The rumors circulating about the change to the ending of the Watchmen movie have been confirmed by Zack Snyder – the giant squid is out.
The squid was not in the movie when I got the script, the squid was never in any draft that I saw. My point is only that there was this elegant solution to the squid problem that I kind of embraced. I’m a fan of the thing as much as anyone, I was saying what are we going to do about this before I even read the script.
So…hmmm…
Okay, the whole point of the squid was it was that its creation was the McGuffin that caused the Comedian to be killed, and is vital in getting the heroes to follow the trail of the missing scientists, artists, and others. The appearance at the end is also necessary to move the clock back a few minutes from Armageddon in an attempt to unite the planet against a supposed alien invasion from beyond.
How will the movie end now?
Looks like everyone is going to point the finger at Dr. Manhatten and his “particular energy beam signature”. So much for staying true to the source material.
I’m still super excited about the film, and can’t wait to see it. I enjoyed Wanted in both its forms, and think I can live with this change, providing the rest of the holes are filled in a way to make sense.
11 Comments
I can see why they’d go for a Dr. Manhattan-as-menace idea instead of the squid. It streamlines the plot and keeps the foreshadowing together – the foreshadowing for the squid was really sparse and consists of the most otherwise skippable parts of a very long book. I think it’s a time issue moreso than a “believability” issue, and that this change is necessary to trim Watchmen down to movie length. It allows for the themes and characterization to remain intact around a change that allows for more plot-integrated foreshadowing.
Also, yes the squid works in Watchmen, but it took like five readings to figure out where Ozzy Davis got it from, and plus on the big screen it would look ridiculous.
I hope I don’t get crucified, but I totally agree that it should be out. For the fans it would’ve been great but the average person, whose entire exposure to the Watchmen world will be the movie, will be challenged by the believability and climax of a “squid” psychic attack. Some things just cannot be translated to film and I think this is one of them.
So you’re the one the Loom of Fate decided would like the “Wanted” movie. I wondered when you’re show up.
That’s really disappointing news =( The squid could have still worked really well. The entire point of the squid – if I’m correct here – was that it was the most ridiculous attack plan ever.
I’ll still pay to see the movie, but the ending will probably feel like 2 hours of sex with no ‘finish’ =\
So, Rorschach will get killed why then? To keep the fact Dr. Manhattan is not dangerous!?
Wasn’t the whole point of the squid to join everyone against a danger no one could be blamed for? If Giant Smurf is the “bad guy” won’t the rest of the world blame the USA for creating him in the first place? How does that prevent WWIII?
I knew they’d probably remove things like the pirate comic and probably the news stand all together, the Comedian getting his scar and other stuff like that, but everything revolves around the creation and release of the squid… I hope they can pull it off, but I don’t see how.
Graciela has a point. I would have like to see the squid, but you can’t do anything about it so I don’t let it bother me.
It does introduce problems though. Wasn’t a subplot that various artists, scientists and people who were working on creating a bio-engineered squid went missing. I guess you could still have physicists go missing. Also, wasn’t the whole point of framing Dr Manhattan as a cause of Cancer to get him to leave Earth because he might stop the teleport stuff. Why would they want to make their scapegoat leave beforehand?. You also won’t have the pages where everyone who was mind blasted lie around the streets with the squid phased into a nearby building. If it’s a energy ray instead or something won’t that just blow up New York. I guess Alan Moore was right, the changes you have to make to make it as a movie sacrifices the elements that worked as a comic.
Randall sums things up pretty durn well, I gotta say. The subplot involving the squid is, indeed, perhaps too “subtle” for the average movie-goer… I knew the story before reading the print version, and still had to take an extra read-through to put all the squiddy-bits together (at which point I had a minor brain aneurysm due to the sheer brilliance of it all). But movies are “broad strokes” generally, and not “fine lines”… Like every other movie that’s been changed from book form, the “new” ending will probably do just barely enough to explain away continuity AS PRESENTED IN THE MOVIE, but will leave “readers” going “well, it doesn’t explain that, and where did this go, and blah blah blah.”
the squids kinda like the war on terror, if people believe that then i dont see why it wouldnt have worked.. a stupid but effective plan.
Yeah, seriously Wanted? The startling announcement that the fucking squid is out, almost pales in comparison to the fact that you liked Wanted… You have lost all credibiliy in my book.
I think you guys are misinterpreting my words :P For a film, Wanted was enjoyable enough. As a comic book adaptation it was terrible.