The year is 1985 in an alternate universe where President Richard Nixon is serving his fifth term as President of the United States and tensions between the nuclear superpowers, the U. S. and the Soviet Union, cause the Doomsday Clock to inch closer to midnight, which, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, “conveys how close humanity is to catastrophic destruction.” With the passage of The Keene Act banning costumed heroes, the question becomes: Is anyone left to turn back the hands of the clock or is mankind doomed left to its own devices?
Based on the classic graphic novel by writer Alan Moore, who goes uncredited per his request, and illustrator Dave Gibbons, the story is set in motion by the death of Edward Blake a.k.a. the superhero known as The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), although “hero” is a stretch of the word’s definition considering his actions, especially his treatment of women. Blake is attacked at his home, thrown out his apartment window, and plummets to his death.
Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) is concerned that Blake’s death signals someone is out to kill his former allies and associates so he goes to warn them. Dan Dreiberg (Patrick Wilson), the second man to wear the Nite Owl costume, and Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup), who used to be Jonathan Osterman before an accident turned him into a superhuman being no longer constrained by time with power over matter, ignore Rorschach until an assassination attempt on wealthy industrialist Adrian Viedt (Matthew Goode), known as Ozymandias before he revealed his identity.
However, Manhattan learns that over the years he has caused the cancerous deaths of a number of associates and secludes himself on Mars. This causes both superpowers to rethink their positions and postures moving forward. It also contributes to his girlfriend, Laurie Jupiter (Malin Akerman), who followed in her mother’s (Carla Gugino) footsteps as Silk Spectre, finding comfort in Dreiberg.
As the plot unfolds and the mystery is solved, the film also reveals itself to be a wide-ranging character study. As the different heroes pass under the microscope, the viewer learns their stories: who these individuals are, what drove them, and the toll it has taken on them and the people in their lives. It’s an intriguing examination of the superhero ideal and poses questions about what we want from heroes, not just in comic books, and how realistic those expectations are.
Watchmen is very well rendered from its bleak Blade Runner nighttime exteriors to the soft blue glow of Doctor Manhattan. Like they did on 300, director Zack Snyder and his director of photography Ray Fong use time-manipulation in the fight scenes. They also recreate many of Gibbon’s iconic visuals. The film worked for me at 163 minutes and I will be curious to see the extended version, yet there could have had some cuts and changes, such as some scenes that repeat information, like Rorschach’s violent encounters in prison with unhappy inmates, the length of the sex scenes between Nite Owl and Silk Spectre, and Manhattan’s full-frontal nudity. Although filled with superheroes, this is a very adult film, and not for kids.
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Article comments
1 - sadiel
man, you suck!
2 - sadiel
nah! bullshit, nice review.
3 - El Bicho
sadiel, glad you could separate the art from the artist
4 - Aaron Peck
When you say "mini-series" are you talking about something like Kill Bill with a few volumes? Or are you talking a mini-series on TV?
I like that idea if it was in the vein of Kill Bill, but I think if it were made for TV it would be way too under funded to take seriously.
5 - El Bicho
While this is likely the best Snyder could have done with the material, he missed a great deal of the story's depth. There's no reason they couldn't have done a well-financed four- or six-hour series on HBO. I'd prefer that than the ridiculous plan of releasing a movie, supplemental material on DVDs, a planned director's cut of the movie on DVD, and then an ultimate cut that inserts the supplemental material.