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'Watchmen' by Zack Snyder Review: A more serious look on superheroes@namiks1011d
I'm really not a fan of Zack Snyder's works. I feel often enough they're a bit too over directed. I'm out off by such heavy exaggeration that makes films look more like a video game than a film. I don't think I have seen a lot of films directed by him due to this. And, to be honest, I didn't even know Watchmen was something he directed until I had already started watching through the film and got curious, only to look the film up and see his name. It did throw me off a little, and I did have a brief moment in which the obvious felt far more obvious to me based on the few scenes I had already seen. What was more surprising was that I had actually enjoyed the directing up until that point. But knowing he had directed the film, and then continuing on, I sort of had a fowl taste in my mouth, as if to expect the worst.
What was more surprising was that this film had a runtime of three hours. I actively avoid these films because truthfully I just don't have the time and attention span to deal with them for the most part. I feel often enough, such films just don't utilise that time well and don't necessarily need it. Yet I continued on with Watchmen out of curiosity, and not a whole lot else to watch. I have to say, it was an interesting idea. An interesting look at superheroes and the powers they have; though this has sort of grown to be a staple of Zack Snyder's style of storytelling and directing in regards to such films. The idea that not all of these characters and titles should be childish, but ask more deeper, philosophical questions regarding their impact on the world and society at large. After all, people with powers places them above the average person, and even the government. Would they be obedient, after all? Would their have their own breaking points?
I admire this about Zack Snyder's attempts. But I still don't think they catch my attention enough to want to watch them. But, that admiration is worthy of a mention.
Watchmen
Zack Snyder's more serious approach to this genre probably came here with Watchmen. While I could be completely wrong and this is a guess, it does seem like there's much of that influence present. Little about Watchmen seems to be lighthearted, instead more gritty, rich in action and violence. More pertaining to the philosophical questions of what those with powers could achieve. And it does this with a wide range of characters; understandably this comes from an existing franchise from Alan Moore, a comic book artist that originally created the characters. I haven't read it, I admit. The film starts off giving us a serious look at all of this, the early days of their presence, the passing of time as they phased out of the public eye until it becomes present that they're being hunted. Each of the characters having a different idea of how to feel about this.
I quite liked how diverse these characters were. Each one really felt like a different person. A character capable of their own thoughts and agendas rather than part of a larger group that all thinks and acts the same; something that really bothers me regarding more modern superhero titles. And it's here that these characters quickly grow on you. Much of the film given to us through a masked character that narrates his feelings over the world, the city and the disgust he has for it. This hero sees the worst in people, and he's hardly a hero as a result. More a rogue individual. Lurking in the night, pursuing investigations on his own, talking to his prior colleagues to try to pry and find more information on the killing of The Comedian. This sequence is all action packed, cinematic and directed as you would expect from Snyder. And I honestly quite liked it. For the most part, I really enjoyed the directing throughout. I felt it didn't get too overly ambitious, but added to the darker story that was present.
And this story is simple, yet rich in ideas too. A character getting killed off which brings them all back into action but on their own accord, not really working together and instead being remembered of their pasts. Some heroes moved on, revealing their identities to the world and leading through business and merchandise, others pursued simple lives and gave everything up to disappear. But there are those who cling to their strengths, realising it is all they have, and it's these inner turmoils which give us a fun look at how twisted these people can be as they pursue their own gains and lash out on people through their frustrations. The Boys was something that tried to do this, but perhaps failed a little. That might give you an idea of how this film is.
And with a three hour runtime, I feel it was actually necessary. Jumping from character to character and really giving them enough screen time and depth to make us understand both their histories and their nature in the present. The development of them all felt vital, not just aimless exposition, but a glimpse into the past to see who may now be hunting them and why. All of this is mixed with the drama of tense relations with the Soviet Union, fearing a nuclear missile crisis to which the United States assumes it has the winning hand with heroes, though reality is they don't, and there's only so much they can do. This also grounded them a little, even if in some instances some characters seem like Gods. But, are they? Or is it merely ego? To add to this, these characters are designed pretty well. The special effects when used aren't really noticeable, it doesn't pull you out of the more grounded reality that Snyder has established. And it feels used only when necessary.
But, even so, I can see how the runtime and the gradual telling of the story could put people off. There's only so much you can see and show regarding the idea of superheroes being evil. For me, I didn't feel like it went too far or overstayed its welcome, though I can see how others may feel the same when compared to other titles which may have half the runtime. It's not a short film to just sit down and enjoy, it'll take a significant part of your day. And that pacing just might not be enough for everyone. In my case, I broke it up into two different viewings over a few days. I feel that's probably the best way to go about it. But it's still a decent film, a fun look at a now oversaturated genre. With a more tame Zack Snyder that isn't trying to abuse the slow motion effect every thirty seconds. I'd say I enjoyed it. And I'm surprised I'm saying it!
›[Film review] The fragmented "American Dream"-"Watchmen"@filoso2034d
The movie "Watchmen" was released in the United States in March 2009. This is not the first "anti-hero" film, because the original comic "Watchmen" was not as good as Marvel (Avengers) and DC (Superman, Batman). ) Has a large readership, and the film has never been introduced in asia. Even though the subtitles were introduced at the time, the 162 minutes duration and the plot were a little boring, many viewers left the show. However, with the increasing audience of the "anti-hero" film theme, "Watchmen" is often compared to "Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Returns" Nolan. The alternative deconstruction of a "superhero" film doesn't look very appealing. A bunch of powdered iron.
Guard poster
1. The guilty "militia" At the beginning of the film, the predecessor of Watchmen - "Minuteman" is reviewed by editing an old film. In the United States in the 1930's, the "star economy" was in turmoil. To popularize his girlfriend, "The Silk Soul", Larry, an immigrant from Poland, uses the method of screaming and catching thieves to create a sensation. First, he requested additions from "Hollywood Hengdian Studios". Pretending to be a criminal to rob a bank, a "silk soul" appears to catch criminals, and then he transfers the criminals to the police. Larry gave police a large sum of money to promote "Silk Soul", which sparked heated discussion in public opinion. Both parties take what they need and have fun. Larry's original intention was to popularize the "Silk Soul" and attract Hollywood, which is akin to today's Internet celebrity "PAPI Sauce" in attracting angelic investment. However, in the United States, where there is a strong "voluntary police" atmosphere, the public does not fully trust official policing, and fears that police power will affect the lives of ordinary people too much. More and more people believe in the autonomy of public security, so that there will be more "star volunteers" under Larry: veterans, police officers who want to make an impact, former members of the underworld who want to wash their hands, and East European immigrants who want to wash their hands ... The organization is constantly growing, and the original "volunteer" organizations have to be filtered through the "draft" like the sea elections, seven tenths and three tenths. This was the predecessor of the "guard": the militia. The "militia" is committed to cracking down on criminal activity in New York City. Because of the backgrounds of World War I veterans and police, and the fact that the former members of the underworld knew each other in the criminal chain, the "militia" attacks on the dark side of New York have had preliminary results.
The predecessor of the Watchmen "militia"
This seems to be in line with the main tone of "American Dream." Everyone has something to work with and can find their own path of development in the United States. But ironically, when the United States participated in World War II, both the officials and the military began to "Militia" function as a means of propaganda and raising money. Fiery "Soul Silk" and "Black Silhouette" flocked through the various studios, holding Thomson submachine guns in sultry poses; "Hundred Yuan Money" and "Night Owl" are the official war bonding platforms, calling for "militia" "United States fans invest in war, and at the same time instill the spirit of martial arts in youth. Inspired by the" soul of silk " sexy and aggressive "Night Owl", Americans donated money and supplies to the abyss of World War II. "Silk Soul" and "Black Silhouette" were once the fantasy objects of American soldiers traveling abroad. "Silk Soul" got the stigma for this, and "Black Silhouette" was very disgusted and appeared. He just liked saving her from a concentration camp. Doctor, don't catch a cold for men. When news of Lace's "black silhouette" came to light, the first thing the "militia" organization thought about was to draw a line with her and get her out of the organization. The people suddenly forgot about his heroism in fighting human trafficking,
Ironically, the captain of the "militia" organization and one insider were gay. In order to cover up their bad deeds, they do not hesitate to manipulate the voice to cast out the "black silhouette", drive it out to attract public opinion and show themselves at the same time. Anti-homosexual attitude and avoid getting burned. The truth about "brotherhood" and "democracy" advertised by the "militia" organization is well known to the world, but in order to maintain a just and genuine social image of the "militia", the government has done its best to hide it. "Black Silhouette" politely rejected Ye Xiao's love, and eventually died at the hands of an anti-lesbian "social activist". This is nothing less than a hard slap across the face of Mi Di, who advertises " more and more young men are joining the police. When police power is abundant, the "right cop" is considered out of date. As a product of the militia, the members of the "militia" were also very old, and the drapes were sad, and the night view was gloomy. However, with the onset of the Cold War, a new generation of newcomers stepped to the forefront, and the "Guard" was officially established. more and more young men are joining the police. When police power is abundant, the "right cop" is considered out of date. As a product of the militia, the members of the "militia" were also very old, and the drapes were sad, and the night view was gloomy. However, with the onset of the Cold War, a new generation of newcomers stepped to the forefront, and the "Guard" was officially established.
2. "Observers" Both "Silk Soul" and "Night Owl" are descendants of "Watchmen", but among the Watchmen, the two who control the overall situation are "Doctor Manhattan" and "Pharaoh" Adrian. "Silk Soul", "Night Owl", and Rorschach are committed to fighting urban crime in New York City, while Dr. Highly capable Manhattan and the rich and powerful pharaoh participated in the national operation.
Silk Soul
Night owl
The public's attitude towards guards has changed 180 degrees. In the past, the public distrusted the government and trusted the down-to-earth "militia" by comparison; however, with the professionalization of the police force and fear of widespread lynching, the public is becoming more concerned about "unofficial forces such as" Watchmen "have become suspicious; and as" comedians "cooperate more closely with the US government, more and more people are questioning Watchmen's position. , thinking that they are no longer the "right cop" but Gradually become official thugs. With the rapid development of society, "heroes" are like commodities on the assembly line, produced quickly, depreciating rapidly, and quickly replaced by new products. Even if it was the sexy of the second generation “Silk Soul”, it could no longer arouse people's interest. Pharaoh only used the "Militia" sign to sell peripheral products, dug the first pot of gold among old fans with his "feel" and began to focus. For another study. The only thing worth mentioning is that the second generation "Night Owl" saved a family of three from gun gangsters-Wayne and his wife and Master Wayne, namely, Batman and his parents in normal period, so he worked on DC Films. Company In this parallel universe, Batman never appears again. DC Films' deliberate concealment of Batman in this parallel world to avoid the embarrassment of "Guan Gong vs. Qin Qiong" on the one hand; on the other hand, "Pharaoh" Adrian and Bruce Wayne in "Watchmen" had the same effect. Great. Young Adrian showed his extraordinary IQ from an early age, and the knowledge he learned at school could not satisfy his desires. Also, when he fought violence at school, he acted too harshly and beat up some ruffians. So after his parents spent a lot of money afterward, 15 year old Adrian started traveling the world. During school, Adrian saw the hypocrisy and greed behind the principal and teachers, and since then he only believed in the dark side of society and the darkness of human nature, so he visited criminals and kung fu experts everywhere, and wanted to use poison to build an empire. his own criminal. "Pharaoh" considered himself to be building eternal achievements. But when Adrian later found out that the drug trafficking chain he was funding was endangering him, he was converted. His girlfriend died from a drug overdose, and Adrian finally realized that tens of thousands of families were destroyed because of the dark network he had built. Adrian first thought of attracting capital, but the drug dealer thought he would betray them and took the initiative first. Adrian can only laugh at his earlier understanding of the dark side of human nature. This incident prompted him to form the concept of "using violence to curb violence and traitor's crimes to punish the traitor's crime". When faced with a future nuclear crisis, he doesn't hesitate to sacrifice Dr. Manhattan to end the Cold War. Closer to home, After destroying this drug chain, Adrian began to follow the trail to destroy the drug trafficking factory. Facing a fully armed drug cartel, this one-armed "Pharaoh" must cooperate with the "Guards" and eventually becomes one of them. From joining the "Watchmen" to killing "comedians" and betraying the "Watchmen", Adrian has been separated from others, maintaining his own understanding of justice. He didn't believe that humans would hurt, so he came up with a dark "peace" plan. Adrian simulated the "Dr. Manhattan method of detonating nuclear test facilities in the United States and the Soviet Union, killing 15 million people in several major cities."The forgery was done by Dr. Manhattan. With the aid of even greater panic, the United States and the Soviet Union temporarily put the dispute aside and jointly tackled Dr. Manhattan. The latter agreed with Adrian's idea that, to bear the stigma of being the "public enemy of mankind" and fleeing Mars, was the key to the final reconciliation between the United States and the Soviet Union. Rorschach, who frankly insisted on making Adrian's plan public to the world. Before heading to Mars, Dr. Manhattan kills Rorschach to avoid divulging the truth and the United States and the Soviet Union return to the era of nuclear weapons confrontation. Only by keeping a secret can peace be maintained until the day when the lie is exposed. 3. The lonely crime flower There are two criminals in "Watchmen", one is " So, "Pharaoh" who thought he was trampling civilized society killed him, and his teammates looked very relieved. Rorschach is on the other extreme, with strong ethics and cleanliness, jealous like hatred, even though he is alone, he has to challenge the ugly gang of criminals. The pattern of Rorschach's mask was constantly changing, which seemed to indicate that his mood was very unstable, but his true intentions never changed. His slightly dark but hateful character is related to his family experiences when he was a child. The image of childhood made him Desire for moral order to reach a level of paranoia. The pattern on the mask becomes the Rorschach totem. After his death, the blood that remained in the snow was exactly like the pattern on the mask. The white blood was very red, which exacerbates the tragic ending. Rorschach is the only hero in all of Watchmen, even though he is tainted by darkness, he used two reporters in the "Water Gate" incident as a nominee for Nixon (not to mention you also know who introduced him) He did), but he was kind, persistent, and full of courage. The more prominent this quality, the more shocking his death would be. Rorschach died of persistence in truth and faith. His persistence brought the peace that Pharaoh and Dr. Manhattan used to be a lie to defend is more absurd. Two flowers bloom, one for each. Although "comedian" and Rorschach appear to be vulgar and ugly court hawks, they are completely different. The former is an absurd black drama, and the latter dies alone.
comedian
4. Ripples in Dr.'s "Birth" multiverse Manhattan comes from an unexpected accident. The film version says that because the door to the experiment room was closed closed for no reason, Dr. Jon is caught red-handed, trapped inside, and destroyed by the "intrinsic field" of the plague. Dr. Jon ends up "gathering" himself bit by bit and becoming "Dr. Manhattan - at first glance, it might seem cliché as Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man after being bitten by a spider, but is the truth that simple?" .
Dr. Manhattan
To borrow Yang Dong's words in the "Three Bodies", "Is nature really natural?" - "Was this accident really an accident?" With a deep understanding of his own "abilities", Dr. Manhattan gradually has the same remote sensing capabilities as Sophon in "Three-Body", but no matter how he investigates it, he can't find the truth about the sudden closure of the experimental chamber in the past, and there are no "people" in it. . Dr. Manhattan, who is very good at quantum physics, opened up another method of exploration. He enters a parallel simulation world and sees a very different branch of time - Dr. Young Jon enters the experimental cabin to retrieve a coat, and leaves without incident. Only after leaving did the cabin door close and open the "intrinsic plane" in time. In that parallel universe, Dr. Jon participated in military research projects like any other nuclear physicist. Since no "Dr. Manhattan" had intervened in the Cold War, President Nixon, five times in a row, was old and passed out. Faced with threats from the Soviet Union, he arbitrarily ordered the use of a nuclear bomb and caused a large-scale nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Yes, it is very different from any timeline. Ph.D. using quantum observation methods to observe the different results of each choice. After trial and error, he discovered that during "Doctor Manhattan "'s absence from the Cold War, no matter how other conditions changed, the US and the Soviet Union would be at the end of a nuclear war. Doctors painstakingly found that the best results could only be achieved if he was locked in the experimental cabin and influenced by "intrinsic fields." Just as Cooper entered the five dimensional space on the "Interstellar" and influenced the clockwork through gravitational waves. Dr. Manhattan enters a different parallel universe and sees that the former "self" enters the test cabin, closes the hatch, and then moves the pointer rapidly to let the "eigen field" begin to decay. The doctor remembers that when he was decomposed by the "Intrinsic Field" in the past, he seemed to have seen 's blue human body ..." In the future, there are only two options, or he walks alone and walks through the cold wonderland incarnation of Dr. Manhattan"; or The fire of the red lotus, which could not survive nuclear war, reached the ends of the world."; There are three thousand ripples in the multiverse, but one can only drink. He ended up choosing the path few people walked, and locked himself in the "narrow door."
Rorschach
5. Two sides of the "American Dream" "The American Dream" is like a nightmare, dividing everyone in the "Guard" organization. The leaders of the United States had a hidden "dream", drug lords and mafia had a "dream" of putting wealth and power over others, and ordinary people had a "dream" of ending the Vietnam War and no longer living in the shadow of deterrence. nuclear. a dream "." Watchmen "had repeatedly suggested that Nixon use" comedians "to assassinate Kennedy, freeing his opponents from the" dictatorship "of the five-term law. lost power right after Kennedy's death, so that Nixon can be re-elected as president whether he chooses or not. The United States is slowly moving toward a path of dictatorship, which goes against everyone's "American Dream." After Nixon in the film came to power, he slowly started using "Watchmen", and when the "Watchmen" had little use, and even hindered his rule, he issued a decree banning "Watchmen". Wearing a mask to promote his disbandment, Sima Zhao's heart was on paper. Martin Luther King said, "I have a dream" to create a "dream" of a world of racial equality, but "Soul Sutra" and her daughter from Poland are still being discriminated against and ostracized by white Native Americans. Her daughter even ran away from home and joined in singing. The hippie rock and marijuana team saw that many hippies were controlled by cult leaders or died of drug overdoses, and eventually repented and became the second generation of "silk souls" to fight drug traffickers. "Black silhouettes" refer to Jews fleeing from Nazi concentration camps. I think in the 1940's, the United States would tolerate its female counterparts. Even if he could open the door to his fight against child trafficking criminals, he didn't expect to be left behind by his teammates. , And the woman doctor was murdered by anti-lesbian people, and that "dream" destroyed the United States. The first generation "Night Owl" was originally a patrol officer, does not want to be reconciled with a "dentist" job, wearing a mask and turning into a "Night Owl". After washing his hands in the gold basin, he opened an auto repair shop. The gangster who robbed the room used the “Ye Xiao” figure to kill him. Both "Pharaoh" Adrian and Rorschach had a "dream" of regaining roots and reshaping order, but the former was based on considerations of "human nature is evil", while the second believed in "human nature is good" and believed that there was a need for a "keeper" of such an external force maintaining a fragile fire of justice like a candle being blown by the wind. The official status of "Guard" is somewhat similar to that of Ming Dynasty in China. They use unconventional violence outside the legal system to maintain order, and their legitimacy is also questioned by the public. They were deeply involved in real politics, and even acted for Nixon, who was heading for a dictatorship. The breakthrough of the movie "Watchmen" lies in the creation of a group of superhero anti-hero images, each one having their own story. Against the backdrop of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, American society fell apart. The actions of the guards show their doubt about Western values and historical trends, and show deep loneliness and despair. This film is so dark, so dark. and even acted for Nixon, who was heading for a dictatorship. The breakthrough of the movie "Watchmen" lies in the creation of a group of superhero anti-hero images, each one having their own story. Against the backdrop of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, American society fell apart. The actions of the guards show their doubt about Western values and historical trends, and show deep loneliness and despair. This film is so dark, so dark. and even acted for Nixon, who was heading for a dictatorship. The breakthrough of the movie "Watchmen" lies in the creation of a group of superhero anti-hero images, each one having their own story. Against the backdrop of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, American society fell apart. The actions of the guards show their doubt about Western values and historical trends, and show deep loneliness and despair. This film is so dark, so dark. The actions of the guards show their doubts about Western values and historical trends, and show deep loneliness and despair. This film is so dark, so dark. The actions of the guards show their doubt about Western values and historical trends, and show deep loneliness and despair. This film is so dark, so dark.
Visually appealing with a biting storyline and gripping plots and twists seem to describe this movie the best.
The glue to the movie seems to be Silk Spectre a.k.a. Laurie Jupiter (played by Malin Akerman). You don't realize that she seems to be the focal point of the movie as it switches between her, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) and the Night Owl (Patrick Wilson); however, the movie is heavily narrated by Rorschach's journal entries. Again, I have to reiterate; it doesn't stay on one particular character for very long.
I have had friends say that the movie had no ups and downs, flat if you will, but I found it highly innuendoes. The conversations and on-screen drama and chemistry between the actors and actresses give a very full and complete cinematic experience. I'm sure they spent a whole lot of money on the props, soundtrack and lighting as well; all in all, it just seemed they paid a lot of attention to the fillers that make up a graphic novel turned movie alongside the music, timing, acting and location that a 'normal' movie requires. With the advent of digital manipulation, it brings the comic superheroes to life.
The similarity in the movie-making techniques of "Watchmen" and "300" are sometimes so alike that you would not be able to tell them apart if they were not set in times so different (the noise and grain coupled with the sometimes super enlarged pores of actors face's in "300" make a second appearance in "Watchmen").
"Watchmen" is also targeted for more mature audiences than for "300". Expect bucketloads of blood, half a dozen of bone damage related incidents and a super long sex scene. Watch it for its quick story changes and bouncing back and forth perspectives from each of the characters and just for a generally well thought of, clean and well-made movie.
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