Who’s watching the Watchmen? Movie Review

Mar 10, 2009 by Nathan Smith

The recent films ‘Iron Man’ and ‘The Dark Knight’, especially, have shown us that the boundaries of comic-adaptations can be pushed into something truly masterful. ‘Watchmen’, written by Alan Moore in 1986, forever changed the way people viewed the graphic-novel medium, and became listed as one of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Best Novels’. After nearly two decades, the film version has surfaced to theatres. Fans questioned if the supposed ‘un-filmable’ novel could ever be done, so was it worth the wait?

The movie takes us to an altered version of the 1980’s where masked vigilantes commonly roamed the streets. America won the war in Vietnam, thanks to the awesome power of Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and Nixon is running for a third term in office. The story begins with ex-vigilante Edward Blake, the Comedian, wonderfully acted by Jeffery Dean Morgan, being murdered. Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), a wanted vigilante, one of few still presently active, decides to reconnect with his old teammates to warn them that someone is out to pick-off masked heroes. Meanwhile, the Cold War between the USA and USSR escalates with each day passing, and the Doomsday Clock is at five-minutes-to-midnight.

The premise for the movie seems simple, but it unfolds into events that could ultimately affect the lives of millions, if not the entire world. ‘Watchmen’ isn’t as concerned with plot as much as the characters though. This isn’t the same comic-book material we’re used to. It’s a complex story about deeply flawed heroes, all of whom are at the center of a frightening and uncertain world. Each hero has his or her own demons: Dan Dreiberg (Patrick Wilson) is lost without his crime-fighting lifestyle, while Dr. Manhattan, the only hero with powers that were gained as the result of a freak accident, is losing touch with humanity. The characters are played well by the cast, with the exception of Matthew Goode, who isn’t quite up to the task for Ozymandias. Haley, Wilson and Crudup in particular deserve recognition for bringing life to Moore’s characters.

‘Watchmen’ is about deconstructing superhero mythology and this thankfully translates well into the film. Director Zack Snyder has stayed surprisingly true to the source material, and what little has changed has arguably changed for the better, at least for film purposes. Admittedly, some of the narrative delivery can be confusing at times, since you won’t have time to ponder over events as you might while reading the novel. Visually, ‘Watchmen’ is everything you’d hope for; characters are fully realized, fight scenes are often brutal and well choreographed, and the grim 1980’s alternate-reality is gorgeous and ugly all at once. Be warned, the movie earns its R rating. All this coupled with a great soundtrack makes for the experience ‘Watchmen’ fans always wanted, but never thought possible.

So, was it worth the wait? In short, yes. While the movie is tailored more for the fans, and some of the exposition might leave the audience baffled, this shouldn’t stop anybody from enjoying what is otherwise a fantastic film. It’s disturbing, thought provoking, and, in the words of Rorschach, uncompromising, even in the face of Armageddon.

 

Verdict: ***½

(Out of a possible ****)