As mentioned before, I decided to go see the midnight screening of Watchmen. I should have remembered before I bought my ticket that this movie was 243 mins. long, because I may not have been as eager to catch such a late showing. Luckily though I'm a night owl (no pun intended) so I made it through all right.
Full disclosure upfront, I have never read the widely loved graphic novel which the film was based on. I had minimal knowledge of the characters and story, but I always enjoy an event film, so I wanted to see why this was such a big deal for comic book fans. To say I was shocked by what I saw would be an understatement. This film earns every bit of its R rating as it is bloody, gruesome, and sometimes downright vile. And what's most shocking is that many of these deplorable actions are committed by the 'heroes' of the story.
If, like me, let me set up the premise of the story. The year is 1985, but very different from the one we remember. After winning the Vietnam war, Richard Nixon remains president of the United States. The country, however, is still entrenched in a Cold War with Russia and nuclear holocaust seems imminent (this is represented by a Doomsday clock set at five minutes to midnight). While there used to be several superheroes protecting our country, the President has banned all masked heroes and now most of them are retired. The film starts with the murder of one of the former superheroes and it appears someone is trying to kill them all off. The remaining heros band together, somewhat, in order to figure out who's behind this.
That's a lot of story, and yet it barely scratches the surface of what this film covers. Director Zach Snyder (300) is to be commended for making such a strong effort to remain faithful to the original story in this film. Again, while I've never read the comic book, based on what I've read this seems to closely resemble the novel's events. This is a mixed blessing for the film. While it is likely to please rabid fans, it gives the film too much of a structured feel. You can tell where segments of the book began and finished as the film covers each of the main character's backstories. At times it plays more like an anthology than a fluid narrative.
And while most of the characters are fleshed out through their histories, the story still seems somewhat incomplete. There were parts of the film that I wondered why the scenes were included and other plot points that I wished were explained better. The story itself is not terribly confusing, but for a neophyte to these characters, it can be difficult to get into the story.
The other problem for outsiders that I briefly mentioned before is the shock factor. Watchmen puts the graphic in graphic novels. There are scenes of dismemberment, mutilation, and abuse of women. There's also an extended sex scene that didn't really have to be included as well. Given that so many of these acts are done by the superheroes themselves, you begin to wonder who you're supposed to have a rooting interest for in this movie. The more you know about this story and these characters before watching the movie, the better off you'll be.
I ended up having a similar detached feeling while watching this film as I did watching the Lord of the Rings films. In both cases, I had never read the source material before seeing the films. I was also able to see why the stories were loved by fans because of the rich characters and intricate themes that the respective authors had created. While gruesome, Watchmen does provide a lot of interesting discussion points on issues like nuclear war, religion, responsibilty, and corporate greed.
As important as those issues are to discuss and unpack, I don't feel the film allows for that as much as the book. Unless you're already familiar with the material, you're more likely to be consumed by the visuals of the film than its themes. This is not necessarily a knock against the film. It should be noted that this is an extremely well made film. The production is top notch and is visually stunning. The final product is the end result of someone who was clearly passionate about this project.
The acting here is a mixed bag. Some deliver solid performances. For instance, Jackie Earle Hayley brings an amazing about of intensity to his performance as the enigmatic Rorshach. Other actors are subpar at best, like Patrick Wilson as the nerdy Night Owl. His performance reminded me too much of Bob Odenkirk, which in this case wasn't a good thing.
In the end, this is a well made film but a difficult film to enjoy. If you have read and loved the novel, you don't need me to tell you to run out and see this. You've waiting a long time for this film and you likely won't be disappointed. For the rest of the world, brace yourself. This is an acquired taste that may not sit well with everyone. If you're the squemish type or if you just don't want to see the concept of what is a superhero turned on its head, then you may want to enjoy it. As for me, I'm glad I saw it, but I'm not likely to be making any repeat viewings of it in the near future. Grade: B-
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