Zack Snyder’s anti-superhero epic was released back in March and was met with a rather mixed response. While many seemed unimpressed by Snyder’s ambitious and faithful adaptation, the director’s cut improves on many aspects, adding to an already excellent film that did the same thing the graphic novel did for its medium. Watchmen is an entertaining and ambitious film that delivers on almost every level. The original cut did have it’s flaws, mostly narrative wise, this cut makes most of those issues perish.
The story follows practically the exact same narrative as the graphic novel and it works. Most of the events and character arcs are still the same, except Dr. Manhattan. It still opens with The Comedian’s murder which leads to Rorschach who starts investigating. He sets out to spread the warning, first going to his old partner Nite Owl aka Dan Drieberg. Dan lives an isolated life now and is left without a sense of purpose. Adrian Veidt, former superhero Ozymandius, is now the world’s smartest man and one of the richest. He doesn’t believe in the masked killer theory and is more worried about the world problems to come. The only one with real super powers is Dr. Manhattan who is continually drifting away from humanity. His only connection comes from his relationship with Laurie Jupiter aka Silk Spectre II. Laurie feels as if she is living a lie considering she was forced into this profession of vigilatism due to pressure from her mother.
Having established himself as a master of the seedy crime underworld, director Michael Mann has once again delivered an other prime example of the genre. In a summer that has been filled with an overwhelming amount of lackluster films, Public Enemies actually delivers.
The film revolves around bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and the golden age of crime (the Depressed 1930s), which the man helped define. Dillinger and his crew are looked upon graciously by some while despised by others, most notably the FBI. While living the high life of bank robbing, Dillinger becomes infatuated by Billie Frechette (Marion Cotilliard). Soon Dillinger is putting his life on the line for Frechette as the FBI gain on him and his crew, claiming him “public enemy number one.” Leading the investigation is Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), the FBI’s best man.
Apple has just released the trailer for Michael Mann’s Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard. Check it out below or in HD on YouTube.
Universal Pictures has released the first movie poster for Michael Mann’s Public Enemies on MSN. The film stars Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard. Check it below:
I’ll admit it. I’ve never heard of Watchmen until Zack Snyder was attached to direct during the summer of 2006. Since I hadn’t read the graphic novel the hype started when I saw the trailer before The Dark Knight. I knew it was something special and after reading the graphic novel during the past couple months my hype increased tenfold. After the lawsuit fiasco got resolved it finally sunk in, I would actually be seeing this very soon. Only watching the trailers and select TV spots, the day finally arrived. From the first frame of Watchmen, as lush yellow completely engulfs the screen while the company logos pop in, eventually fading into that iconic pin, we just hope Snyder doesn’t screw this up. Don’t worry, he doesn’t.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been watching these clips Warner Bros. have been putting out, and the whole thing’s just not registering with me. Having read the graphic novel (very recently), I am still reeling from the effects caused by what Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons offer the reader throughout the entire narrative, up to and most definitely including the brilliant finale. By book’s end, there is so much to consider and think about; so much to discuss with your friends.
And why? Because the picture the novel paints, literally (and psychologically), is so vivid and real that it forces the reader to take Watchmen seriously.
Well, this doesn’t look good. As reported by Jeff Wells on Hollywood Elsewhere. Read the short review here. I’ve read the graphic novel and love, but actually prefer Dave Gibbon’s artwork to Alan Moore’s writing, which is at times overwraught and self-serving. I’m curious to see how these moments will be adapted on screen.It looks as the though the novel has been visually preserved. And the casting in general appears solid. Line delivery, however, is something no one can be sure of until the film is released. According to Wells, it was, for the most part, pretty lifeless and uninvolving, citing that only Billy Crudup’s and Jackie Earle Haley’s performances as “registering at all.”
My biggest problem with anything I’ve seen from the film is the apparent over-use of slow motion, which Zach Snyder was guilty of doing in 300 as well.
What do you think? Are you excited for Watchmen? Do you think it will be a “staggering failure”?
