So...who's seen the Watchmen?

I have.

For a long time, I was skeptical about the idea of doing Watchmen as a movie. Even at three hours (which the finished film nearly is), there was too much in the source material they'd have to leave out to do it justice.

I also thought that if Terry Gilliam couldn't do it (he tried), maybe no one could. So, now I've seen it. And? And there's some good stuff in it. But ultimately, it doesn't work.



It's worth noting that Alan Moore's name does not appear in the opening credits, though Dave Gibbons' does. I assume this is by Moore's choice. He's made it quite clear in the past he wants nothing to do with Hollywood's adaptations of his work.

I didn't expect to be saying this, but the problem is not that it didn't use enough of Moore's work but that it tries to use too much. And the parts that don't work (cinematically) ultimately overbalance the parts that do.

I believe quite deeply that one of the most important parts of making art is the art of selection. That stands for when you're creating something yourself, and when you're adapting the work of another.

Again this is something I would not have expected to say, but the decision should've been made that this was not, could not be the graphic novel, and to make it the movie that it could have been.