AVS Discussions
Movie and TV Discussion => 4K UHD Blu-rays => Topic started by: Barry on October 23, 2019, 04:30:47 PM
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Watchmen, The Ultimate Cut, a 4K review
I am dividing this review into two parts, first the technical and then the movie.
Although the Watchmen was not a critical nor financial success, it has many fans and has been put on DVD many times. The current version, the one released in 4K, is more than 35 minutes longer than the original movie. One reason for the length is that a segment of the movie, Tales of the Black Freighter, which has a young man reading comic books, shows what he is reading in animation.
The actual image of the movie has been radically changed since its last Blu-ray release. The colors are much softer and the image is far darker than before. It took me a about 5 minutes to get used to this but the visuals ae outstanding. The sound however is incredible. It is a DTS 5.1 that serves the movie very well.
In 1954, at the prodding of Congress, the comic book industry had to accept outside censors to not just reduce or prevent violence and sexuality but to eliminate all social issues from comic books. They even tried to eliminate African-Americans from comic books. It took a decade until the Marvel Age to start producing comics that older people and adults will enjoy. By 1971 the comics codes were amended and diminished and by 1980 not all comics needed to pass this code. Into this world the Watchmen was launched in 1986.
In the 1960s a super-hero was “super” because of his powers. He was a hero for what he had in his heart. This was one of the comic books that changed all that.
Super-heroes were now thrill seeking adventurers, fulfilling their own needs of vengeance and vigilantism. They were not just above the law, they were the law. There is no morality here.
The movie is endlessly violent. The plot revolves around the descendent of the 1940 superheroes, who almost have gone into hiding. The first one of them, the Comedian, a rapist and abuser, is killed There are individual stories about how this affects the various former members of his team. The movie portrays the death of 15 million people as a necessary step to create world peace. And after the 15 million are killed, in New York no one remembers them or cares. Well, I live in New York and the 3000 people that were killed in the World Trade Center in 2001 are not forgotten. And that has changed our lives. The meaninglessness of life in the comic and in this movie is disturbing and objectionable.
I didn’t like the comic book or the movie and still don’t. Yet, to be honest, is one of the most popular comics ever done. The acting here is often over-the-top and unconvincing and yet the special effects are spectacular. If this movie is your cup of tea and you have a 4K system try this out.
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Thanks. This movie has sort of interested me, but I've never seen it.