Watchmen - Read first or See the Flick?

Those who have done both especially, please chime in. Should I wait and read the GN before I see the movie, which probably means seeing it on a small screen? Or go ahead and see the movie while it’s in theatres and read it later? Why?

Thanks!

I read the book in November and watched the movie last weekend. I suggest reading the book first and never watch the movie. It’s not good.

I’d read the GN first, then see the movie. The movie makes some significant changes to the book and is by no means perfect (Oxymandias is, IMHO, badly miscast), but if you like the book then I’d strongly suggest you see the movie.

Then check out this thread. You might want to jump ahead to the entries starting on March 6, the official release date: Watchmen: The Movie (reviews and spoilers) - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board

Read first, then see. I liked the movie better, but there’s a lot more detail in the comic series.

I guess I’ll be the lone voice of dissent. I thought the movie was a great adaptation given the huge amount of information in the source material. I say see the movie first then read the book to fill in the details that were missing in the movie and to see the changes that were made.

I would see the movie first as the reveals will have more impact if you do not know they are coming. Then the book will fill in all in the little details.

This is my opinion exactly. When I saw the movie, I was kind of bored because I knew exactly what was happening, what was going to happen next, and even what it would look like. I think seeing an adaptation of a regular book after reading it is more interesting, but since this film takes so many visual cues from the comic it’s all familiar. There are some changes, indeed, but most of the major story elements are fairly intact, and when you read the collection later it will fill in lots and lots of background information and gaps*. I agree that Ozymandias was terribly, horribly miscast, though. Also, and I don’t think this is a spoiler, but despite the stylized fight scenes with people flying all over the place and whatever, no one (with one major exception) is supposed to have actual superpowers. (that’s the one major story detail that I felt was not made sufficiently clear in the movie, and as it relates heavily to the theme(s), I go ahead and point it out.)

*Basically, IMO, watching the movie is fun, but adds nothing after having read the book. If you see it first, you get the fun, then you get LOTS of additional enjoyment from reading it.

You know what, you’re very convincing. I changed my mind. See the movie first.

This.

Read the book because it’s fantastic.

Skip the movie because it’s garbage.

I’m in the “see then read” camp. I thought the movie was good, and reading the GN will make it better. I’ll be watching my Black Freighter DVD this weekend.

I’ve never read the GN but I thought the movie was great, probably one of the best I’ve seen so far in 2009. I’ll probably pick up the GN at some point to see what was changed and to get more backstory.

I had the best of both worlds. I read the book in September, then forgot most of the details before I saw the movie. I got the fun of seeing it brought to life (I think that except for Oxymandias, they did a good job) without the boringness of remembering every little thing.

Read it, then watch it when it comes out on video ;).

I loved the movie, and have never read the book. I may get around to reading it, but I’ve tried going back to the comic source for several comic films and didn’t enjoy them (e.g. 300, Hard Boiled, X-Men, The Mask) …I am extremely finicky with graphic novels and the few of those I’ve truly loved have yet to be made into movies, and of the movies I’ve enjoyed I rarely find the specific graphic novel enjoyable.

I’d suggest reading it first. I don’t know how it would affect your opinion of the movie though, only because I never read the graphic novel, or comic book series, or whatever it was and I thought the movie kind of sucked. Maybe if I were a fan first, I may have seen it differently.

On the other hand, it’s been a week since I’ve seen it, and I think it’s been kind of growing on me since. I may reverse my opinion on it once it comes out on Blu-Ray.

See, then read.

Going with the “see, then read” camp. Mainly because when I saw the movie the first time, I had a hard time enjoying it because I kept thinking back to the book and figuring out what was the same and what was different.

My feelings exactly. I was actually a bit underwhelmed by the book, but loved the movie, and what made the movie so great were the amazing casting and directorial choices (a lot of ‘So THAT’S how they decided to portray that’).

Though if you could back in time to read it, or read it then wait a few weeks (assuming it’s still playing), you’ll spend less time comparing the two.

I think it makes sense to see the movie before reading the book, but the other way around probably won’t matter much. The book, inevitably, has a vast amount of depth that couldn’t make it into the movie. But the movie is pretty good on its own merits. Yes, it has flaws, yes Ozymandias was miscast, but it works, and works well, anyway.

Am I the only one who thinks that the change to Ozymandias’ plan was a good idea, and actually makes a lot more sense than the plan in the book? I speak as someone who first read Watchmen when the original comics came out, and who has re-read it many times since.

The movie must be seen on the big screen. Go see it before you read it. I loved it and felt that reading the book first took away somewhat from the movie since it’s such a literal translation.

I tend to think that the people who hated the movie are fanwanks who would have hated anything that came out about their beloved GN falling perfectly instep with their beloved, misanthropic Moore.

I’d generally suggest the movie first–I really didn’t enjoy the GN all that much. The art, IMO, leaves much to be desired, and the plot is tighter in the film. The film also smoothes over various minor issues (characters’ speech patterns, for example) that annoyed me in the book. The significant changes made to the plot–including the stuff at the end–were improvements.

My only reservation: I watched the movie with a basic familarity with the book; I’m not absolutely certain everything would’ve fit together if I hadn’t. There’s nothing in particular that I can point to for this–it’s more of a general concern in these kinds of adaptations. (Call it the Dune factor: I enjoyed David Lynch’s Dune, but I watched it immediately after finishing the book, so I never realized how confusing it might be to someone who had no background.)