Who Watches the Watchmen? Everyone.
March 3, 2009 by Kaitlyn Edsall
Filed under Movies
There’s a saying that goes: if life’s just a joke, I don’t get it. Well, the Watchmen know all about that. Before the Comedian (a brilliant Jeffrey Dean Morgan) flies through his shattered window, smashing to the pavement stories below, splashing the sidewalk and his smiley face pin with hero’s blood, he delivers his last punch line: “it’s all just a joke.” One has to wonder if he was right.
But Watchmen is no laughing matter. Zack Snyder’s (300) film owes its success entirely to the graphic novel on which its based – and I say “based” loosely, because Snyder does not deviate from the cult classic American novel, at least not so far as I could catch. He splashes its pages across the screen with careful, loving detail, with creative angled scenes, stunning perspectives, and stylized, sharp violence. Don’t let its comic book roots fool you Watchmen is no kind of family, action movie. There’s cringe-inducing gore from criminals and innocents alike. There’s sex and swearing and nudity and rock and roll and enough moral ambiguity to make your heard hurt. Plus, it’s smart.
We’re hardly new to the comic book movie, to the dilemma of what the super powerful do with their great gifts,
but thanks to its brilliant source material, Watchmen is no Spiderman or Dark Knight – though bound to be just as popular. Watchmen takes Spidey’s great responsibility and magnifies it. It explores what it would mean to be a god among ants – as the blue, indestructible, and existential Dr. Manhattan (an unrecognizable Billy Crudup) clearly is. And if you thought the Joker was dark, forget about it. Morgan’s savage Comedian is in on the joke that is mankind – its brutality, chaos, and redemption. He’s a villain in hero’s clothing, a superhuman killer for hire, a psychopath who rapes, pillages, and regrets. His opening death sets the plot in motion, but it was a chaos long brewing.
Perhaps what is most disturbing and intrusive in Watchmen is its place in history. It doesn’t occur in a mythical Gotham, but on New York’s own streets in an alternate 1985. Through an opening montage set to Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’” (one of many great songs in the film’s sentimental and appropriately dark soundtrack), an alternate past is revealed, one where superheroes won the Vietnam War and Nixon is still president, looming like an evil caricature as he holds desperately onto a crumbling standstill between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. as the world teeters dangerously on the brink of nuclear annihilation. The world is fragile, filthy, and broken, and although changed and vibrantly stylized, it feels dangerously close to our own. And, of course, there’s something familiar in the problem that the only ones who can save the damaged world are the obsolete heroes, forced into hiding by the people they were trying to protect.
Patrick Wilson (looking abnormally unattractive, despite his impressive and oft revealed bod) steps into Daniel, the Nite Owl’s shoes. He’s an earnest boy scout, who’s turned pathetically normal in his retirement, harboring a not so secret crush on Laurie (Malin Akerman), the former Silk Spectre II and daughter of the first Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino). But Laurie’s too busy trying to keep a hold of the last shreds of Dr. Manhattan’s fleeting humanity as he transcends further and further from life on Earth. Then there’s Adrian Veldt (another unrecognizable Matthew Goode), the smartest man on Earth, who’s made a living hawking his superhero fare and amassing millions. And finally, there’s Rorschach with his morphing mask and gravelly Batman voice, played with a sardonic wit by Jackie Earle Haley. He’s a take no prisoners kind of hero – a Republican, for sure – who has no patience for commies, softies, or liberals, but given his story, who could blame him? He’s twisted – in an awfully logical way. Rorschach takes it upon himself to uncover the Comedian’s killer, searching for whoever seeks to snuff out the world’s hidden heroes.
But who will watch the Watchmen? The heroes of the story aren’t good, and they aren’t evil (well some are). They’re not superheroes, but supermen struggling with what to do with their great powers. They wobble on the line between insanity and brilliance – between seeing the clearly and missing it entirely.
The greatest of heroes, of course, is Dr. Manhattan, who becomes an immortal, a god on Earth, a true Watchman. 
He sees the past and future, but what does he do with that great knowledge? Retreat from the world and let mankind destroy itself or take action to save it? What makes the chaos of human life worth saving? And how much sacrifice can be justified in the pursuit of peace?
Watchmen poses many questions. It doesn’t provide many answers, and its dark, morally compromised conclusion is unsettling to say the least. But as the clouds cleared, I couldn’t help but notice that in this alternate past the New York skyline always looms in the background. Accurately for 1985, the twin towers remained, standing tall even after the finale’s explosive and divisive end. They remained in sight as a ghostly reminder of the damage mankind has already done without the aid of warring Watchmen.
I couldn’t help but wonder: What does peace cost?
There has been a trend lately where every director has been taking a stab at comic book to big screen. Watchmen has been one of the latest in the trend and did quite well.
(Ghost of Girlfriends Past, Birmingham, MI )
I love comic books and movies but I’ve read this one is just too long for one sitting. (Observe and Report, Atlanta).
may be if i get a chance… aould love to watch this movie.. again n again
(Knowing Chicago)
cool movie.. i loved it
Watchmen was very over-rated. I expected more action. But I did like the naked blue man…
But a lot of other movies are also pretty violent, and quite graphic too… and they’re still very successful. I personally liked it, and I really enjoyed all the special effects.
(I Love You Man – MN)
Way too violent for me!
(Knowing, Chicago, IL)
wow totally naked blue man with a hot body. it also had a great sex scene. but that’s about it. the movie was kinda slow. disappointed to watch it. kinda confused during the first part of the movie but it kinda show toward the end of the movie. not a lot of action. i want to pay for a movie and see more action in it. specially in a movie theater where it has a great sound system and big screen. (Knowing, Chicago IL)
I really don’t get it!
Everyone seems so upset over a little nudity and violence in this movie. BFD. I’ve never read the graphic novels, and didn’t even know of them until the movie hit the news. I saw the trailers and thought, “Wow, this looks pretty rockin’!” And that’s just what it was.
Since I didn’t read the novels, I can’t comment on how well it did or didn’t adhere to the material, but taking it all on its own, I really liked it. Were some of the characters despicable? Yes. Was there alot of violence? Yes. But, you see, I like to consider myself to be ‘aware.’ The minute I saw that it had an R rating, I EXPECTED all of this.
If you take the movie as it is, it’s really quite captivating, and it has alot (and I mean ALOT) of eye candy — both good and bad. I tend to get lost in convoluted stories, and had a slight problem keeping up with the flashbacks, but I eventually got the hang of it, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
(It’s a bit strange to think that the worst character in the movie — The Comedian — was played by the same actor who was one of the most beloved and doomed from “Grey’s Anatomy,” Denny Duquette.)
(Knowing, Chicago, IL)
The key to adaptation is not blind adherence to source material, but ADAPTING the ideas of the original to fit a new medium. I think Snyder was hit or miss when it comes to this, sometimes spending too much time making it look like Watchmen, when he should have focused on making sure it WAS Watchmen. Overall, though, he did a great job with very challenging source material. It’s a testament to him that he got to make the film that he wanted!
(I Love You, Man — Burbank, CA)
Zack Snyder has redeamed himself for the over-hyped, overblown 300 and is back in Dawn of the Dead form. The movie rocks and fortunately has not become a major hypefest, opening at number two this weekend.
(KNOWING, Chicago, IL)
Pretty sure that you can download Watchmen Motion Comics from iTunes Free right now, at least the first issue. Search around the intertubes and you’ll find reference to it.
Movie pass entry: (Knowing, Chicago, IL)
I think it’s amazing how closely they stuck to the Watchmen Novel. Completely unlike Spiderman series who has a spiderman who is a freak of nature. Spitting webs out his arm? How disgusting! If I remember correctly Peter Parker was genius scientist who created his own web cartridges. I saw numerous times in past comics that he ran out web. This trash took that character and ruined it. Hopefully, they attempt to correct their wrongs in Spiderman 4.
KNOWING, Tampa, FL
Making a movie out of a book/comic almost invariably takes something away from it. But.. you usually still end up with a movie that is entertaining. I’m pretty excited about watching Watchmen, and I hope I won’t be disappointed.
(Sunshine Cleaning — in Minnesota)
I think its almost criminal what Zach Synder is doing to some of the great piece of comic book literature of all time, in my opinion he is bastardizing them. The watchmen novel was NEVER meant to be a movie, because it was far far too complex and what does Synder do? he makes a half ass movie with extra convoluted action scenes in slow motion to “make it cool” without truly respecting the actually story line and themes present in the novel, all in an effort to simply make money, instead of respecting the original source material. (I Love You Man, Albany Ny)
I think it’s OK to have a lot of movies about superheroes. Then you can choose to see only the good ones. Almost everybody I’ve talked to about Watchmen is looking forward to seeing it.
(Sunshine Cleaning or I Love you Man — in Minnesota)
I cannot wait to see this. Unfortunately, it won’t be for a few days still. One somewhat negative review I read said the movie was actually too close to the comic and how that turned it into a 3+ hr movie. I just find that a funny comment to make as both aspects make me more excited about seeing it.
(I LOVE YOU MAN) Albany, NY
superhoeroes who are powerless without their suits and masks?
does not make any sense to me!
the great buck howard (San Francisco)
You’ve piqued my interest! I haven’t seen this yet, but I’m always up for what Zack Snyder has pulled together.
(Sunshine Cleaning or I Love you Man — in Minnesota)
I personally believe we currently have way too many superhero movies that have been made. Hollywood needs to get some new ideas. The only reason that I might see “Watchmen” is because it is from the director of “300″, which I thought was brillant. I am looking forward to this movie, because it is a movie that you must see on the big screen. I think all superhero movies should be seen on the big screen. I remember seeing the Dark Knight on the big screen and it was phenominal. (I LOVE YOU MAN, SYRACUSE NY)
wow total naked guy!
The Great Buck Howard(San Francisco, CA)
wow total naked guy!