Song of the day: “In Your Room” by Depeche Mode

Watchmen

Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action/Drama/Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Year: 2008

It’s finally here, the long anticipated arrival of what might arguably be the greatest graphic novel of all time and speaking from the point of view of a fan, this movie does not disappoint. Loyal in the way that Snyder can only be, he goes through great pains to bring us a faithful portrayal of the novel, even if he had to take a certain amount of content out and make a few adaptations which fall in line with the mood, even if they are not part the way the original story went. This already has a number of people hating on it and there is not going to be much one can do about that. Frankly, I see this as a matter of attitude. If you hate superhero movies, don’t bother. If you are going in just to see what the fluff is about, do not bother. Unless you go in with an open mind and willing to think things out, this movie will likely not amount to the hype, the reason being that at 2 hours and 41 minutes, Snyder could not have packed in any more content without making this film ridiculously long.

This movie does not feel long, with plenty of material to put up in the screen and constant information being tossed at you, you have in fact very little time to digest the the film and if there is a drawback to this film for those that have not read the original material, this is it. This is not Superman Begins, this is not Spider Man; this film, in fact requires you to think, to analyze and to keep up. The older crowds, the uninterested, and the ones that can not summon up the effort will be left behind, but if you are willing to give this a chance, this movie does capture what writer Alan Moore initially set out to create, even if it has had to be edited down in content.

The year is 1985, in an alternate world, where Nixon has been re-elected and the U.S. won the Vietnam war, thanks in no small part to the help of the ‘Masks’ or superheros, the most effective of which is nearly omnipotent Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), formerly a physicist who suffered an accident that altered his being forever. But that was the past, now, the heroes are no longer in favor with the public. As the film can only hint at with its opening sequences and a few short scenes, the outcry against their violence and questionable calls in more than one occasion has effectively rendered all superheros helpless and forced them into retirement.

It is a quiet, solitary existence, where most heroes are washed up, out of shape, hidden, put away in asylums and in many cases dead. All that seems to have the attention of the world is the escalating threat of the cold war, placing our countdown to extinction at five minutes before midnight, where midnight is nuclear warfare and humanity’s annihilation. Why then anybody would care about the death of a few masks, is understandable. The comedian is the first one to inexplicably fall, figuratively and literally, tossed out a window to fall to his death far below, by the gutter and while most retired heroes are wanting to over look it, Rorschach (fabulously played by Jackie Earle Haley) has launched a full-fledged investigation that uncovers a potential plot to annihilate the Watchmen, a super hero group that descended from an earlier group of vigilantes known as the Minutemen.

Forced to take the masks again, the Night Owl II (Patrick Wilson) now well into his middle age and looking ‘pouchy’ and Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman) a young woman that took up her mother’s vigilante role more to satisfy her than for her own sake, find themselves once more caught up in their lifestyle of old. Looking into the mystery that threatens them and the other members of the Watchmen.

Keeping in line with the graphic novel, this story is told using a number of flashbacks, which can be a bit confusing. One advantage of going into this film is the fact that with a comic book you are able to savor and digest the plot properly. The film unfortunately does not have that luxury, as Snyder had to fight to get this cut passed without further trimmings. For those unfamiliar with the story, this means you must be on your toes following a complex story that is not as simple as most superhero stories, showing you what the world might actually be if vigilantism actually did happen and if the threat of the cold war had brought us this close to extinction.

In true Snyder fashion, as evidenced by his former film 300 (also a graphic novel), Watchmen does not shy from its adult material, earning itself its R rating without question. While there is a great amount of dramatics and dialogue, there are also moments of extreme violence, with the sadistic Comedian and retribution obsessed Rorschach on the lead. Its sexual content is also not stripped away and one can expect the nudity and sexuality that the original work contained, stylized in Snyder fashion, of course.

Personally, the complaints are had are minimal and aside from a few issues with make up I don’t know that there is much that I would change. Of course, important bits of the novel had to be dropped out, which is unfortunate, but entirely understandable. The parallel story of the Black Freighter will be released two weeks after the Watchmen premier as a separate DVD and will be later re-edited into the movie for its DVD release. Hollis’ book “Under the Hood” referenced through the novel, will also be included in the DVD as a extra in the form of a documentary. For those fans that wanted to see more, the content is there and Snyder has promised to deliver it, for now, be aware that there are Easter Eggs ALL over this film. Most scenes contain references to the original work that will keep the nerd in you eagerly watching over multiple viewings. And…speaking of multiple viewings, those of you that did not read the book, you might need it, because the material is not presented in linear fashion and contains a number of details that might be missed during the first viewing. I for one, would not change a thing about this film, but I can understand why some people might feel a bit frustrated, this is not as accessible as Dark Knight was and I fear that in the end, this will hurt the film with the general public.

Rating:
Comment: Graphic violence, full nudity, sexual content, this superhero film is far from a kid film. Do note its well deserved R rating and brace yourself for a number of sequences that will make you squirm.
Quote: Rorschach: [reading from journal] Rorschach’s Journal: November 12th 1985. Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout ‘Save us!’ And I’ll whisper ‘no’.