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Twenty-three years in the making, director Zack Snyder's ambitious and audacious cinematic rendering of the acclaimed Watchmen graphic novel (by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons) is a dense and visceral exercise in the liberation of the conventional superhero movie. Moore's original 1986 effort was a nihilistic satire which deconstructed and intensely studied super heroes in a real world setting, begetting an adult sensibility and a mature approach to what had (up until then) been commonly dismissed as a medium aimed at kids. Loyal almost to a fault, director Zack Snyder's Watchmen grasps Moore's subversive magnum opus of comicdom and brings it to the big screen in a visually astounding, multi-layered filmic experiment guaranteed to divide audiences. Never straying too far from the material, Snyder's compelling motion picture is infused with sound and images combined to generate a unique visual experience that commendably evokes the atmosphere of a graphic novel. Watchmen is a bold, bizarre and breathtaking slice of cinema arguably for both newcomers and fans alike.
In a masterfully implemented opening credits sequence (set to Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changing), the complete history of masked vigilantism is displayed - from its quaint beginnings in the forties to its eventual outlawing in the seventies. This title sequence introduces a viewer to the world in which the proceedings will transpire. The execution is simply faultless; mind-blowing tableaus and short scenes are rendered perfectly to convey the story so far. It's simply one of the greatest title sequences this reviewer has ever beheld.
Watchmen takes place in an alternate reality in which superheroes have become part of the fabric of everyday society. However, these costumed vigilantes have been outlawed, and those still in operation are working for the government. It's 1985, and Richard Nixon is serving his fifth term as President of the United States. The Vietnam War was won by America, and now they're on the brink of nuclear war with Russia.
In his high-rise apartment building, an amoral former superhero known as The Comedian (Morgan) is brutally murdered. This triggers an investigation by washed-up, mentally unstable vigilante Rorschach (Haley) who becomes convinced the crime was not random, and that someone may be bumping off the last of the costumed crime fighters. As Rorschach's investigation intensifies, it grows clear that a far more diabolical plot is poised for execution...a plot which could mean cataclysmic consequences for the entire world. With this at stake, Rorschach reunites with his former colleagues - Nite Owl (Wilson) and Silk Spectre II (Akerman) - who don their costumes once again and leap into action.
The plotting probably sounds complex...and it is! Moore's Watchmen ran for twelve issues, and sufficient material was conceived for practically double that amount. Concerns regarding the translation from book to film were more than justified. There is far too much content in the original series, ergo it'd seem virtually impossible for said content to be faithfully crammed into a single movie. Thus, as directors came and left the project and as the production was mired in development hell, questions were raised in regards to how much of the comic book would reach the big screen and what sort of liberties a filmmaker might take. Within a running time bordering on three hours, Snyder has been successful in keeping large segments of the graphic novel intact. Considering the time constraints (not to mention the studio pressure for a concise runtime) and how much one single film can contain, Snyder has done a laudable job of generating a tremendous sense of fidelity to the source material. Granted, various elements have reportedly been removed altogether, others have been condensed and the end has been slightly changed, but a lot of the film is lifted directly from the comic (Snyder has promised a Director's Cut, featuring more of the excised subplots). In fact, Watchmen is probably far too reliant on its source material, never convincingly developing into its own entity. David Hayter and Alex Tse's screenplay also struggles to compact the graphic novel into coherent storytelling - some of it is garbled. But the non-converted (this reviewer included) are offered enough character development and explication to bring one up to speed. Interestingly, with the script conforming to the graphic novel so loyally, the movie also lacks a sense of urgency as well as - above all - a solid driving force behind the plot.
For those unfamiliar with the source material, don't be deceived by the intense trailers. A few violent, hard-hitting action sequences here and there notwithstanding, Watchmen is no action film. Snyder's previous cinematic creation, 300 (also a graphic novel adaptation), was an action film plagued with historical inaccuracies and irritating, excessive slow motion. Snyder's Watchmen (taking heed of Moore's graphic novel) eschews frequent action, instead presenting a 160-minute examination of the human (and not-so-human) psyche. It provokes a stimulating question: who would be crazy enough to don a costume and battle crime? The heroes inhabiting Watchmen are murderers, sadists, rapists, sexual deviants and emotionally-detached maniacs. This troubled congregation of heroes have their back-stories revealed over the film's lengthy duration. Graphic violence (we're talking buckets of blood!) is contrasted by sensual sex scenes and the emotional pathos of unexpected relationships. The film commences with a murder - walls are smashed, furniture is broken, knives are flung, glass is shattered, blood is spilt and a body is tossed. This gritty, brutal tone (as well as the energy in the visuals) is sustained throughout the entire flick - this is perhaps Watchmen's biggest asset.
Snyder knocks this one out of the park. His direction exudes a certain maturity; his shots framed to resemble illustrations present in graphic novels. Over the decades, a variety of directors (including Terry Gilliam, Paul Greengrass and Darren Aronofsky) have become involved but backed off when confronted with the sheer enormity of the task at hand. But Snyder eventually stepped up to the task, helming an extraordinary motion picture worthy of several viewings. However, the director's trademark slo-mo action nonsense is on display here, along with occasionally jarring editing. The slow motion hardly works, ultimately coming off as gimmicky. Yet, it would be iniquitous to begrude Snyder's astonishing, meticulous work as a whole.
The film's R-rating (from the MPAA) is also very much merited. The gore quotient is frankly astounding! Bones are crushed, blood sprays everywhere, people explode...there's visual excitement of every cinematic kind! Rapes occur, as do sex scenes. Heavy thematic material is also in play, which is hard to stomach (misogyny is certainly present). This is a dense work filled with so many layers. Its deeper meanings are almost impossible to entirely absorb on a single viewing (reviewing the film is therefore a daunting prospect).
With Larry Fong's magnificent cinematography and Alex McDowell's amazing production design, the noir-ish, rain-soaked mid-80s depiction of New York City is effectively realised. Garish, colourful costumes are also present, which are similar to those within its literature counterpart. Staggering visual effects and near-perfect CGI are in play here. The characters literally descent off the pages, and the appearance of the world takes its cues from the original illustrations by Gibbons. It's easy to immerse yourself into the eloquently-executed world of Watchmen with technical proficiency of this standard. On top of this, the music is exceptional, as is the use of opera throughout the dramatic lead-up to the shocking finale. Not only is Tyler Bates' original score utilised here...an unforgettable selection of covers also pervade the soundtrack, most notably The Sound of Silence.
The cast do an exemplary job of inhabiting their characters, with special recognition going to Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Haley's face is mostly obscured by a balaclava, therefore he can only convey emotions through his voice, and he does so very well. Rorschach is more or less a violent version of Phillip Marlowe with a gruff voice that's surprisingly comprehensible (take notes for your next Batman outing, Christian Bale). With his hat, overcoat and an ever-changing balaclava, he's the ultimate noir anti-hero; an unbalanced detective with his own brand of demented justice. The film is told through Rorschach's journal entries, with Haley presenting utterly perfect narration throughout. Haley's performance is the best in the entire film. Beside him, Patrick Wilson wholly encapsulates Nite Owl. The actor looks perfect in both civilian clothing and his superhero costume, while also giving the character a sense of humanity. Billy Crudup is unexpectedly engaging and a constant source of fascination - an awesome visual effect of a naked, blue-tinged superman.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan places forth an excellent performance as The Comedian. There's also Matthew Goode and Malin Akerman as Ozymandias and Silk Spectre II, respectively. They've been perceived as the weakest links of the cast, but I disagree. Akerman is appealing and truly beautiful, whereas Goode is sapped of emotion yet engaging.
Outside these actors there's an enormous supporting cast, all of which turn in great performances.
Watchmen has been frequently branded as the 'unfilmable' graphic novel. It was created with the specific intention in mind of underlining the restrictions of cinema - its boundless artistry seemed impossible to bring to life. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic novel was a sprawling twelve-issue series that satirised the superhero genre, held a confronting mirror up to society, mutated events of the past and set the bar for "mature" comics of the future. Watchmen possibly is unfilmable, but Zack Snyder's attempt is monumental and commendable nonetheless. Strokes of brilliance (in the dialogue, special effects, acting) are united with occasionally garbled storytelling, producing an altogether worthy cinematic appropriation of the graphic novel. Never mind the sometimes laboured screenplay as this is riveting viewing. Snyder's remarkable picture is a ballsy, brainy, entertaining and thoroughly bloody examination of human nature, pop culture, and the "good old days" that never were.
7.9/10
