Wait a second…I had to read this twice to be sure, but it sounds to me like you haven’t actually seen the film, but are providing us with a review based on CLIPS.

Is that in fact the case? If so, how about being a little more clear about it?

It also sounds like you’re not reviewing the film as much as you’re reviewing the idea that a comic can be treated as storyboards. I suppose if I was studying to be a screenwriter or a director, I might deride the notion that comic panels can be effective as storyboards, because I would be protecting my [potential] professional turf. But it would show a closed, provincial, and mercenary attitude towards filmmaking on my part.

“That worked fine for similarly faithful Sin City, because its main character was its setting, but it is an enormous problem for a story that was originally posed to prey seriously on your fears as an inhabitant of Earth.”

The original watchmen was designed to prey on our fears of gigantic blue deities and teleporting exploding squids?

This is not a “review” of the film. It is a blog, and yes, it is about my closed, provincial, and mercenary attitude towards filmmaking.

“…he said his wife high-fived him on the set after he nailed a sex scene, and I feel like that’s the perfect way to describe this movie—the makers and fans high-fiving each other for “getting it right,” except not really getting any.”

This sums up exactly why I hate these types of movies, and anything comic-book related. They make every adult male act like a 12-year-old boy. See how defensive they’re getting? Dude, you totally nailed them. High five!

Watchmen sucks.

“Watchmen sucks.”

I dare you to say that to the millions of fans the comic book has.

As for the movie, I’ll reserve judgment until I actually see the thing.

As industry liaison at the Film Department at Tisch and as a lonely soul working in the film industry for 20+ years (and a comic book fan for even longer), I must say that this is one of the more insightful, incisively honest articles I’ve read regarding the impending release of Watchmen, the once-considered unfilmable relic.

This article isn’t intended to be a review, but more of a examination of what are the merits, if anything, of translating a comic to a film verbatim. And I have to say I agree with Mr. Narkunski, because the irony is the intent into making an “accurate” film adaptation of a comic these days is just applying more attention to the comic over the script and sticking to the source material, like Evangelicals to their “infallible” source material, without much actual interpretation brought to the material. It’s technically accurate, yet, by using the comic as a literal storyboard, you’re sterilizing the comic into a mere series of images. This is less a process of adaptation, and more of decontextualization; attempting to distill a complicated, fully-realized story into a neatly conceived, highly stylized two and half hours. Comics are more than stories, they are experiences to be shared specifically in that medium, and every true comic fan should already know that.

I also agree with Ms. Darnsh and would implore fans of the comic to just, well, relax. As the early reviews indicate of this film, there’s a different experience to be had with every person that watches it. And as just is the case, everyone feels different about the idea itself of a Watchmen movie. I think it’s refreshing for someone to stand from the fanboy chorus and say, “you know what, maybe this isn’t such a great idea after all”. It is immature and, yes, very much in the spirit of a twelve year old to put down someone because it has a different opinion than you do, particularly when it’s a opinion that, when you put down your blinders and pitchforks when ever the words “Watchmen” and “bad” are used in the same sentence, you would probably actually agree with if you’re one that actually cares about the comic.

Sure, Mr. Narkunski questions his own fondness for the source material, and perhaps this is something you should do as well. Are you someone that read the book specifically to be prepared for the film or did you read it before after getting familiar with Alan Moore’s work or because it’s the “Citizen Kane” of comic books, or were you one of the lucky ones to be caught it up with the series as it was originally released as single issues? The point is everyone has had a different experience and pedigree when it comes to Watchmen and the one good thing I see coming from this film already is that it is sparking a discourse. Remind yourself what your personal connection with Watchmen is and try to avoid just being apart of the mob. The fanboy world seems to be slowly lapsing into a cult with each passing day and that is the antithesis to what it means to be a fan. A true fan loves the material enough to discuss it, not to immortalize it and simply call it perfect. That’s too easy. A true fan should understand the material and, as a result, shouldn’t be afraid to voice or hear concerns or criticism regarding the material. It shouldn’t spark anger, but interest. It shouldn’t spark antagonism, but thought.

Keep up the good fight, Mr. Narkunski. You have my support.

Humbly,
Jay

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/watchmen/

Here are some reviews from people who have ACTUALLY SEEN THE MOVIE…

Very well done, Narkunski. I like this a lot.

my two cents AKA shameless plug:
http://jadamfu.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/heroes-and-villains/

On a sidenote, I get the creeping feeling that a lot of people who haven’t read the book are going to be sorely disappointed with the movie. When I read the novel, I didn’t know what to think at the end because I wasn’t used to such material. Yeah, the movie looks badass, dark, etc etc etc but I kind of feel like you have to be prepared for what’s coming with this one…