Watchmen (Theatrical Cut)
(Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)
starring Matt Frewer, Carla Gugino,
Jackie Earle Haley, Rob La Belle,
Stephen McHattie
Codefree?
Everybodys favorite graphic novel comes to the screen (after years of
rumors and false starts), less a roaring work of adaptation than a respectful
and faithful take on a radical original. Watchmen is set in the mid-1980s, a
time of increased nuclear tension between the United States and the
Soviet Union, as Richard Nixon is enjoying his fifth term as president and
the worlds superheroes have been forcibly retired. (As you can probably
tell, the mix of authentic history and alternate reality is heady.) Things
begin with a bang: the mysterious high-rise murder of the Comedian
(Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a masked hero with a checkered past, puts the rest

of the retired superhero community on alert. The credits sequence, a
series of tableaux that wittily catches us up on crime-fighting backstory,
actually turns out to be the high point of the movie. Thereafter we meet the
other caped and hooded avengers: the furious Rorschach (Jackie Earle
Haley), the inexplicably naked Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup, amidst much
blue-skinned, genital-swinging digital work), Silk Spectre II (Malin
Akerman), Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode).
The corkscrewing storytelling, which worked well in the comic book, gives
the movie the strange sense of never quite getting in gear, even as some
of the episodes are arresting. Director Zack Snyder (300) doesnt try to
approximate the electric impact of the original (written by Alan Moore--who
declined to be credited on the movie--and illustrated by Dave Gibbons) but
retains careful fidelity to his source material. That doesnt feel right, even
with the generally enjoyable roll-out of anecdotes. Even less forgivable is
the blah acting, excepting Jeffrey Dean Morgan (lusty) and Patrick Wilson
(mellow). Watchmen certainly fills the eyes, although less so the ears: the
song choices are regrettable, especially during an embarrassing mid-air
coupling between Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II as they unite their--ah--
Roman numerals. In the end it feels as though a huge work of transcription
has been successfully completed, which isnt the same as making a full-
blooded movie experience. --Robert Horton
Personal Review: Watchmen (Theatrical Cut) (Widescreen
Single-Disc Edition) starring Matt Frewer, Carla Gugino, Jackie
Earle Haley, Rob La Belle, Stephen McHattie
The thing about Watchmen is that it's a book about costumed heroes (the
only "superhero" of the lot is Dr. Manhattan) and some may rule it off as
"just another comic book." But it should be given some merit for the
single fact that Time magazine named it one of the 100 best novels (not
graphic or comics, just novels) of all time. Most were worried that
such an intense story was unfilmable. A lot of directors and studio
execs had tried to bring it to the screen but their efforts fell short
before production even began. Then came director Zach Snyder (fresh off
just adapting Frank Miller's graphic novel 300), and all fell into
place. Now, the movie is out and I can't rave enough about it!
A quick synopsis of the story, by legendary writer Alan Moore and artist
Dave Gibbons, is that, in an alternate 1985 where Richard M. Nixon is
still President of the U.S. and when masked heroes have been outlawed,
a long-time costumed hero/government agent, Edward Blake, is murdered
and another costumed hero/vigilante, Rorschach, suspects that there is
a serial killer picking off costumed heroes. Through the overall plot,
each main character's backstory is explored (think TV's Lost, which
co-creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse admit to Watchmen being a
major influence) as five major ex-costumed heroes try to bring the
killer to justice. The story isn't just full of action, violence,
nudity and cussing -- it's got plenty of that. But it's also about the
deep psychology and philosophy rooted in superhero mythology; i.e.,
separation from one's own humanity and dealing with all the drama and

mess that comes with life; living an impotent life when not doing what
you feel destined to do; being an uncompromising force in a world that
needs compromise; giving in to a lie that you believe will help
billions of others; and not facing up to a past of lies that you swore
your life by. Each character confronts their own inner demons (most of
which made them get into the costumed hero business in the first
place), while trying to solve the overall mystery of the killer's
motive.
I'm a fan of the graphic novel (albeit not one of those diehard fans) and
thoroughly enjoyed the film adaptation. I wouldn't compare it to The Dark
Knight per se because the two movies are different in the sense that
"Knight" portrays a character that has many stories to choose from, while
Watchmen is a compacted story with a beginning and an ending. Whereas
Batman is allowed to have a sequel because there are several stories to
tell, Watchmen has one single
story and it's told in all its brilliance. And the movie perfectly captures it all.
BTW, just the thought of a sequel to Watchmen makes me shudder in
disgust.
I had heard that some content would be cut from the film, but what was cut
was small and didn't make a major difference to the quality of the film. And
the ending that Snyder and co. did change made the film better IMHO.
One of my favorite aspects ofthe film is that it shows in many ways how
screwed up in the head that
masked heroes would have to be to do what they do. One of the best
scenes is a small scene where Dan/Nite Owl II and Laurie/Silk Spectre
II are talking at dinner about an old foe of theirs who dressed up and
did crime just so he could be beaten for sexual gratification. When
asking what happened to the foe, Dan tells Laurie that he tried it with
tough guy Rorschach and the vigilante dropped him down an elevator
shaft. After hearing the news, Laurie abrupts in hysterical laughter to
which Dan shortly follows suit (in the book, they laugh a lot harder);
and I think that the fact that they find it funny proves how twisted
they are. A well-played and well-written scene among many.
I won't lie that there is extreme violence in the film and it's not for
the faint of heart, but the overall story is magnificent, nonetheless.
The use of music was brilliant and the fact that Snyder used classic
songs (Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are-A Changing," Nat King Cole's
"Unforgettable," Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence," Leonard
Cohen's "Hallelujah," just to name a few) was compellingly appropriate
seeing how they accompany a comic adaptation that many consider the
classic of all comic stories. Not since the use of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey
Joe" in Forrest Gump have songs been so perfectly matched to a scene!
I commend Snyder and company for their adaptation to a graphic novel
that
everyone said was unfilmable. I thought the movie was superb! I just

can't say enough good things about it. I could go on more about this
film but then I'd have to get into talking about specific scenes that
might spoil the movie and its plot, so I'll digress. If you're a fan of
ANY superhero/costumed hero comic book movie or comic books in
general,
just see the movie. Of course, it's always better to read the book. And
most diehard fans are going to notice the differences but I know that
what works in a book (as well as its length) might not always work in a
movie. If Snyder didn't put enough in, people would complain about
that. But if he puts too much in, people (critics) complain about that.
I thought he put in the perfect amount, which was nearly everything.
This will definitely be one of the best, most epic comic book movies
ever ... if not the greatest. See. This. Movie!
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