this post was submitted on 01 Dec 2023
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Maybe a controversial take.. I like Snyder's ending better than the book.
Ozymandius tricking Dr Manhattan into building a bomb that blows up NYC is a lot more grounded in possibility that a giant psychic squid.
They’re both products of their times. The squid made sense in a time where comic books weren’t as grounded as they are today.
Also a squid makes more sense when you actually foreshadow a squid. The movie would have had to shoehorn that in through the plot and that would have been a mess.
It was cleaner. Different medium, different capabilities.
I don't see how foreshadowing improves anything. Ozy explaining his bizarre and horrible plan and then revealing it's already happened is a wonderful moment. Knowing it's going to happen before it does would ruin it.
Foreshadowing the squid is well done in the comics and does not change the reveal. You should read it if you haven’t.
I've read it many times but I'm sure I missed 90% of the meaning. Just seemed like people want it to be telegraphed when I assumed the novel ending was intentionally shocking and weird.
Have you watched the HBO show? The squid totally works.
I want more of that HBO show. I hope they can do more storylines from that timeline.
Still heavily contrived against a much cleaner approach. It works, but the Manhattan line was better.
The whole Dr Manhattan plan could've blown up at his face though if he took it personally and killed everyone.
I do kind of like the squid ending because it's supposed to be something completely unexpected and unbelievable that governments would actually believe it's an alien. They could've foreshadowed it a bit better but I like the weirdness of it.
I like the TV show fleshing out the squid thing more. I think the movie ending was fine for the time though.
I remember recommending the movie to people and being told "you should have warned me there was blue penis" by one person. And then he went on to say "blue penis" at random times when he saw me. I don't know how he would have reacted if there was a giant alien psychic squid attack
Yeah, while the movie had its flaws, notably pacing, my wife and sister lost it at "big blue penis," and I was like, "what? THAT was what you focused on?"
I still felt the movie was pretty true to the message and had some memorable scenes and lines.
“None of you seem to understand. I’m not locked in here with you. You’re locked in here with me!”
I saw that movie and recommended it, with a caveat. I said, "It's a great movie, but there's a lot of big blue schlong. If that's a problem for you, you won't enjoy it. If it isn't, it's a great show."
"If that's a problem for you, you missed the message."
Seriously. If that's a problem for you, maybe put in some work and join the rest of us in adulthood soon.
The ending works a lot better, agreed. But most of the beginning and middle bits change the tone/framing/emphasis/etc to give the exact opposite meaning to what was originally intended. Biggest example I can think of is the opening battle between the Comedian and ~~Ozymandias~~ the mysterious assassin; in the graphic novel that fight is framed as a dying, bitter alcoholic well past his prime getting absolutely bodied in an unceremonious and fitting end to a despicable man. In the film, sure he loses in the end but it's a much closer fight and he goes out in a blaze of glory, defiant to the end, quite literally a hero's last stand. Snyder also does his best to make Rorschach look as cool as possible (while still being grungy and uncouth) instead of how he is in the graphic novel: psychotic, extremely antisocial, and borderline fascist. Again, the change to the ending was a good choice, but there were many other choices made that I personally completely disagree with
Fully agree! the show undoes some of the damage (but brings back the squid)
The ending was equally fine as the book, the main issue I have is that in the book, the only real super powered person was Dr. Manhattan.
A lot of things don't make a ton of sense having all the heroes have super strength and durability.
It was the style at the time. Even Asimov got into psychic phenomena for Childhood's End.
Compare the 90s obsession with cryogenics, or every stupid variation on "10% of your brain."
Not controversial at all, it works and plays better.
It's just the rest of his changes that are a problem.