Watchmen

Jase and I went to see Watchmen on Thursday at the imax and last week I promised a review.

I haven't read the "graphic novel" (Personally I don't see what is wrong with calling it a comic - in my opinion a comic is just as valid as any other form of literature or writing but that is just my opinion, I have been known to argue a genuine comparison between a good EastEnders episode and Shakespeare. But I digress and there doesn't seem to be such a thing as a good EastEnders episode any more.)

So lets start again. I haven't read the comic but I have flicked through it at home and intend to read it. But I didn't have any preconceptions before seeing the film other than I'd get to see a big blue naked man wander about the screen from time to time.

I liked it - and not just because of the giant naked blue man - I liked the fact that it wasn't really a film nor was it a comic set to music and sound although it sometimes felt like that. The soundtrack was generally good but there was some strange editing. There were some beautiful and grotesque imagery and going back to the book not all of them directly taken from the comic strip but adapted from them and in some instances improved. The funeral sequence was one example except for the brutal editing of Simon and Garfunkel which I am sure was for unsettling affect but I didn't like it - I was enjoying the music and the images. The image of the angel headstone seemed to be improved on the big screen from the image in the book.

The film is very violent and I had to look away a couple of times - its very graphic in the graphic novel sense with added sound effects. I am not squeamish at all I can watch anything, so it must be pretty bad to make me look away!

I think the critics who have said that it is too long have a point but I was never bored and enjoyed it immensely.

Having seen V for Vendetta fairly recently I think I expected more to be made of the political message. Maybe because Watchmen is set in the US it didn't resonate with me as much. There is certainly a political observation and critique but I have feeling the film simplifies this. I'll have to ask Jase who has read the comic.

Talking of V for Vendetta on Saturday when in London we went past a small but noisy protest outside the Scientologist's place on Tottenham Court Road. The protesters were wearing V for Vendetta masks. I have found a link to a protest last year where the protesters were handing out cake. Jase will be very disappointed not to get cake this weekend as we walked past. Any way I am all for protests, and in particular protests against Scientology and I am also all for V for Vendetta masks they are just so dashing!