Soon after it's first run was completed in the late 80's as a twelve-issue limited series movie studios began battling to put the story on the big screen--Now over 2 decades later and one court case later- Watchmen the movie is here--and like its source material--is one of the most, if not the most ambitious superhero films ever made.
The epic story is set in an alternate reality that closely mirrors the world of the 1980s--with a few notable exceptions. Superheroes are real..Their existence in this America has proven to have dramatically affected and altered the outcomes of both the Vietnam War and the presidency of Richard Nixon.
Although the costumed crime fighters of Watchmen are commonly called "superheroes", the only character who possesses obvious superhuman powers is Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup).
The existence of Doctor Manhattan has given the U.S. a strategic advantage over the Soviet Union, which has increased tensions between the two nations. Additionally, superheroes have become unpopular among the public, which has led to the passage of legislation in 1977 to outlaw them. While many of the heroes retired, Doctor Manhattan and The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) operate as government-sanctioned agents, while Rorschach continues operating outside the law.
In October 1985, New York City police are called to the murder scene of The Comedian's alter ego Edward Blake. With the police having no leads, costumed vigilante Rorschach decides to probe further. Discovering Blake's ties to the United States government, Rorschach believes he has discovered a plot to eliminate costumed heroes and is determined to warn four of his retired comrades: Dan Dreiberg-Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), the emotionally detached Doctor Manhattan and his lover Laurie Juspeczyk-Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman) and Adrian Veidt-Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) who now is a successful businessman, and the smartest man alive.
Adapting Watchmen would be no easy task for any director but Zack Snyder and his screenwriters David Hayter and Alex Tse do a fine job staying quite faithful to the story--while managing to keep the 2 hour and 45 minute running time moving without losing any important plot points along the way.
Kudos to editor William Hoy who was even able to pack in a lot story as the opening credits rolled before us to the tune of The Times They Are A-Changin' by the great Bob Dylan--It's one of the best marriages of music and film I have seen in a long time.
The production design by Alex McDowell and Larry Fong's cinematography help to bring out the realism...
Some reviews, like the one from EW's Owen Gleiberman said one of the issues he had with the movie was the way Snyder treats each image with the same stuffy hermetic reverence. He doesn't move the camera or let the scenes breathe. He crams the film with bits and pieces, trapping his actors like bugs wriggling in the frame.
While the point is well understood--I see the reverence as one of the film's selling points...As a fanboy of the book--Snyder's adherence to the novel is appreciated much more than if he and his cohorts decided to change it up a whole lot.
Watchmen is a self contained entity that could not and should not be sequel-ed--You can change a few backstory points or combine them with hero flick series like Spider-Man, Batman , or even give Superman a kid because you can always deal with it in a later film...or just hit reboot--The end of Watchmen ends the story though...
There was stuff left out that if it makes it in the director's cut will be great to see.
The performances are just great in the film. But it's those of Crudup as the FX-ed up Dr. Manhattan and Haley as Rorschach that stand out for me...Crudup makes the good Dr. "seem real" even amid his big blue glow--The antithesis of say 2003's Hulk who felt like CGI rather than human turned creature...
And Haley--the stuff in the prison--Yikes!- would even give Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) the heebie jeebies.
Carla Gugino gets an honorable mention as the original Silk Spectre for having fun with her role...
Fans of the book may enjoy the film more than those non-fans or those who have not read the tale...But new devotees have surely been born after seeing this as well...
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