After 300, I'm scared

[spazkake]

OK, so I saw 300 a few weekends ago and I actually liked it quite a bit. It was exactly what I was expecting, good action, beautiful, short, easy to understand, a complete popcorn movie.

However...

I am now completely horrified at what Snyder will do to Watchmen. Being one of the greatest examples of the comic form, ever, if it is stylistically anything like 300 I'll be pissed. I mean, for one I can barely see it being one movie, and even if it is one movie it needs to have a real epic scale and length and seeing how Snyder barely stretched 300 to over an hour I can't see him holding on for over three. Personally the kind of director I'd like to see do Watchmen would be someone like Peter Jackson, or for more of a stretch Scorsese.

What do you guys think? Do you agree? Disagree? Think Snyder can adapt to a different story? Or maybe you just don't care.

[calvinslug]

I don't know, I can see it one way, I can see it another. I hope that maybe 300 was done as a proof of concept demonstrating that an R rated film can have na excellent opening and therefore the same team can make another, more ambitious film that will lso earn an R rating and have a great opening weekend. or something.

[jamesmarshall]

I don't think Snyder is quite there as a director. 300 is a start, but he already had the storyboards done for him because it was a graphic novel.

Dawn of the Dead remake was fine and dandy, but the fact that he couldn't realise that the script was a comedy and shot it straight frightens me. It shows me that he still has some ironing out to do before he tackles anything that could hurt his career.

-James Marshall
"Following that dream to uppercut Danny T, one step at a time."

[spazkake]

I hate to do this necropost, but I thought this image was worth discussing:
http://wizarduniverse.com/_images_/003821/rorshach_badge.jpg

[gm_wil]

I am now completely horrified at what Snyder will do to Watchmen. Being one of the greatest examples of the comic form, ever, if it is stylistically anything like 300 I'll be pissed.

I don't know anything about Watchmen, but thought I'd drop a little bit of hope your way in saying maybe 300 got what you are fearing out of his system so now that he did 300, he won't give that treatment to watchmen?

Hope it rolls yer way.

-

[spazkake]

I don't know anything about Watchmen, but thought I'd drop a little bit of hope your way in saying maybe 300 got what you are fearing out of his system so now that he did 300, he won't give that treatment to watchmen?

Hope it rolls yer way.

-

Yeah that'd be nice. I mean it's possible he's talented enough to pull of two totally contrasting styles. By the way I hope this doesn't sound obnoxious but you should really read Watchmen, at least if you like comics.

[stalis]

I saw 300 this last friday when it came out in theaters here in Finland, and to be honest it was kinda boring, pretty pictures work for a short while but in the end there wasn't much to the storytelling to keep me entertained for about two hours. I don't think it was Snyders fault, the story just wasn't suited for a full two-hour movie.
So I think the watchmen movie will be good since Watchmen has a deeper, longer story than 300 (at least that's what I've heard..) and Snyder seems to be good at keeping the feeling of the comic in the movie(I haven't read the watchmen but after hearing all the hype for it I'm bound to pick it up soon...)

[gm_wil]

so watchmen, i googled it . . . and the wickipedia said it was only one trade . . . is that right? is it only a single trade and that's it?

-

[r3v]

What do you guys think? Do you agree? Disagree? Think Snyder can adapt to a different story? Or maybe you just don't care.I think it's a little too early in Zack Snyder's career for us to have figured it out. There's nothing to support that his Watchmen adaptation would look anything like his 300 one. In fact, since the source material is so drastically different (from story, to art, to genre) that anything we do now will just be guessing.

Pigeonholing him after two films (that don't really resemble each other at all) seems like an unfair thing to do. Heh.

[decepticon]

After seeing 300, I at leat see that Snyder can adapt a comic to film nearly flawlessly, in terms of actualy content. The fact that this movie was so short was because, well, the comic didn't give it much content to stretch. With something like Watchmen, I agree that trying to confine it to one movie is pushing it, but I'd much rather have to sit in the theatre for 4 hours and get a kick ass adaptation of a great comic than be in there for 2 hours and get a glossed over version.

As for style, I thought the style and feel of 300 was amazing. Definitely loved how it looked. I agree that it might not be the style for Watchmen, but I wouldn't mind it looking somewhat stylized in the vein of 300, just not as hyper-realistic. I certainly am willing to give Snyder a chance though, as I seriuosly loved 300.

[gi_josh]

It's one BIG trade, it was actually 12 issues on it's own.

[gi_josh]

Another thing to remember about comic movies is that for the most part these films aren't made to impress us uber comic geeks that DO want to sit through four hours of watchmen, they are made for the average moviegoer that has never heard of the subject matter and wants a good popcorn movie, like 300. While many times there are plays to fans, I don't think that they would ever do that at the expense of the mainstream audience, because in the end, they are in it to make money, not make some geeks happy.

[itsbecca]

I don't understand why you'd think it would be anything like 300 stylistically because the comics are completley different stylistically. Snyder has said many times that with these two films his mission was/is to be as transparent as possible and what he wants is to display the comic through this medium of film. Honestly, I think he accomplished that beautifully with 300 so I have no reason to doubt him as far as Watchmen is concerned. I feel like it's in the hands of a capable director and a capable fan.