Thursday, July 17, 2008

by Ari

Since Alan Moore's Watchmen is the only comic book I've read from beginning to end, there's certainly a level of excitement when I see his characters brought to life for the film adaptation. Watchmen is powerful, provocative storytelling by an uncommonly talented writer. It has serious themes and ideas, it's highly imaginative and contains a densely layered plot with very debatable political viewpoints. The disturbing, apocalyptic vision is meant to inspire dialogue and arguments like a real piece of controversial art - it's the direct answer to Paul Schrader's notion of the "comic book mentality". In fact, by deconstructing the comic book mentality, Moore freed himself from a largely adolescent form and accomplished something unique, intellectual and adult.

Now watch the trailer:

I like certain images, but like Snyder's dismal 300, it's difficult to see this as more than another exercise in stylish visuals and panel-for-panel mimicry. He strikes me as one of the most blatant post-Matrix/Wachowski rip-off directors, a filmmaker who uses and abuses the slow-motion/speed-up technique with no purpose other than to imitate. I get the feeling Watchmen appealed to him for its stylistic qualities, and that its spectacle will replace its substance. You can tell from the trailer he focused on getting the right poses, the exact framing, the coolest special effects. But can Snyder tell a story? Especially one as intricate and complex as this? We'll see.