Watchmen story is pretty cool; the movie, eh.

So some friends and I went to the Watchmen midnight release last night. The last time we went to one of these things, it was for the Dark Knight, and it was insane with huge crowds of people and many costumed fans running around.

We didn't know what to expect at the Watchmen, but it was nowhere near the crowd or energy of the Dark Knight. Not that it really matters, but I guess I thought this movie has been hyped more than that.

Anyway, for people who don't know about the graphic novel or its multiple failures at becoming a movie in the past, here's a quick synopsis:

The story is set in the 80s, in a reality where Nixon is president and is in his fifth term. The Watchmen are all masked superheros that work for the government, and they are considered normal in culture and society. Dr. Manhattan is the only one who actually has super powers, though, so the U.S. uses him as a sort of military weapon.

The setting is during a cold war with Russia, and basically both the U.S. and Russia are on the verge of nuclear war, which would be so big it would cause the extinction of humanity. To make a very long and complicated story short, one of the rogue Watchmen carries out his own master plan of bombing major cities all across the globe, causing the rest of humanity to believe Earth is under attack from aliens, thus banding together against a common enemy and finding world peace.

If you see the movie, it's a bit different from the main story.

The reason Watchmen has failed multiple times at becoming a movie is because those who got involved felt it was way too complicated for the standard two-hour movie format. Most felt it would do best as a miniseries. Keep in mind, this wasn't a simple comic - it was a graphic novel that was actually on a list of top 100 reads at Time Magazine.

I hate to say it, but critics were right - this really is the movie that can't be made successfully. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad movie by any means, but it just doesn't stand out in the crowd of comic movies, at least not for me. I'm not a huge comic movie fan anyway, so I don't know how much my opinion might matter, but honestly, I was let down. It's like the movie just doesn't do the story justice. The effects and fight scenes and everything else within the movie are definitely done well, but I can't help but feel like they should have tried to make the movie a trilogy or something. I mean, even Spiderman was a trilogy, and who cares about that guy?

One good thing is the soundtrack, which has some oldies in there like Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin. Another good thing is the strong female character who can fight and kick ass without needing to be saved by teh menz. Also, the beginning of the film is really creative, showing how the Watchmen have permeated culture (think Andy Warhol, Vietnam, JFK, etc). There's also a lot of repeated symbolism, which the novel itself was well-known for.

Also, here's the trailer.

Beware of the cats: all 500 of them!

I realize that I have already blogged about cat topics twice, but I have to admit: I am a cat person. I have two kittens right now who I adopted through the Humane Society, and they are two very different little personalities but equally lovable. So every time I see a story about cats, it makes me think of them, and I smile :)

Anyway, I simply couldn't pass this story over. There's a man in Florida who has built a 30-acre ranch for stray and abandoned cats. It's called Caboodle Ranch, and it has everything from little houses and buildings for the cats (including lake front cabins and a WalMart!), to outdoor trails and dug outs.

Craig Grant, the man who started it all, spent over $100,000 of his own money to build everything on the ranch, and he spends an additional $6000 every month and 14 hours every day to keep the cats well-fed and the ranch well-maintained.

There are over 500 cats that live there, and Grant says he will never turn a cat away who is in need of a home, so I'm sure the numbers will only continue to grow.



Animal abuse is a problem, but from what I've seen, heard and experienced myself, cats seem to be targeted much more than any other pet. The cat I grew up with, I saved from boys putting her in a cardboard box and kicking her around the skate park and a busy street. They called me a cow when I intervened and saved her (I was 16 and barely weighed 100 lbs, what jerks!). She's more my mom's cat now, since she has lived in my parents' house since then and prefers my mom over anyone else. I love to play with her when I go home to visit, though.

Anyway, it's refreshing to see someone with such a love for cats who is doing so much for their well-being. I don't have money now, but I plan to donate to the ranch this summer when I get a second job. It won't be a lot when compared to the expenses the place racks up, but I'll feel good about doing something since I don't have the option of flying down to Florida to volunteer.

In case you missed the linked text above, the website for Caboodle Ranch is http://caboodleranch.com/Index.html. You can see pictures, watch videos, read the blog, donate, and more.

On a side note, I'm destined to be a crazy cat lady by the time I turn 50.