Q&A: Is this a good DVD review? rate (1-10)?
Question by Mtthwp: Is this a good DVD review? rate (1-10)?
The Greater, Holier Version (DVD Review of Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut) rememberm, DVD review!
Blade Runner (and maybe even A Clockwork Orange) not only usurped the sci-fi genre, but also garnered critical acclaim, cults and insults. Watchmen, a rousing opener, becoming a rousing disappointer at theaters, is almost like the apprentice though; if not, a reincarnation of that thriving neo-noir genre, stroking similar parallel lines. The two films advocated studios to receive about three different cuts (reviving their reputation as a film); also, they both formulated a similar nexus of a redolent sense that they could become the future of films. Those (and a myriad of others) of alternate reality tales proved this about 110/100 times. And we never know: it’s a possibility that Snyder’s ideal cut might be just as well known as Ridley’s and Kubrick’s own vision.
But it’ll be a radical step: to ever dominate a classics’ (or genre’s) beating array of zealots can almost be defined as being a daredevil – or maybe in nicer, realistic words: insanity. Zack Snyder, the zero to hero director, is a born filmmaker: he first started out with deadpan hilarious, offbeat commercials, slowly moving his way up to the pinnacle of Hollywood. Frank Miller’s 300 leaped to screen, modeling Warner Bros. mundane faces into speculation – a prominent figure has finally hindered cynical movie events. “Watchmen was something I never really wanted to touch though. I was just like a regular fanboy and I really didn’t want to do it,” Snyder points out. But deep down in his abysmal conscience, he knows he was the Chosen One. God is Warner Bros. and Jesus turns out to be Zack. But even Jesus infused with sins: his theatrical version of Watchmen was an obtuse decision. But now finally redeeming his derogatory relationship with die-hard fans, his resplendent idea of releasing an Ultimate Cut (which in grandiose words, is the complete story of Watchmen) is one to keep for. It’s a full, epic long 3 hr. 30 min. film spliced with Tales of the Black Freighter (the comic-within-the-comic). “This is what they’re going to dig for,” Zack, again, strains with enthusiastic
feelings. “I know I’ll be the first to marry this one.”
That’s no hyperbole though: kissing the bride turns surprisingly rewarding. The box set contains overwhelming, over-the-top discs (Standard: 5 discs; Blu-Ray: 4 discs), but nevertheless, this is what moviegoers easily engulf. The first disc musters the Director’s Cut (3 hr. 6 min) with a valuable thirty minute extra starring our favorite, controversial Tales of the Black Freighter. Plus additional minutes with Bernie (an almost heart wrenched newsvendor) and Bernie (a thin African-American whose just about obsessed with reading the comic-within-the-comic). Their poignant relationship results more of the gritty viewings of vigilantes and morality through the eyes of the everyday New York citizen. The results? A mammoth event for all basement comic book geeks that can finally thank the “unfilmable” turn to the filmable. “The camera work, the process was very challenging but old-fashioned. We wanted to keep the film true to the comic,” Deborah Snyder (producer), the also creative wife of Zack Snyder not only hampers financial conflicts during filming, but photography and not to mention sheer ideas. “Everyone’s a huge Watchmen fan, even the music producer and director of photography,” Zack replies to an interview at Comic-Con. “We’re all like a big family, and wanted this creative vision to be alive on screen.” And well done, cast and crew. The grueling ritual of Zack having to persuade (or cajole in the studio’s perspective), to release a risky, exactitude three-hour film has finally conquered the odds.
BREAKING CONVENTIONS
In conclusion, the animation of Black Freighter literally, is leaped from the novel, having gritty, picturesque visuals, which make the experience a little more amiable than the graphic novel. “We have really nice animators drawing these figures piece by piece, and it’s really awesome – it’s what we’ve all been waiting for,” Snyder says, while spilling private information during the theatrical premier of Watchmen. And that long adrenaline rush was worth all the raving, thanks to Zack and Deborah’s creative, clean hands creating a dirty, brooding adaptation, started from scratch. The animation reprieves from relentless 3-D tech style, and pens a much more anime-veneer. Zack also adds, “And we tried our best to really have the animated scenes a little overdone like the novel, and not awkward.” Nevertheless, while some scenes do come up as an aberration of curiousness, most of the integrated cuts paint an elegant, suave signature — almost like Alan Moore’s own creation. Some of the very essential lines such as “I am a horror; amongst horrors must I dwell…” and “The rope snaked down. Spluttering, I grabbed it.” assures you that this isn’t your average happy-go-lucky anime drawn by South Korean artis
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artists. Its capability is deeply moving, breaking through the depths of the sea itself. Gerard Butler voices the supposedly chivalric Captain, who steers to the wrong side of the ocean once he turns into an atrocious deleriust. The story refers towards Ozymandia’s masterstroke plan and even a gray moral code Rorschach could never get. “It was very interesting experience. Zack and I are really good friends from 300, so the schedule was just like that,” Butler replies in an interview. But unfamiliar Watchmen viewers might be disappointed since Butler needs not to have twelve-pack and ripping muscles. His body and physical structure isn’t on stage now — what moviegoers should really look forward is the powerful but degenerating narrative; not to mention a nameless DNA type of storytelling that makes you think. And it’s there. “It’s very faithful, very meticulous with the artwork of the Black Freighter,” Malin Akerman (Silk Specture II) replies at the United Kingdom Pr
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Premier. “It’s really the most darkest, brilliant thing we’ve ever seen – and it’s beautiful.”
Under the Disc…
Now, additional discs we know: indifferent special features and that vulgar, raffish, and overall, useless Digital Copy, which DVD’s sell now. But Zack Snyder doesn’t just leave you out in the cold, thinking you’ve been swindled. He, before anyone that has seen a tangible copy of the Ultimate Cut, dishes out the information, having us not being too esoteric. The third disc contains a surprising present: the lost remembered theatrical cut of the film (and yes, in Digital Copy format); the fourth and fifth disc is the Motion Comic, which is the dynamic animation right from the comic with an old-fashioned narrator. However, the real speck is the second disc. It includes more than two hours of precise, careful featurettes, which Zack and his crew deliberately sketched it to be awe-inspiring. Or maybe they didn’t even try to. There’s The Comic that Changed Com
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Comics, where Snyder and Gibbons (the artist of the comic, not trying to be shunned from the film unlike the author) explains Watchmen’s’ legacy throughout this underrated medium; and The Books within Watchmen, a simple but an abundant amount of information where the cast states how they feel what the significant ideas behind Under the Hood, Tales of the Black Freighter connects with the story. Moreover, the studio also added Real Superheroes, Real Vigilantes, the twelve, raw Complete Video Journals, and the two new commentaries with Gibbons and Snyder which have never been leaked out before. “These little add-ones were just great – if I was (and I am) a fanboy, I’ll eat this up,” Gibbons replies with the verge of excitement. But this disc still goes on with another fanboy’s miracle: Under the Hood finally on screen. Like the Black Freighter, it has been released on DVD before, but seeing it with an unbelievable Holy Grail set, it’s hard to avoid the anticipation. Carla Gugino,
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Stephanie McHattie play Silk Specture I and Nite Owl I conveying complete authenticness, not leaving one line from the comic in this smart mockumentary. The filming here feels — no, is real with black-and-white, shaky and almost fresh-from-the-boat filming, alleging early visuals in those days. It almost acts like a twisted satire from the early ’50’s, having homages towards the Watchmen universe (hence the Nostalgia commercial, The Comedian’s cameo). However, even these specials still cannot add up to that everlasting geeky prop Under the Hood added: the plump newsvendor Bernie gets interview in which he says, “You know, you may never know if superheroes here are good or bad. It might be both, or either one o’ them. I mean if I wanna yell, “Help!” I dun’ care if that hero’s a cop or a vigilante, I just wanna get help, y’know?” Then he pauses to think almost mediating, but then smiles. “Inna final analysis.” That overused line which Bernie frequently replies back to tiny Bern
Bernie in the novel, has always been a concluding irenic statement of a day’s doing. Zeals, fans, and maybe even those Hugo Award critics might be screaming all over of that simple, reverent line. Carla states, “It’s really fascinating how Zack is this much respectful of the source material; amazing, actually.”
…And the Cover
But never mind faithful lines, Carla’s actually wrong — well half wrong at least. The reverence from the graphic novel isn’t the only gem: it’s the item itself too. The two things that made my face glow, when receiving this wasn’t only the infinite amount of bonus features and that second disc (which is almost becoming a metaphor for my own paradise island); but also, the cover and the discs’ art. For those biased movie buyers who peek at the cover that determines their ultimate choice, won’t be squeamish for their buying choice: the cover art just might be equivalent to a bundle of Christmas presents. The infamous and somewhat bloody smiley face
(resembling a clock striking midnight) becomes replaced with an ominous cross bone symbol, which is a cover not to forget. On the very back of this towering set with some peculiar heaviness, reads in huge bold letters, The End Is Nigh. And on the very top, the anguished Captain and behind him, an eerie shoreline having the Black Freighter seep up almost made me break the sturdy case – excited, of course. When tearing, just like when ripping the wrapping of Blade Runner: The Ultimate Cut, there’s some graphic, raw art; but this time of a diluted and rainy New York. The discs’ art are just as compelling too: Silk Specture II, Rorschach, Ozymandious, (The Comedian, Nite Owl II, Dr. Manhattan are placed inside the cover’s flaps) are simple enough. However, it creates a rare smile across that fastidious Watchmen conservative.
There’s one more factor that executes an advantage of the Ultimate Cut, though: the wait. Three months of cringing, biting my nails, and rereading the novel has been worth the pain: the countdown has made the experience even more surreal. I’ve also been sitting on the edge of my couch thinking (and mostly raging) in thoughts of what might the experience be when watching the ideal version of Watchmen; disappointed, bored, or masterpiece? Obviously, its awe-inspiring and the director is one hard-hitting zealot that goes everything by the material – so hail all to Zack Snyder and maybe even Dave Gibbons who supported this piece of neo-noir art. And even when the second time of viewing comes around, the pros keep adding, proliferating up; the style and the visual storytelling go even further through the convention boundary lines. This particular cut raises its violent suavity and great virtue to the max. It’s better than Blade Runner; it’s better than A Clockwork Orange. And more.
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Zack’s supposedly consequential gamble received more cards and whispering on the table — in a positive way, of course. He succeeded into warping the superhero genre like what the graphic novel did. Though, if you’ll still stand in shadows like the writer Alan Moore (who might want to reconsider school again), then go ahead – start repeating those now cliché excuses of the comic being unfilmable. Everyone used to think of this becoming wary, even Warner Bros, a seemingly voracious studio.
But now look at this achievement. And look all of those fanboys.
***NOTE***
I am so sorry that this review is so lengthy. But please read! 🙂
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