100th Post! Lost Film Frame of Watchmen's Original Ending

Kraken wasn't attakin' in the film version of one of my favourite comic series. It was a much more subdued, and ultimately easier to swallow cataclysmic ending to the film installment. Somewhere in the film I noticed the omission of some of my favourite lines, it was then I really understood that this was not a Superhero movie like Batman or Spiderman (something I hadn't considered previously). This 12 issue graphic novel was in fact all the watchmen there was, there could never be a Dr. Manhattan or Comedian movie that takes place outside of the mythos created in 12 comics. Whereas Frank Miller understood the comic to film adaptation process leading to the amazing 300 movie, Alan Moore and his crazy hermit beard were uncompromising, nowhere have I seen his name in the credits, only co-created by Dave Gibbons, it would be like if Frank Miller had said, You can't put clothes on my spartans! I drew them naked on purpose! I quit!" Then the credits would have said Co Created by Lynn Varley.

In truth the artist does co create the story but for someone clamouring for creators rights in the comic book world Alan Moore has really walked away from a lot of creator royalties that would have gone along with those rights.

The film itself was great. I enjoyed every frame of it. The comedian was more than I could imagine for my favourite character. And the opening credits, I could watch over and over again. I question however the music selection. once or twice juxtaposition of tone in the music to the tone on screen would have been sufficient but I felt that every song was in direct contradiction to the screen and the theme of conflict beaten into my face became tiring.

My only other real detracting concern in the film was Nixon! In the comic he is only shown in a couple of frames and they are more dramatically lit. If the filmmakers had taken this approach I wouldn't have snickered every time they showed him on screen. He looked like Craig T Nelson with a penis attached to his nose. And he was alot more pale than I would have had him, alcoholics have ruptured capilaries in their faces as they get old, and Nixon's third term would certainly have seen a fair share of drinks as he won the Vietnam war.

The film was entertaining on the whole but lacked sufficient depth to keep Allen Moore(ites) happy and was apparently too deep for the reviewers at yahoo to understand.

Now here comes my strange and twisted ratings system (+ points means better than between 1&5 and - points mean worse than between 1&5)

Batman Returns (+3)
300 (0)
Iron Man (-2)
Sin City (+2)



or...
2 thumbs out of 3

It did the comic justice, was sometimes fun, but ED is never comfortable to watch on screen