According to SciFi.com, the running time for Watchmen has gone from 2 hours and 45 minutes to 2 hours and 35 minutes. This running time has not been approved by the studio and the film could be cut down even more.
This is upsetting news. The original cut of the film was 3 hours and 10 minutes and Synder has boosted an epic 3 hour and 40 minute cut (complete with the animated "Tales of the Black Freighter" inserted) that will eventually show up on DVD. Watchmen is not a movie that needs to be cut down. The original graphic novel was over 500 pages long and incredibly complex and carefully put together. The more the film is cut down, the more it will lose the graphic novel's complexity and intricate nature.
It seems like all the news I've been writing about Watchmen lately has been very negative in nature. There was the whole thing with the ending being changed, then the problems with the new trailer and now this. Maybe I'm wrong to focus on all the negative aspects of the film but, when it's the freaking Watchmen we're dealing with here, I just can't help myself. Watchmen is something that is worth arguing about. It's just too important to just let problems with an adaptation of it slide. At least, that's how I feel about the thing.
And what's the whole deal with a film's running time any ways? Why can't people deal with a long movie? Why are so many people lazy to the point were they can't focus on something for more than an hour and a half at a time. Maybe this isn't even that big of a deal as studios seem to think it is. After all, The Dark Knight was 2 hours and 40 minutes long and it was one of the most successful films of all time. Yes, there were those people that complained about it's running time (a bunch of whiners) but it still made a crap load of money in the process. As for me, I was never bored with that film and would have actually preferred it be 30 minutes longer. Yes, that's right, I wanted it to be longer.
The fact is this: running time should never be an issue. The issue should be whether or not the film is good or not. That's it. Time should never be an issue. If a longer film is a better film, then it should be as long as it needs to be. If a longer film is boring and length is hurting it then it should be cut back. That's how it should be.
Some of you may be thinking that I'm overreacting as it was only ten minutes of the film that had been cut. However, ten minutes is important. If you've read Watchmen, you will understand this.
Law suit pending (yeah, that never went away people), Watchmen opens on March 6th. Despite all my recent problems with the film, I'll be there at midnight.
Source: SciFi.com
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