Push.
Like a movie version of Heroes with different characters and shot entirely in Hong Kong. Left me cold really. I'm now probably even less likely to go and see Watchmen because I feel it could be more of the same. Special effects and supernatural powerpeople.
At least, Slumdog Millionaire is finally coming out this weekend so I have something to look forward to.
Watchmen has nothing to do with supernatural powers (only one of the heroes has actual "super powers" the rest are more akin to Batman, with skills and toys). It is nothing at all like PUSH. However there are some nice special effects in it. I won't say if you'll like it or not, reviews are very heavily divided, but it's based on a comic book that totally subverted the comic book genre. It's dark, very gory, and complex. Here's my synopsis of it for my review:
Set in 1985, Watchmen gives us an alternate reality where superheroes existed and have changed the course of history. None of these caped crusaders have any actual powers, they are more akin to Batman, with suits and skills. We learn that over time they were banned from practicing said skills, and now they all go about their lives in their respective ways. The political climate is charged. Nixon is still president, and the Americans have one thing standing between them and nuclear war with the Soviets. And it ain’t fear. It’s blue. There’s only one superhero in this movie with special powers and he is Dr. Manhattan, a scientist who was vaporized by accident (isn’t that always the way?) and reappeared as a glowing blue mass of energy. He takes human shape of course, but is he human? Even he doesn’t know. But at least, as they say in the film, “The superman exists, and he’s American.”
While this backstory is being established through drips and drabs throughout the movie, the central plot is much more straightforward, a murder mystery. One of the original superheroes from back in the 1940’s, the Comedian, is murdered. Slowly the younger set of superheroes from the 70s join forces to investigate, they include Adrian Viedt aka Ozymandias, the “smartest man in the world” and self made millionaire, Rorschach, a masked vigilante who never gave up the hero game, Dan Drieberg aka Night Owl II, a paunchy man reaching middle age who’s optimism for the future is hidden behind a complacent resignation, and Laurie Jupiter aka Silk Spectre II, Dr. Manhattan’s girlfriend, dealing with the burden of her mother’s desires for her to become as big a superhero as she was in the 40’s, and her own concerns with her relationship with Dr. Manhattan.
There's more to it of course, but that's the setup and as you can see, not at all like PUSH or films of its ilk.
I'm done now. Now back to your regularly scheduled thread . . .