Watchmen Trailer!

[jamesp]

I wish they had gotten better talent to adapt this. Zack Snyder is a weak director and I see that David Hayter worked on the screenplay. Hayter's only other writing credits are X-Men, X2:X-Men United, and the Scorpion King.

[John K]

...I see that David Hayter worked on the screenplay. Hayter's only other writing credits are X-Men, X2:X-Men United, and the Scorpion King.

Yeah, but he was really great in Guyver 2.

[noise.light]

Whoa.

They even included the scene where John appears to hover in the cafeteria.

Uh.  I'm totally excited about this. 

[bruce]

My prediction is that it will be very very pretty but lacking in depth.

What gives you that idea?

Yeah its not like that image was ever in the comic Chris

[Chris L]

Yeah, but it looks like this guy seriously needs to ease up on the slow-mo action shots.  There's enough material in the comic for a miniseries and the trailer makes it look like he's spent half the running time establishing some dumb (excuse me, "visionary") Matrix-like visual trademark.

Some of it does look promising though, especially that Mars shot at the end. 

[Bryan]

Yeah, but it looks like this guy seriously needs to ease up on the slow-mo action shots.  There's enough material in the comic for a miniseries and the trailer makes it look like he's spent half the running time establishing some dumb (excuse me, "visionary") Matrix-like visual trademark.

Some of it does look promising though, especially that Mars shot at the end. 

I noticed that too. Too much slo-mo. But they may just be padding out the material for the trailer. My hope is that the film itself won't be edited that way. I was hoping for something a little grimier. But you're probably right - I'm bracing myself for a shiny music video of a film. And I'll probably still kind of like it, even if that's the case.

[jbissell]

When I saw the trailer in the theater last night, the mostly high school aged audience had no idea what it was. I imagine that the studio will make a big push on the Snyder side of things just because I think 300 probably did really well with that group of kids.  I'm most curious to see what parts of the story get the ax, couldn't really get much of a feel for that just from the bits and pieces of the trailer.

[wwwes]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1670081657

...but I'm unnerved by the use of the Smashing Pumpkins song that was a big part of the "Batman and Robin" soundtrack. eww boy.

Yeah. That's the part that scared me too. 

Technically, the song that was a big part of Batman & Robin was "The End is the Beginning is the End", this one is "The Beginning is the End is the Beginning", which is a bit better. It's a bit like saying that at least they used the original version of "Walk This Way", but still. Considering how The Watchmen movie is supposed to be a bit of a commentary on the current superhero movie trend, it makes sense.

[bruce]

When I saw the trailer in the theater last night, the mostly high school aged audience had no idea what it was. I imagine that the studio will make a big push on the Snyder side of things just because I think 300 probably did really well with that group of kids.  I'm most curious to see what parts of the story get the ax, couldn't really get much of a feel for that just from the bits and pieces of the trailer.

Snyder has said he has a 3 hour rough cut and supposedly its going to be 2 1/2 hours. All the Black Freighter stuff will be on the DVD.

Still I can't believe that Kelly from the Bad News Bears is Rorschach, yes I know he was in Breaking Away also.

[jbissell]

Still I can't believe that Kelly from the Bad News Bears is Rorschach, yes I know he was in Breaking Away also.

He was very good in Little Children a couple years ago.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Chris L is totally right.  Just because that was a visually arresting or narratively powerful panel in the comic doesn't mean it will make for a good shot in a film.  My big fear about this is that it will superficially ape the comic but lack the substance or the storytelling skill, making for a pretentious, boring superhero movie that just happens to exactingly reproduce some of Dave Gibbons' art.   

I'll still go see it.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1670081657

...but I'm unnerved by the use of the Smashing Pumpkins song that was a big part of the "Batman and Robin" soundtrack. eww boy.

Yeah. That's the part that scared me too. 

Technically, the song that was a big part of Batman & Robin was "The End is the Beginning is the End", this one is "The Beginning is the End is the Beginning", which is a bit better. It's a bit like saying that at least they used the original version of "Walk This Way", but still. Considering how The Watchmen movie is supposed to be a bit of a commentary on the current superhero movie trend, it makes sense.

smashing pumpikins...you beat me to it

[yesno]

I'll still go see it.

Key point for me, too.

I think I said this elsewhere, but I really wish they'd turn some of these graphic novels and other books into miniseries.  A novel or a graphic novel almost always has too much to cram into a 2 hour movie.  There's nothing about the medium that makes things sucky, just the length and how they either chop everything off or, worse, try to cram everything in.  Golden Compass did the latter.

I'll have to see how the upcoming Brideshead Revisited movie compares with the miniseries, which is one of my favorite things to watch.  I suspect it will be a pile of crap.

[Denim Gremlin]

I'll still go see it.

Key point for me, too.

I think I said this elsewhere, but I really wish they'd turn some of these graphic novels and other books into miniseries.  A novel or a graphic novel almost always has too much to cram into a 2 hour movie.  There's nothing about the medium that makes things sucky, just the length and how they either chop everything off or, worse, try to cram everything in.  Golden Compass did the latter.

I'll have to see how the upcoming Brideshead Revisited movie compares with the miniseries, which is one of my favorite things to watch.  I suspect it will be a pile of crap.

people keep talking about miniseries.

the big problem with this is budget frankly. Unless you can hook HBO and convince them to give you a Rome sized budget (which we've already seen what became of that show because of how much it cost) you're gonna have something that looks like Dr. Who.

[jamesp]

I'll still go see it.

Key point for me, too.

I think I said this elsewhere, but I really wish they'd turn some of these graphic novels and other books into miniseries.  A novel or a graphic novel almost always has too much to cram into a 2 hour movie.  There's nothing about the medium that makes things sucky, just the length and how they either chop everything off or, worse, try to cram everything in.  Golden Compass did the latter.

I'll have to see how the upcoming Brideshead Revisited movie compares with the miniseries, which is one of my favorite things to watch.  I suspect it will be a pile of crap.

people keep talking about miniseries.

the big problem with this is budget frankly. Unless you can hook HBO and convince them to give you a Rome sized budget (which we've already seen what became of that show because of how much it cost) you're gonna have something that looks like Dr. Who.

The budget problem with miniseries doesn't make sense to me. People make a big deal that John Adams or Band of Brothers cost $100 million to make, but they are like eight hours long.

We're in an age now where the pilot for Lost costs over $10 million alone.

I think HBO should co-produce with BBC and other networks and start making big great miniseries that a lot of novels deserve.