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Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter [Blu-ray] [US Import]

Blu-ray
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Format: Animated, Widescreen
  • Language: English
  • Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.77:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) (US MPAA rating. See details.)
  • Studio: Warner Home Video
  • DVD Release Date: 10 May 2011
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B004PHE9FG

Reviews

From Amazon.co.uk

Based on a comic within the Watchmen graphic novel, Tales Of The Black Freighter was cut out of the big screen version of the story, and is set to reappear in an extended cut of the film on DVD. For those who simply can’t wait, however, the 26-minute animated story has been given a standalone release, attracting the voice talent of 300’s Gerard Butler too.

Tales Of The Black Freighter is actually, in the Watchmen graphic novel, a comic book that we see being read reasonably regularly. It concerns itself with pirates, and the story is that of a man who survives an attack from the Black Freighter of the title, only to then have to try and get back home and warn people at home it’s coming. His journey, and this is some understatement, isn’t an easy one, and for good reason this was the story deemed to be the most tricky part of the Watchmen graphic novel to realise on screen.

It turns out that animation has proven to be a wise way to go, though. Tales of the Black Freighter works well as a cartoon, and it’s able to contain much of the material from the graphic novel as a result. Its effect is a little dampened when taken in isolation, but it’s still a welcome and well-realised version of the story, and a faithful one too. Well worth picking up. --Jon Foster

Synopsis

They’re in the book. And on this disc. Executive Produced by the Director of Watchmen and 300, here are two tales from the most celebrated graphic novel of all time that do not appear in the extraordinary Watchmen Theatrical Feature. Tales of the Black Freighter (featuring the voice of 300’s Gerard Butler) brings to strikingly animated life the graphic novel’s richly layered story-within-a-story, a daring pirate saga whose turbulent events may mirror those in the Watchmen’s world. Stars from the Watchmen movie t eam up in the amazing live-action/CGI Under the Hood, based on Nite Owl’s powerful firsthand account of how the hooded adventurers came into existence. Two fan-essential stories.

Stills from Watchmen - Tales Of The Black Freighter (click for larger image).









Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Much as I respect him, Alan Moore can say what he likes this time: Watchmen was a great movie, and a great comic-book adaptation (dodgy incidental music aside). Moore is well known for distancing himself from the films created from his graphic novels after the event, sometimes with cause, other times, not so much. Watchmen however succeeded on practically every level, the film being a near panel-for-panel remake of the book version. Even where the plot diverts from the original story and uses Dr. Manhattan as a scapegoat rather than the comic's Outer Limits derived plot device (subtly referenced in the film's conclusion) of `humans unite in the face of extraterrestrial threat', it is - I maintain - an improvement. They did themselves proud with this one. The only thing left for fanboys to bemoan was the obviously necessary exclusion of Black Freighter comic-within-a-comic segment. After all, the film is already pushing three hours long.

It's true that the metafictitious Tales Of The Black Freighter comic story was a marvellous little additional plot device which nicely mirrored The Watchmen's main story and was allegorical of many of the main characters' - specifically Ozymandias' - bloody paths to becoming what they most hated, all paved with good intentions. It fitted nicely within the pages of the comic books and all was well-and-good. Tales Of The black Freighter was never likely to make it into the movie-proper though and - as much as those purist geeks may disagree - it is far from an essential part of the story, however much I may personally have liked to see it on celluloid. I was delighted, therefore, when I heard that, so dedicated were Zack Snyder and Co. to providing the closest possible rendering to the source text/art, that they would be releasing a near-coinciding straight-to-DVD animation of Black Freighter.

Surely this will appease the rabid purists, no? Well, perhaps: Tales Of The Black Freighter is, like Watchmen, a painstakingly accurate re-telling of the meta-comic on which it is based, but I'm sure that this time the complaint will be that, when no longer juxtaposed in context to the principal narrative, the once well-timed symbolism somewhat loses it's impact. They may well be right, of course, and maybe releasing this separately sold DVD - which also includes a well-conceived 1985 period-themed Under The Hood author's spotlight feature - could be construed as a little cynical when the Black Freighter itself is a mere 20 minutes long, but then if it weren't made available until bundled with the Watchmen's DVD release then it couldn't be viewed as a companion piece until long after the film had left the cinemas.

As an addendum to The Watchmen movie, Tales Of The Black Freighter entirely succeeds, I just hope to see these features included in the Watchmen's extras when the film does come to DVD, as it shouldn't really warrant separate purchase. Perhaps it could be re-inserted into the movie itself should there be a special edition or director's cut release. Please.

J Capeling
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
...or whatever they're calling it. Now knowing that at the end of 2009 they will be releasing the directors cut of Watchmen with Tales of the Black Freighter cut into the actual film (according to Zak Snyders original intention) does sting a bit after having just bought the both of these dvds seperately. Irritating that as so often happens these days they spin one film and its extras (or bits that should have been included in the first place) over several staggered dvd releases. What a swizz.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Never expecting that it would be possible to realise the achievement of the original graphic novel, and knowing the tortured production history of bringing it to the screen, Watchmen the movie was a wonderful revelation, so much so that I was compelled to go back to the cinema and watch it again. Then I encountered all the supplementary materials for eager fans to fritter their hard-earned cash on, and was like a kid in a candy store, restraining myself to purchase of the film companion book and the Black Freighter/Under The Hood DVD. And it too proved worthy, performing the same complementary function that that they did in the original graphic novel. I look forward to the animated Freighter integrated into the Watchmen movie as a mammoth director's cut. And if Apocalypse Now Redux can tolerate so much extra material, then Watchmen certainly can. I could have asked myself if I might be able to economise in the future by waiting for a special edition DVD with the film and all these crucial extras, but I needed this now. So, if the film rocked your world, if it brought back a wonderful nostalgia for that revolutionary graphic novel, then get this too! The Black Freighter stands as a powerful story and the documentary of Under The Hood is as lovingly realised in its period details as Watchmen itself. I can't help but wonder what Alan Moore would think if he saw the film and its extras -surely he would concede what an amazing movie and faithful realisation it is, and all in homage to him as a great writer whose work enriches human experience.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Product
Excellent insight to the Watchmen universe, quite simply a fun watch! The Tales of the Black Freighter was much more haunting than in remember reading in the novel!
Published 12 months ago by joeblackmore
5.0 out of 5 stars Watchmen - Tales Of The Black Freighter [Blu-ray]
Are you fan of watchmen? Do you think that its damn good. Then buy it, you will not regret. Maybe it seems pointless to buy it for a regular movie fan but if you are interested in... Read more
Published 19 months ago by wolky
1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible
Now the tales of the black freighter makes no sense at all.It has nothing to do with watchmen can't belive it evan got made.
Pro
The manga espect is cool. Read more
Published 19 months ago by The
5.0 out of 5 stars SHUNK..
I got this because of WATCHMEN and it is a good stand alone story i liked the bonus interviews and was happy to have it in my collection,
Published on 29 Aug 2010 by K. Mcbride
4.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Watchmen 'Freaks' as it has Some Essential Back-Story...
As I thoroughly enjoyed the film 'Watchmen' (see my review) I got this disc to complete the 'collection', but do note that the 'Ultimate Version' features it. Read more
Published on 29 July 2010 by Mr. Laurence Williams
4.0 out of 5 stars Boring Cartoon, but great extras...
I really do think that "Tales of the Black Freighter" is boring. But "Under the Hood" is pure gold. Nice to know more about "the Minutemen".
Published on 12 May 2010 by Mirko Mihaljevic
4.0 out of 5 stars A Black Tale From Watchmen
Tales of The Black Freighter is the story-within-a-story from Watchmen, the genre-defining graphic novel from the 80s and film of 2009. Read more
Published on 30 April 2010 by P. Bayley
4.0 out of 5 stars The Book within a Book
Tales of the black freighter (TOTBF) is a comic book story within the Watchmen comic book. The Story is dark and sinister and watched on its own can be quite a depressing... Read more
Published on 12 Mar 2010 by TMUK
4.0 out of 5 stars "I have dreams..." said Ozymandias
At the bargain price Amazon is selling this for, it's a worthwhile purchase for anyone with even a slight interest in the Watchmen movie, or the original novel. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2010 by Michael Mooney
5.0 out of 5 stars EPIC
It has been a time ago since I was totally subdued by a movie and Watchmen (BR) totally did that. The story, the characters and the finale are truely EPIC. Read more
Published on 26 Dec 2009 by S. Vaessen
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