Maxim has posted a photo comparison showing the differences between Zack Snyder’s recent Watchmen set photos and the original comic book panels. When the photos were released, I was amazed at the level of detail that went into the set construction. As you can see above, the newsstand is very accurate, and quite amazing when compared to the comic.
The other photos are not quite as accurate or amazing. The Gunga Diner appears to be the least like the comic book, and instead an almost complete Hollywood revamp. Check out the photos below.
November 30th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
“Not as accurate or amazing?” Maybe not as accurate but they’re still amazing. As a New Yorker, this feels like the city I knew in the 80’s, which is a huge testament to set design. In fact, it feels more like New York than the scenes in the comics. Why complain? Batman’s suit looks different than the comics in Batman Begins and it was an amazing representation of the character.
November 30th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I think they look fine. Quit your grumbling, fanboys! There’s just some things that won’t translate verbatim or verb-pictum ;-)
The great thing is that much of NYC still looks like it’s stuck in the 80s.
November 30th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Hey hey hey, don’t get me wrong, the set photos are amazing. I was commenting on the set-to-comic comparison
November 30th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Cool beans… my mistake!
I think they are doing a damn good job, much better than JLA…
November 30th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Im not old enough to remember NY in the 80’s but I know it now, it seems just a little over styleized (and im not sure if they were going for that) There’s just some very minute, indescribable things that Im not getting REALISM from. Sure there’s crappy news stands, neon diners, graffiti’d billboards, and trashy bus stops, and they look like that, but there’s just something not right, maybe too cartoony looking, I can’t put my finger on it….
November 30th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
ok these are ABSOLUTLY amazing and I know that they’re only doing a comparison… but Maxim shouldn’t have cut this guy out of the picture… I LOVE how they just dropped him in there slightly out of focus right from the very start without even mentioning it.
http://www.watchmencomicmovie.com/photos/photo-window.php?img=112607-backlot03-big.jpg
November 30th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Snyder is sticking VERY close to the novel, at least visually. we shoulda known - from how he brought 300 to life.
December 2nd, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I know what you’re saying Drew, these things don’t feel at all like real life… But I take that as a positive rather than a negative. While they don’t feel like real life, they feel A LOT like Watchmen.
These Maxim boys of overlooking loads of cool shout outs to the comics. There’s a more thorough analysis at Geekanerd.
February 20th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
The only real difference worth mentioning as far as I can see,is the fact that they didn’t do a version of the hydrogen bubble vehicles.
This shouldn’t impact too much on the overall production.Although Manhattan’s arrival is supposed to change the technological topography of the era,the real meat of the book was in the story and how it was told.
I saw 300 after reading the graphic novel and was impressed with how close Mr Snyder stuck to the origional artistic vision.It looks like he might just have pulled the rabbit from the hat again.Here’s hoping.Meet the Spartans was under rated in my opinion.
I would love to see a watchmen parody,in a similar if less overstated vein.They could call it Chronicmen or something.