LMP
Blue Crack Supplier
Their storylines were intact, sure, but pretty meaningless. I guess the comedian works best of the bunch, but he played a fairly concise role in the novel as well. Manhattan had his bit on mars, which was my favorite part of the film, but every other facet of his involvement in the story was either trimmed to the point or meaninglessness or simply botched (his confrontation with Adrian was changed for the far worse here). And the most important aspect of Rorshach's storyline was excised completely, though his characterization here wasn't too bad.
But don't get me started on Laurie. An already terrible character from the book made 5 times more unbearable, and do we need to mention the "love scene"? So bad it nearly negates the best moments of the film. And the one bit that might have salvaged Laurie's value here with regards to The Comedian was completely botched in the process, leaving that whole thread dead and lifeless.
As has been said, hopefully the Director's Cut will solve a few of these problems with the added material. But unfortunately, with the film we're being shown here, it just misses the mark too often. It cut many of the most important bits, and even lengthened needless ones. Just poor creative decisions all around. Then again, I'm likely never going to watch the Director's Cut anyway, simply to avoid having to watch that animated Black Freighter garbage. *shudders*
Which Rorschach scene are you talking about? I always thought his most important moment was with the dogs/6-year-old/murderer.
The confrontation with Adrian was changed for the worse, in that it shifted the importance more towards Adrian than Manhattan possibly revealing the error of his ways. We still got the sense that Manhattan's power leaves him as an outcast, Adrian's resolution toward his decision wanes, and the general moral ambiguity is present as well.
The Laurie/Comedian thing didn't work at all, I agree, because they cut too much out. Maybe it'll be intact in the longer cut, but I doubt it. Laurie was the weak link, but like I said earlier, found the love scene to be endearing in its awkwardness and near stupidity.
I'd be interested in seeing how the Black Freighter material will be integrated into the story. As of right now, I'm glad I enjoyed the film as much as I did, but can totally understand why others might feel differently.