The most anticipated comic book adaptation this side of "The Dark Knight" took place this weekend. I was there in all my geek glory, not the midnight Thursday show mind you. There was no way I was going to miss the Friday show though. So, was I disappointed, content or exuberant? We'll get into that in a moment...
For those of you uninitiated in Watchmen lore, here is your brief synopsis from IMDB.com: "Watchmen" is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes.
After directing 2006's surprise hit "300", Zach Snyder was given the opportunity to tackle another Alan Moore story. The good news about that fact is that this man is dedicated to bringing the pages and panels to life on the screen. Viewers familiar with the graphic novel will see the main focus of the story practically painted on the screen as if a panel from the book. That geeks me out the most. The level of dedication to the source is absolutely amazing. I don't know if it's a detriment that he sticks so faithfully, it is a bit hard for me to step back and look at it from a newbies perspective.
The world that is created for the movie is a grey, brink of war place. As it should be. This is not a light hearted movie. The blood and gore is there for all to see. It is a gritty, rainy, end of world time and the various flash backs bring us up-to-date as the current mystery unravels before us. I was worried that it would all be very overwhelming and hard to follow, but it was done masterfully through each characters perspective. It was very easy to follow the plot lines as they unraveled to the conclusion, something I feared layman's might not catch easily. Well, fear not reader, you may not catch every nuance that a fan of the book may pick up on, but you certainly won't be foundering in a sea of incomprehensible material.
The main cast of characters is extensive, so I'll just list the main actors here:
The Comedian - Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Rorschach - Jackie Earle Haley
Dr. Manhattan - Billy Crudup
Silk Spectre II - Malin Ackerman
Nite Owl II - Patrick Wilson
Adrian Veidt - Matthew Goode
Sally Jupiter - Carla Gugino
When we get into the acting performances, I see an average score across the board when you lump the performances together. Of course, every group has it's standouts and laggards so let's start with Jackie Earle Haley. Rorschach is the standout character of the book and it's no less evident in the movie. Haley turns in an outstanding performance with the mask on, but somehow manages to take it to the next level when the mask is removed. Carla Gugino as the first Silk Spectre, Sally Jupiter, gives a campy performance but I'm convinced that she was directed to be over the top and living as close to the line as possible without falling over the edge. Lastly, I'll point out Malin Ackerman's turn as the Silk Spectre 2. Her lines fall a little flat during scenes you would expect to be a bit more emotional. Then again, perhaps it's directed that way to reflect the personality of her counterpart in Dr. Manhattan, maybe to show that she's given up a little inside. When we see her step up to the plate and enter the fray that's when we begin to see the fighter inside.
The one idea I want to convey in regards to the casting is, that every actor/actress filled the role well. There wasn't one instance that brought a feeling of regret as to the assigned job. As a fan, that adds something to the overall film.
I don't want to sugar-coat the story in anyway. I stated above that the story is focused on nuclear armageddon and the brinkmanship between the two great superpowers of the age, but it's also centered on a brutal murder that gets the ball rolling. This is an "R" rated movie, with plenty of blood, gore, nudity, sex and more blood. The story takes us to all corners of the world and time to bring us a murder mystery that may in fact harbor the very answer to survival. It's arguably the most celebrated comic of all time, so if you're not too squeamish and you want a little escapism, go spend three hours at your local theater. Enjoy some popcorn, because that's what this movie is all about.
Let's see if you can follow this: "Watchmen" gets 4 genetically altered blue tigers out of a possible 5 genetically altered blue tigers. We started with 4.5 but had to take away .5 for removing the giant squid storyline and .5 for removing "Tales of the Black Freighter." Then we added .5 back for maintaining Rorschach as the coolest vigilante superhero of all time and showing us what The Joker would be like if he were on the other side.
I'm just saying,
Elijah
P.S. Look for an animated DVD of "Tales of the Black Freighter" to be released in the next two weeks.
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