What is the single best science fiction or fantasy franchise?

[Evaniel]

"Stinkor was first introduced in 1985 as an action figure from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toyline and came packaged with a mini-comic entitled The Stench of Evil!. The Stinkor action figure had a semi-foul scent, giving it the distinction of being one of the few toys whose "action feature" was an odor. The Stinkor action figure was created by Mattel by re-using the mold of another villain in the Masters of the Universe line Mer-Man. The only differences between the Mer-Man and Stinkor action figures were that Stinkor was painted black and white, had different chest armor and was chemically treated with patchouli oil to smell musky."

Seriously, there is not enough cocaine in the physical universe to justify this decision making process, not even in the 80's.

True story. In college, I walked into a...let's say hippie-friendly...store and immediately was taken back to being a seven year-old: "Why does it smell like Stinkor of all things in here?"

It was only much l learned that they mixed patchouli oil into the plastic of that figure.

 

[payn]

The Watchmen TV series is really worth watching, IMO. Damon Lindeloff understands the source material a lot more than Zach Snyder does, IMO, despite Snyder attempting a panel-by-panel recreation of the comic. (Really effective in the Minutemen montage at the beginning of the movie.)

I really dont think Snyder was that far off on the Watchmen material. It was easily the best adaptation of DC stuff he has done. I do agree that Lindelof not only captured the material, but was able to do an original story in sequel style which is very impressive.

 

[Parmandur]

I really dont think Snyder was that far off on the Watchmen material. It was easily the best adaptation of DC stuff he has done. I do agree that Lindelof not only captured the material, but was able to do an original story in sequel style which is very impressive.

He did a shot-by-shot adaptation of the comic book panels, surely...but Alan Moore has argued that comics and movies are different enough as artistic mediums that such an approach cannot work, and Watchmen ends up being a good example of that IMO.

 

[payn]

He did a shot-by-shot adaptation of the comic book panels, surely...but Alan Moore has argued that comics and movies are different enough as artistic mediums that such an approach cannot work, and Watchmen ends up being a good example of that IMO.

I disagree, especially after Lindeolf's series.

 

[Reynard]

I disagree, especially after Lindeolf's series.

I like the Watchmen movie for what it is, but it is entirely the wrong tone for that novel. Nobody in that film looks or feels worn out. That is a HUGE part of the novel. The characters are on point philosophically, but even given shot for shot panel remakes, no one looks like they should.

 

[Cadence]

I disagree, especially after Lindeolf's series.

Was Lindeoff's series doing the original GN?

In any case, given the flipping back and forth panel-to-panel things, and the importance of the between chapter material to the original... and even though I liked the movie, it certainly didn't capture a lot of that.

 

[Richards]

He did a shot-by-shot adaptation of the comic book panels, surely...but Alan Moore has argued that comics and movies are different enough as artistic mediums that such an approach cannot work, and Watchmen ends up being a good example of that IMO.

But Snyder also cut out the "giant alien octopus monster invasion" story line, replacing it with an attack by Dr. Manhattan, which ruins everything - the nations of Earth aren't tricked into joining together against the invasion of an alien threat shown to be incredibly dangerous, they're instead all against Dr. Manhattan, who is known to work for the US government. How is "trick the world into wanting to go to war against the US" a sneaky way to world peace?

I was also less than impressed by some of the casting; Ozymandias looked more like a David Spade clone than the "pinnacle of human perfection," for one.

Johnathan

 

[Parmandur]

I disagree, especially after Lindeolf's series.

That's a slightly different beast, being an original story.

 

[Parmandur]

I like the Watchmen movie for what it is, but it is entirely the wrong tone for that novel. Nobody in that film looks or feels worn out. That is a HUGE part of the novel. The characters are on point philosophically, but even given shot for shot panel remakes, no one looks like they should.

My thought walking out of the thestre: when I read the book, I felt the artist's emotion of knowing in his bones that his family would be incinerated in nuclear war. I did not get the vibe that Snyder felt that way.

 

[Reynard]

My thought walking out of the thestre: when I read the book, I felt the artist's emotion of knowing in his bones that his family would be incinerated in nuclear war. I did not get the vibe that Snyder felt that way.

Right. It was not a cold war dread film, which is a problem because it is a cold war dread book. I am just barely old enough to get it. I remember "tornado drills" that absolutely were not "tornado drills." By trying to make it "current" Snyder turned it into the worst interpretation of Watchmen: a super hero deconstruction. That's there, for sure, but it doesn't exist in a vacuum. That deconstruction is intimately tied to the feeling of impotence of the cold war. Without that, it's a different thing entirely.

Note: I am an engineer these days, but a lifetime ago I got a English Lit degree and my capstone was a Watchmen paper.