fripodding and watching: the watchmen experience-reviews and stuff

I wouldn't dare miss the opportunity to job on the ol' Watchmen band wagon the day of it's premiere. And yes, I was there at the midnight showing after there was some brief doubt I'd make it there at all. (My local favorite theaters apparently weren't having midnight showings like they usually do.)

Regardless, I was there and made it in good time with pretty decent seats. Close to the back and next to the stairs (ya know, in case of emergency and/or if needed, I could be one of the first few to make it to the exit and out safely). I did smell a few illegal substances around me. And when I mean illegal, I mean that it's not allowed in the theater. Like alcohol. And weed-which isn't really legal outside of the theater either but that's another story.

But let's talk about the move. First the book, and you guys know I read it a few months ago and more or less became a fanboy in the span of the 3-4 nights it took me to read it. I still would recommend people who love storytelling in general, to check this one out. Let me make this clear: this is not a story for children. You can let them read it if you want to, but that's your parental discretion. I know when I was wee, I wouldn't have been interested or ready to see/read/understand such things. Granted, I was just born and in my ultra-wee stages when the comics were being published, but still. And there are only 12 comics, grouped together to make one graphic novel. It might take you less time to read it than me, or more... who knows. I was on vacation at the time, so that gave me an opportunity to take my time and really get into the characters and story being told.

But these days in this fast paced world, we need everything here and now. And everyone is looking for audio books and whatnot, but iTunes came out with Watchmen animated comics! This is today's friPod iPick that iSaac greatly enjoys having in his memory drive. I also couldn't wait to get each chapter downloaded every other week to re-enjoy this story. Sure, you gotta give up some money (I want to say $20 altogether) but I think it's worth it if you don't think you can find time to read it. And it's worth it if you're a fan. I still recommend reading it. But at least this way, you know when you'll be done because each chapter is about 30 minutes long.

You won't find Alan Moore's name anywhere except the actual graphic novel itself, and there's a whole story on that I won't get into right now. Nor will you find his name in the movie's credits (at least I don't think it's anywhere in there... I didn't stay until the very end like I normally do). But what I loved about the movie is how faithful, how accurate, how detailed it was compared to the comic. Sure some things were changed here and there and you might not notice (except for the climatic ending), but the messages still rang true. I honestly prefer the comic's ending and would've loved to see that on the screen. Read it... hint hint. Nevertheless, while I struggle to find words to describe how I enjoyed the movie... I'd recommend comic fans, movie fans, violence fans to go enjoy. Not everyone because it's definitely not a movie everyone would love. The hype was deserved, very much like The Dark Knight. Is it better? Hard to say. For me, anyway. It's more violent but somewhat less action. Don't go in expecting lots of explosions and chaos. Again, this is why I suggest reading it first so you know what you're getting into.

I know there are some out there that will appreciate it without reading anything. And that's fine. It's definitely a "guy movie." If you enjoy Znyder's 300, then you'd get a kick out of blood and violence here. There's also a sex scene... so... there's that. Hey, it's in the comic too and it was very well done. Oh, and the movie's time? I didn't notice it sometimes. Yeah it was long, but if you're engrossed in the story, you almost forget.

Lastly, I want to mention the soundtrack. I think I'll get this one. The songs featured in the movie (I don't know about all of them) are references to the comic. At the end of each chapter is a line or a phrase, sometimes from a song, sometimes from somebody famous. So if you watch this movie and wonder what's up with the soundtrack, that's part of your answer. The sex scene I mentioned before had an odd choice of music, I thought anyway. It made it a bit humorous. Which brings up why I love midnight premieres: that full audience gives you a real feel of how others are viewing this movie. You might hear someone else chuckle, and you start to laugh too realizing the humor of it. Or, you hear the whole crowd go "ew!" when someone breaks a leg (and that happened). It's an awesome experience and that's why I go.

***THIS JUST IN***
http://www.theworldofwatchmen.com/
You can get the animated graphic novel on DVD now. I forgot that was happening. More than likely, I'll be back to revisit more Watchmen related things. It might just be my movie of the year. I think.