Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1986 meta-comic Watchmen tends to inspire fierce loyalty among fans, so the big-screen version coming out one year from today is, let’s just say, a pretty huge deal. Which is why we at EW burst into chorus in the key of OMG! after director Zack Snyder (300) posted the first images of his costumed cast to the movie’s official blog late last night.
When these fresh-faced actors’ names were announced last summer, PopWatch’s Gary Susman was skeptical for mostly visual reasons: "[M]ost of them seem too young to be playing middle-aged (more or less) pariahs who’ve long since been forced into retirement." So how did they end up looking?
Well, give Snyder’s makeup team some credit: Jeffrey Dean Morgan looks way grizzled as the Comedian (pictured), and Patrick Wilson seems to have been aged considerably under Nite Owl’s armor. Matthew Goode, on the other hand, definitely doesn’t look as old as I’d expect Ozymandias to look. But who cares, really? They all look undeniably cool in costume, and those gloomy, apocalyptic sets do a great job of conveying Watchmen’s morally conflicted world — so I know I’m psyched to see ‘em in action next spring. How about you?
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I’m offically psyched. (And I haven’t even read the comic)
Though the pics do look good, I am waiting to pass judgment for the trailer. Remember the comic was a two person job. Gibbons drawings would mean nothing without Moore’s writing.
Seriously? Is this movie going to make any money at all beyond its cost? Who really cares?
Look, Snyder can make things look cool,no argument there. But this movie needs to be smart. Watchmen should be completely devoid of “fluff”. I’m still skeptical. And I am totally seeing it the second it comes out!!
I like the costumes, for the most part. But Silk Spectre looks too pleathery for me. And I’m still worried that they won’t get Dr. Manhattan right.
A little too “Batman & Robin” for my tastes.
Im hesitant, but hopeful. These images look a little too ‘crisp’ for my view of the comic. They dont portray the rough edges that I’ve always pictured. It almost seems they’ve gripped a little too tightly onto the ’super’ and a little too lightly onto the ‘human’… which anyone who has read the book will tell you is the antithesis of the series. Thats what makes Dr. Manhatten such a big deal in the world of Watchmen… he is really the first actual ‘Superbeing’. That said, I really do hope they get it right; I WANT this to be as good as it needs to be.
Snyder is 2 for 2 with me (Dawn of the Dead and 300 are both A+ movies in my book). So even though I haven’t read Watchmen, I have high hopes. It seems the target audience isn’t the hardcore fans as much as it is getting the average joe like me introduced to some really cool characters.
The comic was perfect. A perfect example of what storytelling in comics can be. The movie will most likely disappoint fans of the comic and underwhelm people who are new to the story. Why? Because the intricacies and the character’s connections of the story will be lost in the big screen adaptation. Also, since the comic is 20 years old and has been a huge influence on creators in other genres such as tv and movies, people who are new to the story will incorrectly think that it is derivative instead of the other way around.
Eh…Nite Owl looks a little too…studly…for me. He’s supposed to be a bit of a meek guy, even when he’s young. And when he’s older, he’s supposed to be pot-bellied and just…well, like some middle manager or someone’s dad. I agree, this is a little too “Batman and Robin”
way too batman and robin. seriously, the patrick wilson picture could be batman. it looks exactly the same.
I’ve waited 20 years for this movie and will see it even if they cast Dane Cook in it. With source material this good, it’s going to take a massive effort to make this movie bad.
I’m not saying great source material always creates a good movie. It seemed to take Marvel little effort to create stinkers like Elektra, Hulk, Punisher or Ghost Rider, and DC found a way to make The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Judge Dredd nearly unwatchable. That said, something just feels right about the Watchmen finally coming together. V For Vendetta was better than I could have ever dreamed, and IMHO, this series was much better.
Good or bad, this’ll be another flick to see in a midnight screening with the fanboys.
Watchmen is one of my favorites, and I think these pics look pretty cool. They had to cast younger actors, a large portion of the story is told in flashback to when they were young.
Jackie Earle Haley is inspired casting for Rorchach, this is the movie I’m most looking forward to.
I think it looks pretty great – I’m very excited for this movie.
Dre, I hadn’t read your post before commenting, but must agree with your comment about how a lot of folks are going to claim this very original work to be a “rip off” many of the comics, tv shows and cartoons it’s inspired.
But I’m sure a few reviewers will give the series its due and that’ll get a few more people to read the original series. At least, that’s my hope.
The movie will live and die by how they portray Rorschach since he is a pivotal character in the story. If the actor who plays him can bring that creepiness and toughness from the comic to the big screen, then great, otherwise the movie will pretty much be a dud.
Ben, if you want to see creepy, check out Jackie Earl Haley in Little Children, that performance earned him an Oscar nomination. Casting him as Rorschach, and Zack Snyder keeping the story set in the 80s pretty much settled my initial reservations about the movie, I can’t wait to see it now.
Nite Owl looks a bit too “hunky”, and Silk Spectre looks like a grown-up Violet from “The Incredibles” gone wild. I do like Archie (aka the owlship), though – at least what I could see behind Nite Owl! The true test, as many have said, will be how Jon/Doctor Manhattan looks…
Why worry about Dr. Manhattan? Afraid of loosing the nude man?
I actually agree that not only the looks of Dr. Manhattan is important, but also the very feel of him. To me he is just as important as Rorschach, but in an other way.
I was hopeful about this movie but the Comedian’s fake looking hair really worries me about the quality…flashing back to silly batman and robin movie….
Honestly, after reading the comics, the characters look disappointing. Their representations in the movie aren’t very accurate. Not only that, but I would have thought that some GOOD actors could be in a movie with THIS MUCH FAN CRITIQUE riding on it. I can already forsee another Hulk problem: movie sucks, somebody else picks up rights, movie re-created and better but unable to recover from suckiness.
I can’t see whats not to like in this 2, thats 2 minuet trailer. The problem with casting big name stars is that they overwhelm the characters they play. Daredevil and Ghostrider are good examples of how that doesnt work. Casting lesser known but good character actors will keep the focus on the story. As far as the Comedians hair, you cant cgi everything now can you?
There´s no reason to make a Watchmen movie. It was meant as a graphic novel that could be read on a manner -that of being able to actually understand the book by several readings and by paying careful attention and annalizing. Also the art of the book has certain cinematical quality, so why to make a movie about it. Also I ran into Alan Moore at a paint exposition. And he’s friggin awesome