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“Who Watches the Watchmen?” is a question that gets asked a lot throughout “Watchmen.” And based on advance ticket sales, it looks like everyone in America will be out watching the Watchmen this coming weekend.
Copyright 1995 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved
But does this Zack Snyder film actually deliver the goods? Can a movie that’s this highly anticipated (more importantly, this heavily promoted) really meet audience expectations? Especially given Hollywood’s previous abortive attempts at adapting Alan Moore’s acclaimed graphic novel for the screen.
Well, in the past week, I’ve attended two separate press screenings of this 2-hour-and-43-minute epic (Being a member of the media does have its advantages). Which is why I can definitively say that “Watchmen” does live up to the hype. This Zack Snyder film isn’t just some big stupid studio-produced superhero flick. It’s a genuine cinematic work of art.
Copyright 2009 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved
For those of you who don’t already know this story, “Watchmen” is set in an alternate universe version of 1985. A time and a place where superheroes really do exist. Or – rather – used to exist, until the U.S. government forced them all into retirement back in 1977.
Now some of these superheroes (EX: Nite Owl II AKA Dan Dreiberg [played by Patrick Wilson] ) went quietly, quickly settling in to drab public lives. While still others (EX: The Comedian AKA Edward Blake [played by Jeffery Dean Morgan]) began doing covert work for the Pentagon & the CIA. And then there’s Rorschach AKA Walter Kovacs (played by Jackie Earle Haley) who went vigilante.
Rorschach’s the character who actually sets this plot in motion. He’s the one who (SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD) – while investigating the Comedian’s murder – determines that there’s a “mask killer” on the loose. Someone very high up & powerful who seems to want the remaining superheroes snuffed out, silenced. But who would want to do this? And why?
“Watchmen” ‘s storyline is almost impossibly dense. There are dozens of characters, multiple flashbacks and way too many subplots to sort out. But Snyder skillfully picks his way through this narrative thicket. Gradually peeling away layer after layer of character-driven mystery until we finally get to the film’s climax. Which – while it may not be the calamari-driven conclusion that Moore originally cooked up – still packs a wallop.
Having seen “Watchmen” twice now, I just have to marvel at the sheer craftsmanship of this motion picture. Every element of this movie – from its casting to its lightning, set & costume design – has clearly been carefully considered and lovingly brought to life. And Zack’s obvious affection for his source material just shines right through in the finished film.
Look, I know I sound like a drooling fanboy here. But there’s a reason for that. “Watchmen” is just that good. To see what had so often been described as the unfilmable book up there on the big screen being brought so vividly to life … Words aren’t sufficient to describe this cinematic sensation. Other than to say “Go.” “Go now.” Be among the first to appreciate the giddy pleasure that us film geeks will get from watching the “Watchmen” movie.
You can thank me later.
I'll be going tomorrow. Our daughter likes movies, but she behaves better when we don't go too late in the day. So tomorrow's matinee it is. So far, I've not really seen anything to make me doubt that the author really likes his conclusion, though I'm somewhat concerned over what the ending is like. The original ending was very powerful.
Throw me in the "it lives up to the hype" category.
Loved it. It is everything I expected it to be.
This includes not the best or most perfect film I've ever seen, but it is as true to the source material as it can be within the constraints of the medium and there are so many directoral decisions that either make up for the omissions/undoables or bring the panels to the big screen that I have little room to be wanting for what's not there. I coulnd't ask for a better portrayal of Roarsharch, which IMO is the whole reason to watch the film.
And anyone who doesn't think that a Leonard Cohen song isn't appropriate for its given scene doesn't understand either Leonard Cohen or the original graphic novel.
(This is all highly controversial but eerily true to the source material, nearly panel by panel. I've already read one fanboy's "didn't like the sex and violence and they should have put in the squid" critical review and find it to be missing what I feel the main point of the story to be.)
Watchmen is definitely a "see again on the big screen" as well as a "see it in IMAX" and "own on DVD or Blu-Ray ASAP" film.
Chris