Watchmen (1-Disc) [DVD]

 

 

Create your own review

Director Zack Snyder seems intimidated by the high reputation of the Watchmen comics. As a result his adaptation is over-respectful and adds little to the original. This is a shame as the few new touches that he has added (the credits rolling over a montage of images set to Dylan's ` The Times They Are A-Changing ` and a revised plot by the villain) are stylish and enhance the film. It remains a thrill to see the characters brought to life so well by the actors but the irony of such a seminal comic producing a rather average film has to be acknowledged.

'The Dark Knight' is a fantastic movie.

But if I had to go by how much a movie has affected me? 'Watchmen' wins hands down, for consider: never before has it occurred to me to go to the cinema twice to see the same movie. After seeing it on the Friday of its release, I needed to go back again that Sunday.

When I Read Clive Barker's 'Galilee' some years back I was stunned and amazed... and strangely gutted: I would never have the joy of reading that book again for the first time.

That's how I felt about 'Watchmen' when I first saw it.

It is not like any other superhero movie. Not like any other movie, period. I was amazed they got away with it. How did they get away with it?! For 20 years they tried to bring the original graphic novel source material to the big screen. After so many false starts (remember when Arnie - the now Governor of California - was going to be Dr. Manhattan?!) all anyone had a right to expect was a movie that had nothing much to do with the comic at all. That's why I'm stunned: It's so faithful I cannot help thinking, "How did they get away with it?"

Even if you don't like the movie, you will still think to yourself, "Well I definitely ain't never seen a movie like that before..."

For me 'Watchmen' is more layered than 'The Dark Knight', thus making repeated viewings so enriching.

Sure, 'The Dark Knight' is layered also, but its intentions are transparent, meaning you 'get it' the first time you see it. Its moody cinematography clearly marks it as a serious 'mature' movie.

'Watchmen' is far more subversive:

Here you have a movie which is bright and colourful and - gosh! - doesn't it look fun?! So why does it make some people uncomfortable? Because, on the surface, the movie taunts its audience by appearing to be yet another 'X-Men'.

The visual style of the movie may feel like a comic book, but the brutality of its violence honours the irony of The Comedian character's name: this is all a bad joke - me, you, this world's politicians, this petty thug whose face I'm smashing in, and yet ain't a one of us getting punished by the law for beating someone up cos we're wearing stupid costumes and that makes it all right.

Whereas every other Superhero Movie - including 'The Dark Knight' - celebrates the genre, 'Watchmen' gleefully deconstructs it. And it doesn't need shadow and smoke and dim lighting in order to do so.

On the surface everything is there for yet another formulaic Superhero Movie. After all, it looks the part...

... but this is where the genius of Watchmen's subversion comes in, for although the movie can be enjoyed on purely a visual visceral level, woven through its stock superhero tropes you have tales of rape, cancer and impotency -

- you even have one of the 'Good Guys' assassinating John F. Kennedy in the opening credits.

Compared to that 'The Dark Knight' seems positively pedestrian.

Even the movie's flaws (with the exception of President Nixon's large prosthetic nose) unintentionally work in its favour by holding up a spotlight to its own absurdity of grown men and women dressing up in Hallowe'en costumes.

One purpose of the movie's frequent slow-motion motif that I immediately noticed is that is gives the character Rorschach and Dr Manhattan's voice-overs room to breathe, whilst at the same time lending the movie its comic book look; and yet deliberately confounds your expectations by not being a comic superhero movie.

It's as if The Comedian (a thinly disguised 'Captain America') directed this movie -

A female protestor gets punched in the face without hesitation... by one of the 'Good Guys'. A pregnant woman gets shot at point-blank range... by one of the 'Good Guys'.

It you were to take The Dark Knight's premise of a 'gritty' superhero-movie-for-adults to its logical next level then 'Watchmen' would be the result. Be careful what you ask for because you just got it.

And you thought 'The Phantom Menace' 'raped your childhood'. You'll never look at 'Iron Man' and 'Spider-Man' the same way again.

The Nite Owl character (a thinly disguised 'Batman') is so hung up he becomes impotent the first time he's with Silk Spectre (a thinly disguised 'Wonder Woman'). And yet later - after cracking some heads - ? No problem. That's what makes the 'love scene' in the Nite Owl's airship so hilarious and appropriate: these people get off on beating up some poor schmucks in order that they can become 'whole' and connect. Even this is made blatant by the way the characters grin and mug at each other after fighting the Bad Guys: they're turned on by the violence they're dishing out and they're not ashamed to admit it. The song choice for that love scene?! "Hallelujah" right enough!! LOL!!! That's some serious screwed up Freudian stuff right there...

The Comedian is definitely behind the lens of this movie, chomping on his cigar.

Critics point to the lack of experience in the unknown actress who plays Silk Spectre. Yet, unintentionally, that works in the character's favour: she has an out-of-her-depth naivety, only 'coming alive' when fighting the 'Bad Guys'. Dr Manhattan (a thinly disguised 'Superman') shows the viewer logically what would happen if someone really was superhuman: a guy so powerful that his intelligence has caused him to lose his ability to relate to his fellow man.

"God help us all," right enough as The Comedian says upon noticing this.

And the coup de grace of unintentional flaws which work in the movie's favour? The Osymandias superhero character who ultimately 'saves the world' is flat, bland and totally uninteresting.

Just like they say: bad guys are so much more interesting to play. And this movie makes its 'Good Guys' so flawed that you can't tell them from the 'Bad Guys'.

As to the graphic violence -

As much as I love horror fiction I detest horror movies: they're nothing more than torture-porn.

At the same time, however, I believe the director Jack Snyder is deliberately shaming the audience into guilt because of its lust for violence. Watchmen's violence is not meant to be realistic - the slo-mo effect makes sure of that, whilst simultaneously glorying in it because, hey, that's what you want, right? The Good Guys and The Bad Guys duelling it out? Sure you do, that's what Superhero Movies are all about. You like to hear the crack of bones breaking? Okay. We'll show you it too. We'll show you it in such a way that you feel it, with slo-mo effect to rub your nose in it. After all, that's what you want.

But why do this?

A one point The Comedian character gets punched repeatedly in the face by a fellow 'Good Guy' superhero, until he falls to his knees.

With burst lip and bloody nose The Comedian looks up, grins, and says, "This is what you like, huh? This is what gets you hot?"

The movie is taunting its audience, The Comedian looking into camera and speaking directly to them: you like punch-ups in Superhero Movies, don'tcha? So, we're giving it to ya, whatcha complaining about?

The violence is more graphic than it needs to be in order to make its audience uncomfortable, and thereby shame it.

Remember, 'Watchmen' is an anti-Superhero Movie.

'Watchmen' doesn't 'update' the Superhero Movie so much as crush it beneath its heel.

Welcome to the world of post-'Dark Knight'.

I thought the film version stood up well to its attempt to be, as much as a film ever can be, faithful to what the director saw as the spirit of the original graphic novel. The whole look of the piece was remarkably true, in large matters like Dr Manhattan's light suit and in lesser ones too. The humble comic like the vampire story generating something much more serious than its origins might suggest. Perhaps the film was too much the whodunit for some? I enjoyed it in the round and was surprised how quickly the evening went.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 146 customer reviews...

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Ace!!
In my opinion this is my favourate film based on a graphic novel (well, equal to V for Vendetta) Love it!

Published 10 days ago by Baz P

5.0 out of 5 stars Great film and fantastic book
Perhaps reading Watchmen, the graphic novel, before watching the film is a mistake judging from the reviews here - I can imagine that it's hard to match such expectation (or... Read more

Published 1 month ago by commodityfetish

5.0 out of 5 stars Great film - from someone who has never read the book
It's always interesting to see a film of a book you have read, because usually the film never matches up. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Martyn K. Postle

5.0 out of 5 stars I watches the Watchmen
I think my own personal yardstick on a movie is if I can watch it more than once. When I first watched "Watchmen" I hadn't read the comicbook, and on a first viewing I felt like I... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Guru Saj

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid
Not worth watching, I gave up after about 30 minutes, and wondered why on earth I had wasted my money on this dross.

Published 2 months ago by DanielB1982

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
Having read the graphic novel I would say this was really well made, very true to the source material (word for word at times). Read more

Published 2 months ago by L

2.0 out of 5 stars Not at all what I expected
First of all, I have never read a Watchmen comic... although to be honest that shouldn't be an issue.
I don't have so much to say about this film if I'm honest. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Mrs. L. Gaughan

5.0 out of 5 stars Watchmen
The political and megalomaniac themes still so relevant today. I enjoyed how all the back stories were explained and that the good guy/bad guy line was hazy. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Sam

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't Watchmen
First of all, can't complain with the seller or the speed of the delivery, it was impressive

HOWEVER, the movie itself was a huge let down, close to three hours of my... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Timatron

5.0 out of 5 stars See It For Yourself
Based on popular perception, I simply don't understand why this movie isn't rated as one of the best of the superhero genre.

For once, DON'T believe the hype! Read more

Published 4 months ago by Five Foot Three Amazonian

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 146 customer reviews...

Search Listmania!