In The Blogs

Mick LaSalle vs. A.O. Scott on Watchmen

| Fri Mar. 6, 2009 2:32 PM PST

In a world, where two movie critics, see the same movie, but form two, very, different, opinions, one review, holds the key... LaSalle: Director Zack Snyder ("300") is beginning to look like the best thing to happen to the action movie in this decade. Scott: I wouldn't say that Mr. Snyder's "Watchmen" is a good movie, though it is certainly better than the same director's "300." LaSalle: One could say that the filmmakers' strategy in "Watchmen" is to try to hold the audience's attention, not with a great story (the story is just OK), but with great scenes. Scott: If I had [Dr. Manhattan's enhanced temporal perspective], the 2 hours 40 minutes of Zack Snyder’s grim and grisly excursion into comic-book mythology might not have felt quite so interminable. LaSalle: [Snyder] had a strong advantage going into "Watchmen," an audacious adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. Scott: There are times that the filmmakers seem to have used [the original] book less as an inspiration than as a storyboard. LaSalle: Advisory: This movie contains simulated sex. Scott: “Watchmen” features this year’s hands-down winner of the bad movie sex award, superhero division: a moment of bliss that takes place on board Nite Owl’s nifty little airship, accompanied by Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” LaSalle: The viewer has been infused with a sense of life on earth as chaotic and hopeless. Scott: Perhaps there is some pleasure to be found in regressing into this belligerent, adolescent state of mind. But maybe it’s better to grow up. LaSalle walks away, dejected. Fade to black.

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Comments

LaSalle is the worst movie

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat Mar. 7, 2009 8:43 PM PST.

LaSalle is the worst movie reviewer ever which should answer your question right there.

Reviewers are not intended

Submitted by dejah (not verified) on Mon Mar. 9, 2009 1:40 PM PDT.

Reviewers are not intended to track with one another. What's important is finding a reviewer to track with your tastes. A. O. Scott tracks to my tastes. Over time, reading his reviews, I find he likes movies I do and hates movies I hate. He's a good reviewer to read, because if he likes a movie, I probably will. Manhola Dhargis doesn't. She luuurves movies I hate and hates movies I love. She's a bad reviewer for me to read because she offers me nada. The key is to find a reviewer who tracks to you.

I'm not so sure about

Submitted by Richard Parker (not verified) on Mon Mar. 9, 2009 5:15 PM PDT.

I'm not so sure about Dhargis because she was one of the few critics who liked P.T. Anderson's "Magnolia," and that's one of my favorite movies. Similarly, for all his credibility, I'll never understand what Ebert loved about Shyamalan's "The Happening." I generally like to eye any and every review I can find. Reviewers may love and hate the films I do; however, for years I've found that Newsweek's David Ansen has similar *reasoning* to mine for why he does or doesn't like a movie. Others, like A.O. Scott, tend to like or hate movies I do, but Ansen's taste seems similar to mine nine of ten times. Interestingly enough, Ansen was not the reviewer for "Watchmen" - it was someone else who can't review a movie correctly.

Watchmen Stinks!

Submitted by FreeThinker (not verified) on Tue Mar. 10, 2009 10:51 AM PDT.

We went to this movie because there was so little agreement from anyone and it sounded like it might be something different. Wow! What a dog! The acting, direction and script were awful. It was 2 hours and 40 minutes of punishment. We did get a few laughs at times because it was so corny and silly. This will join other "cult favorites" like "Monster From The Deep Lagoon" and other 50's horror films that were soooooooooo bad they were fun. But this awful film wasn't even that fun - just bad. And the smiley face on Mars was more like the finger from the film makers that said Ha! Suckers!

okay

Submitted by Party Ben on Tue Mar. 10, 2009 6:52 PM PDT.

I just read these reviews back-to-back and thought there were some amusing connections, that's all. And yes, I do believe Scott wins. :) I was so excited for Watchmen too, but I'm so not going.

LaSalle really knows his old

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Apr. 10, 2009 4:29 PM PDT.

LaSalle really knows his old movies, but he doesn't seem to "get" contemporary films. I usually do the opposite of what he recommends. By the way, his real name isn't Mick LaSalle.