In Reply to: "Watchmen:" see the trailer posted by tinear on March 8, 2009 at 12:18:25:
While I have mixed feelings about the Watchmen based on a muddled plot, erratic pacing and really BAD make-up in places, apparently you weren't even viewing the same movie. Here is just one example of where you missed what was going on:
>>> "A woman born of a rape--- well, not only is she glad to have been given life but so is the victim to have been so gifted!" <<<
First of all, while I'll agree that the plot point involving Silk Spectre II being the daughter of the Comedian is muddled, the film is clear in the point that NO RAPE actually occurred. It was stopped. The only problem I had with that was that 1) Silk Spectre (Sally Jupiter) was supposed to be a super heroine and yet she posed very little resistance to the brutish Comedian's attempted rape and actually had to be rescued, and 2) she apparently fell in and out of love with her attacker (at some point, later on, off screen) resulting in their having super-daughter, after which she abruptly left him for someone else and in a painfully obvious plot device never told her daughter (Silk Spectre II; Laurie Jupiter) after she was grown.
So, there was no woman born of rape in the movie; I'd have to reread the graphic novel to determine if this was substantially altered, but a rape would've been easier to communicate even though it would've left the Comedian non-rehabilitatable from a cinematic standpoint.
Also, IMO you're reading just a little too much into the sexual awkwardness of Night Owl II...
>>> "a middle-aged guy, not unattractive and buff to the max yet he acts more self-conscious, more boyish than Jimmy Stewart at his most awkward." <<<
This is almost a Clark Kent pastiche, more true to the comic-book tradition than Hollywood, even though it was consummated in a somewhat traditional Hollywood fashion in keeping with the film's "R" rating. It was very appropriate considering the material.
Anyone familiar with the comics of the 1940's should see this just for the nostalgic homage to bygone characters done with an alternative universe twist. For instance, Silk Spectre II is based on Fox's 1940's character Phantom Lady and the supporting character Hooded Justice is loosely based upon the 40's MLJ character Hangman; some of this is touched upon in the link below.
As far as glorifying gore, I saw less gut-wrenching stuff than in many other action movies. Of course Watchmen has a more fantasy based, alternative universe feel than most reality based dramas and action pictures, but I've seen far worse films depicting gore (Natural Born Killers, for example).
If you want to see some REAL gore, look at some vintage WWII Timely (Marvel) comic book covers from the 1940's; they'll curl your Shirley Temple hair doo, dude! :o)
AuPh
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Follow Ups
- Tin, I think that you and I were watching different movies. - Audiophilander 20:39:41 03/09/09 (16)
- Rape: literally, you're correct, figuratively, not. - tinear 21:37:27 03/09/09 (15)
- "You may have seen worse but hardly in a film where a 'hero' does it." - Au contraire, monsieur tin. - Audiophilander 13:12:10 03/10/09 (2)
- I've forgotten that bloodbath so I'll rely on your memory: did the "hero" - tinear 11:38:50 03/11/09 (1)
- Sorry, but you are fixated on one short scene where no actual rape occurs. - Audiophilander 15:14:20 03/11/09 (0)
- I guess some films just don't have simple white hat/black hat differentials - dave c 21:46:56 03/09/09 (11)
- So, there is evil in the world and a film that glorifies it is.... - tinear 21:54:26 03/09/09 (10)
- Glorified? What film did you watch? - Analog Scott 22:51:01 03/10/09 (5)
- very interesting, thank you - tunenut 20:04:49 03/11/09 (0)
- Get real. It has much to say about society, life, national security, and - tinear 17:27:32 03/11/09 (3)
- yes it does have a great deal of social and political comentary but - Analog Scott 22:52:22 03/11/09 (2)
- Then Leni Riefenstahl is innocent, too. nt - tinear 11:32:07 03/13/09 (1)
- Besides reveling in the ultra violence of the Old Boy series you also champion Quentin Tarantino. - sjb 16:27:17 03/13/09 (0)
- I thought the point of Super "heroes" was they weren't "us" - dave c 15:03:19 03/10/09 (2)
- Rambo is reprehensible, as is Dirty Harry and that Bronson architect. - tinear 18:06:30 03/10/09 (1)
- "the great issue of the day, nuclear armament and its use": maybe... - dave c 20:28:21 03/10/09 (0)
- Agreed; enough media conditioning that unjustly rots the psyche... - mpathus 00:36:57 03/10/09 (0)