"Watchmen" Ending Different from Graphic Novel – Is the Change for the Better?

By: Adam Quigley Posted: October 20, 2008 Filed under: Unofficial Info

Take note of the above picture. It depicts (not very accurately) a certain scene from the Watchmen graphic novel that you may never see in Zack Zynder's film adaptation.

According to audiences that have seen an early test screening of the film, a very significant detail from the comic has been altered, and some fans are not at all happy about it.

WARNING: Major spoilers for the end of Watchmen ahead...

At the end of the graphic novel, Veidt (aka Ozymandias, "the smartest man on the planet") enacts a secret plan to prevent an impending nuclear war between the United States and Soviet Union by unleashing a massive squid-like alien in New York City, which in turn is meant to save humanity by forcing the world to unite as one.

In the film though, there's no squid. Instead, Veidt enacts his plan by working with Dr. Manhattan to build a machine that will mimic Dr. Manhattan's powers, under the guise of "free energy" (to solve the energy crisis). Unbeknownst to Manhattan, Veidt uses the machine to set off what essentially amounts to atomic bombs in various large cities around the world, then framing Dr. Manhattan for the atrocity.

End major spoilers.

I think the only reason fans are getting so upset over this change is simply because it means the film is not 100% like the book, and not because it's actually a worse ending. In fact, it's really not even that much of a departure. The climax still serves exactly the same purpose (both thematically and in terms of the story) as it did in the comic; only the means for how that purpose is accomplished has been altered.

As far as I'm concerned, this ending sounds like it's much better suited for the big screen than the original one. Ever since reading the graphic novel, that's the one question I've been asking myself: how the hell are they going to pull off the giant squid? It may have worked well in its original medium, but randomly inserting a gigantic tentacled-creature in the final half hour of a nearly 3 hour movie doesn't quite have the same effect.

Besides, the only people who are complaining right now are the fanboys who haven't even seen the film. Those who saw the film at the test screening, meanwhile, have only had positive things to say. Same goes for Kevin Smith, who had this to say when asked about the changed ending:

It’s a little different. While it is a slight departure, it actually makes sense in the context of the story because it brings the characters back into it. It kind of makes the movie more about them by the end of it because of the switch they made. I would never say that Alan Moore fucked it up or something. I love the ending of the Watchmen comic book, but I think this ending works just as well.

It should be noted though, there's a possibility that this isn't even the official ending to the film. Some have speculated that, seeing as how the exclusion of the squid goes against several months of rumors and inside information, Zack Snyder may have been simply testing this new ending. The idea that Snyder actually shot two endings sounds a little unrealistic budget-wise, but I suppose we'll just have to wait for confirmation before knowing for certain.

[Source ComicBookMovie via Slashfilm]