It feels so odd to say, but we've reached the finish line.
I've just staggered home from the theatre around midnight. Tired as all hell, so I'll keep this brief. My opinion on the film hasn't had a chance to congeal fully, but I know this: I didn't dislike it. If nothing else, Mr. Snyder has given me more than I had expected, and I think that this is as faithful an adaptation as I could have logically hoped for. I will get a couple of points out of the way now. Other than the cardboard cutout that stood in for Silk Spectre II, I had few problems with the major performances. I must also admit that, as much as any changes chafed my brain, the more streamlined plot that Adrian concocts in this new interpretation was not a bad compromise. Using Dr. Manhattan as Veidt does seemed to slide easily into the themes of the novel, and it's a good goddamn better than David Hayter's super-villain solar deathray bullshit. The exact look of Rorshach's death, however, really seemed an unnecessary and tonally awkward alteration. No idea what writers were thinking. Finally, the little details in scenery and the nuggets of historical exposition worked rather well. A lot of info paked into 2 1/2 hours, I liked how dense the flick felt.
I'm anxious to see the inevitable, longer director's cut on video. It would be even better if Snyder convinced WB to release his extended super-cut with the Black Freighter material edited back in, as he has occassionally suggested. I guess the fact that I've seen the movie and still want more is as good an endorsement as I can give. Let's just hope that my opinion doesn't change in the morning, after the excitement wears off and the flaws begin to stand out a little clearer.
I've just staggered home from the theatre around midnight. Tired as all hell, so I'll keep this brief. My opinion on the film hasn't had a chance to congeal fully, but I know this: I didn't dislike it. If nothing else, Mr. Snyder has given me more than I had expected, and I think that this is as faithful an adaptation as I could have logically hoped for. I will get a couple of points out of the way now. Other than the cardboard cutout that stood in for Silk Spectre II, I had few problems with the major performances. I must also admit that, as much as any changes chafed my brain, the more streamlined plot that Adrian concocts in this new interpretation was not a bad compromise. Using Dr. Manhattan as Veidt does seemed to slide easily into the themes of the novel, and it's a good goddamn better than David Hayter's super-villain solar deathray bullshit. The exact look of Rorshach's death, however, really seemed an unnecessary and tonally awkward alteration. No idea what writers were thinking. Finally, the little details in scenery and the nuggets of historical exposition worked rather well. A lot of info paked into 2 1/2 hours, I liked how dense the flick felt.
I'm anxious to see the inevitable, longer director's cut on video. It would be even better if Snyder convinced WB to release his extended super-cut with the Black Freighter material edited back in, as he has occassionally suggested. I guess the fact that I've seen the movie and still want more is as good an endorsement as I can give. Let's just hope that my opinion doesn't change in the morning, after the excitement wears off and the flaws begin to stand out a little clearer.
