Watchmen Review

Who Watches The Watchmen: Watchmen Review
by M.R. Brown

Long heralded as the only unfilmable graphic novel, Watchmen is a complex narrative of superheroes that are above average people (save for the science-experiment gone wrong Dr. Manhattan) living in a world that no longer wants superheroes. Alan Moore, notorious for his protests towards any adaptation of his comics, penned what Time Magazine calls one of the “Top 100 Greatest Novels of All Time.” Quite the hype for 300 director Zack Snyder to live up to.

When certifiably insane superhero The Comedian (Jeffrey Morgan) is murdered and full-blown investigation is mounted in which former superheroes Rorschach (Jackie Haley), Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Night Owl II (Patrick Wilson), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) and Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) are thrown into a mystery and search for a “mask killer.” Stressing humanity and political utopia, the search is one of the most enriched storylines ever contrived.

With striking visuals and the typical Snyder-slow-motion shots, Watchmen is often times true to frame of artist Dave Gibbon’s work in the comic. From the blue sparks firing within Dr. Manhattan to the ever-changing test-patterns of Rorschach’s face, the CGI is unparalleled. The artistic eye of Snyder sadly does not translate to an enriching script.

Watchmen falters in many aspects, particularly in its attempt to grasp the depth to which the comic was able to explore. Even at the 2 hour 40 minute length, the film still leaves plot gaps and viewers itching to leave their seats. Missing plots and the visual-first attitude plague the hopeful movie.

Although the Cold War may be an important and interesting piece of history, the feud between the United States and USSR in the nuclear arms race comes off as a dated and contrived device. The comic, written in 1986, is a time capsule of the political fervor and nervous nature of the American people in a twist-of-history in which the United States wins the Vietnam War and Richard Nixon is a continuous president. To the targeted audience of pre-pill dropping teenagers who are dropped off by mom’s mini van, Watchmen’s political satire and message will go unnoticed.

Sadly, the most engrossing part of the film is the opening credit sequence where Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” interludes a retrospective account of post-WWII to the Cold War and sets the visual standard for the entirety of the film.

The greatest comic of all time is in no way the greatest movie of all time, nor is it the greatest comic book movie of all time. Although worth its price in admission, Watchmen is a disappointment to the cult fan and an above average entertainment to the casual moviegoer. With less restrictive standards, the DVD of the film should be a much more true to form experience.