Want to watch the Watchmen? (Watchmen (DVD))

Member Name: victoriahathaway

Product:	Watchmen (DVD)
Date:	05/04/09 (118 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not an average superhero movie - far more intelligent and stylish.

Disadvantages: Sadly, the film does not hold true to the emotion the graphic novel portrayed.

Based on the award winning and critically acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore, Watchmen had some incredibly high expectations to live up to. Moore's novel is a complex and emotional story, with detailed plot lines and many parallel stories that run throughout as the story unfolds.

Set in America, in a dystopian 1985 where Nixon is still president, the Watchmen are masked vigilantes that aim to rid the city of crime. However, unlike your average comic book superhero, these guys have no powers, with the exception of Dr Manhattan, a hero who, after being trapped in an 'intrinsic field subtractor' and disintegrated, returned with God-like powers over all matter. However, these heroes have been outlawed and forced to retire. America faces impending nuclear war with the USSR, the likelihood of war breaking out measured by 'The Doomsday Clock', where midnight represents an attack. The hands are moved closer to midnight as the film progresses.

What sets Watchmen apart from other superhero films and comics is the socially and politically complex story line, and the deep characters. Each character has a rich background, and when we are introduced to them, they are all pretty damaged individuals, and starkly human. The challenge for Snyder would be to portray these heroes as the troubled people they are, but still managing to keep the story lively and within some realistic time limit.

For the most part, Snyder succeeds with this highly demanding adaption. His direction is still heavily stylised, though not as much as his recent film: 300. It's a beauty to behold, and of course his trademark slow motion is here in abundance. As for characters, Jackie Earle Haley is fantastic as Rorschach, the crazed vigilante who refuses to retire in his mission to rid the world of scum. Haley delivers a gritty and fascinating performance, nailing Rorschach's mannerisms to perfection, most notably in the prison scenes, de-masked and violently brilliant. Wilson is also excellent as Nite Owl, a retired hero who suffers from impotence and whose confidence has crumbled since being outlawed, and Morgan is a joy to watch as the psychotic 'Comedian', whose murder opens the film.
Crudup's performance as Dr Manhattan is wonderfully subtle and thoughtful, with one of the best scenes from the film telling the story of Dr Manhattan and the person he used to be, told using some fast flashbacks and flashforwards.

Snyder handles the complexity of the characters well, considering the amount of flashbacks peppered throughout the novel. However, to a newcomer, the quick changes in time periods could be confusing, especially when considering the amount of characters we are rapidly introduced to. I would recommend reading the novel beforehand.

The film is not without it's flaws, however. Though beautifully shot and for the most part, well performed, Snyder seems to have taken on more than he can chew by attempting to create a film available for both hard-core fans and newcomers. The emotion between the characters is lost as the plot rolls along, which is a real shame, as they all have so much potential. Malin Ackerman, playing Silk Spectre II, another masked hero, doesn't quite pull off her role, and Matthew Goode as Ozymandias is also a bit of a weak link, although he improves as the film progresses. The worst scene in the film by far is a far-too-long cringe-worthy sex scene around the halfway mark in the film, scored to 'Hallelujah', for some reason.

What any fan will appreciate, however, is the 18 certificate. Snyder has remained extremely faithful to the violent content of the novel, and here we see it in all it's beautiful, bloody glory. Bones are snapped, skulls are split, and arms are sawn off in abundance - this isn't for the faint-hearted. The fight scenes are decently choreographed - the opening murder of the Comedian in particular. The presence of the Comedian also provides much of the brutality of the Watchmen universe - from horrifically raping a team member to shooting a pregnant woman carrying his child.

Lastly, the film is well strung together with a great soundtrack - Dylan, Hendrix, Simon & Garfunkel - all the age defining classics, plus a wonderful track from The Philip Glass Ensemble that accompanies Dr Manhattan's story. The opening credits, scored to Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changing' are truly the best opening credit's I've ever seen.

Overall, if you're expecting your average beat 'em up superhero flick, you'll be disappointed. This is a more intelligent film that requires some thought and concentration to appreciate, and although Snyder does remarkably well overall, he sadly does not quite portray the emotion of the story like the graphic novel does.

Summary: Definitely worth watching twice, if only to let the film sink in!