graphic novel had more time to explain things.

The problem was that they pretty much advertise Watchmen as some kind of action super-hero film which it is not. Nor is it supposed to be.

Too late, I saw it in the theater. I did appreciate it the cinematography that however doesn't make up for the poor storyline or the explicit sexuality. The big blue guy, why did he have to be naked in every scene? I mean they could have given him underwear but now he had to show off his you know what.

See I don't think it had a poor story-line. It actually has a great story. The problem is that it just doesn't translate well from page to screen.

i actually found it better than I expected but you can take that for what it's worth. I saw it when it came out in theater a few months back so my memory is a little fuzzy, but I do remember it was pretty graphic, both in terms of violence and sexuality.

Ha ha, big blue naked super heroes! Does this mean no cape?

I'm glad I missed this one at the theatre!

Originally Posted by Pergamum

I'm glad I missed this one at the theatre!

Trust me... you didn't miss much.

I read the comic way back when. Wasn't overly impressed. Heard about the giant blue thing you see everywhere. Also heard it was just like the graphic novel but worse - an excellent example of why movies can't be made exactly like the book. I thought to myself "lame movie, giant blue thing, already know the so-so story, why bother?" Sorry you had to suffer through it!

The movie was absolutely horrid. I love dark movies ala Blade Runner and Donnie Darko(minus all the cursing). But this was an over glorification of ****!!

Blu Ray is awsome just not this movie!

Friends,
I'm not sure it is the wisest thing to be putting anything hollywood invents before our minds. Maybe you all can see filth and not be polluted but I cannot - maybe I'm not mature enough a Christian yet, but I think we should seriously consider if we are not being our own worst enemies by opening ourselves up to the world and temptation voluntarily. Don't mean to upset anyone, but I go with Spurgeon on this issue - "To the child of God, temptation to sin is a greater grievance than the suffering of pain. The saint has often said, “I could endure adversity, but it is misery to be day after day solicited to evil, to have the bait perpetually dangling before me, and to feel something in my soul which half consents to sin, and would altogether surrender were it not for watchful grace.” Brethren, temptation to the pure mind is very grievous; to be sifted in Satan’s sieve is a sore trial. Storms on any sea are to be dreaded; but a whirlwind raised by Satan on the black sea of corruption is horrible beyond conception."

O.K. you can have 'freedom' but I must say I fail to understand why a christian would have an interest in such as this.
Watchmen (2009) ?review and/or viewer comments - Christian Spotlight? on the Movies - ChristianAnswers.Net

All the adjectives used to describe this are abhorent. What is the attraction?

I've noticed an increase in nihilistic movies lately. Holywood seems to love them and I think it reflects the direction our culture is going. Sonya and I watched Babel a couple of weeks ago and it was pointless.

If you see the movie first expecting a 'superhero' movie, you're going to be sadly disappointed. The trailer alone should've warned you on what to expect.

If you read the comic first (I did):

- As a storyline, it was well written. With more time to tell the story, it took you a while to figure out who the bad guy was. There's also extra subtle things in the comic that are missing from the movie that enhance it.

- ALL THAT SAID: In terms of content, it is indeed nihilistic, atheistic and dark. It's Alan Moore. He's a genius and a nutjob. What else did you expect ?

- You kinda knew what to expect from the trailer. It was rated R, so that alone should've sent up red flags.

Even after reading the comic (and the comic had several subplotlines going at the same time and acheived the same 'ending' differently from the movie), I was very VERY hesitant to see the movie. It's not something I will see again or own in my DVD collection.

Why would a Christian knowingly put nudity if front of their eyes, blue skin or not? I just don't get it. I understand seeing something that you didn't know was there, eg. one scene in Band of Brothers that was totally needless; but knowing it is there???? I just don't get it. I can sort of understand watching something like Schindler's List where the nudity was a part of the plot except for one scene, which again didn't have relevance to the movie.

I reckon I'm a prude.

Believe it or not, I think the nonchalant meaninglessness of the nudity contributed to the conveyance of moral and existential nihilism.

I wish I had seen your post Ben before I saw the movie. After seeing The Watchmen, I came away feeling soiled. The level of depravity in that movie was grieving.

Originally Posted by LawrenceU

Why would a Christian knowingly put nudity if front of their eyes, blue skin or not? I just don't get it. I understand seeing something that you didn't know was there, eg. one scene in Band of Brothers that was totally needless; but knowing it is there???? I just don't get it. I can sort of understand watching something like Schindler's List where the nudity was a part of the plot except for one scene, which again didn't have relevance to the movie.

I reckon I'm a prude.

I watched Schindler's List as well. That is truth and history and if forgotten we are doomed to repeat it; we must know it and pass it down to our children to never be forgotten!
There is no comparison to this thread's discussion on deliberately ingesting poison that bears no benefit to one's life, brings no glory to His name!

Thought 300 was way better. Could have done without the big blue guy's nakedness and the pointless sex scene that added nothing to the plot.

I enjoyed the different outlooks brought by the varying characters: The Comedian was a Nihilist, Veidt was a Utilitarian, Rorshach was the Objectivist (black/white-right/wrong), Night-Owl and fussy pants (I honestly can't remember her super-hero name) seemed to be "every man", and Dr. Manhattan was artificially detached and Nihilistic, albeit abandoning this for what I see as the wrong reason. I also think his atrificial detachedness was due from an over-inflated ego and an overreactive sense of self-importance. He thought he was better than everyone else.

Overall, the movie did have a very Utilitarian message, or at the very least a Utilitarian "solution" saved the day. I saw the death of Rorshach as the death od objective right/wrong in the comic book's universe. The place was left in the hands of these "super" people who did what was right in their own eyes to artificially perpetuate a false peace.

The more I thought about Dr. Manhattan's revelation about fussy pant's existence the more it didn't make sense to me given his atheistic/nihilistic presuppositions. Given that all life is random and nothing is purposeful at a base level, one could not conclude that one life in particular was the product of miraculous forces and circumstances. They would be, along with everything else, random, meaningless, and the product of chance. His change of heart was not an intellectual one as the movie tries to portray it and if it was, then it was a pretty stupid deduction from a supposed "super-being". He would have had to abandon his nihilism and atheism for a different worldview, which he doesn't seem to do. Given that, his conclusion is nonsensical.

I do not fault the movie for the Utilitarian message, I fault the movie for the random nudity and sex scenes. Dr. Manhattan's nudity is supposed to convey the fact that he is growing away from humanity. However, they never develop this in the movie, and just show him naked. As I understand it, in the books, he gradually sheds clothing as he feels he grows away from being human into something else, without the need for clothes. Again, they never develop this.

Originally Posted by Zenas

The more I thought about Dr. Manhattan's revelation about fussy pant's existence the more it didn't make sense to me given his atheistic/nihilistic presuppositions. Given that all life is random and nothing is purposeful at a base level, one could not conclude that one life in particular was the product of miraculous forces and circumstances. They would be, along with everything else, random, meaningless, and the product of chance. His change of heart was not an intellectual one as the movie tries to portray it and if it was, then it was a pretty stupid deduction from a supposed "super-being". He would have had to abandon his nihilism and atheism for a different worldview, which he doesn't seem to do. Given that, his conclusion is nonsensical.

Andrew - Good, thoughtful analysis of the characters and what they represented.

The only thing I want to interact with you is the above section, which I quoted.

I think the key to Manhattan's "revelation" was that she was precious to him. Since she had meaning and significance to him, and since she is a contingent being, her existence was considered to be nothing short of "miraculous" in his eyes. I still think this boils down to utilitarianism since the basis of his thinking about the significance of her being was her (emotional) significance to him.

Believe it or not, I think the nonchalant meaninglessness of the nudity contributed to the conveyance of moral and existential nihilism.

This actually makes a great deal of sense. I think it's also like that in 'real life'.

Thanks for the review. I had no idea what it was about but could see myself (or my husband, really) picking this up @ redbox thinking it was like ironman. Not now : )

Remember, whatever you spend money on furthers and promotes it and will increase its presence and availability for your children! The need to up the ante for shock appeal continues to increase and before long total nudity, total sex will be commonplace. Will you continue then to assess their 'literary value' then and overlook the importance of 'putting nothing evil before our eyes'?
So, I sound like a rigid, old, set in their ways senior citizen and so I am but I truly believe the child of God cannot ingest evil without consequence!

Excellent analysis, Andrew. I couldn't have done better myself and I spent time analyzing the story in the book repeatedly.

I'll pass.

Originally Posted by christiana

Remember, whatever you spend money on furthers and promotes it and will increase its presence and availability for your children! The need to up the ante for shock appeal continues to increase and before long total nudity, total sex will be commonplace. Will you continue then to assess their 'literary value' then and overlook the importance of 'putting nothing evil before our eyes'?
So, I sound like a rigid, old, set in their ways senior citizen and so I am but I truly believe the child of God cannot ingest evil without consequence!

Christiana is right. You might as well keep the rat poison in the kids' reach whilst taking frequent swigs yourself

the trailer was much better than the actual movie

Originally Posted by wmc1982

the trailer was much better than the actual movie

This is true. The trailer made it seem much better than it was.