Watchmen

Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: During the 1980s, as tensions rise between the United States and the Soviet Union, an aging superhero known as The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is murdered. As fellow superhero Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) begins to investigate the murder, he warns former superheroes, the Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman), Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) that their lives may be in danger, too.

Review:

Tim: Watchmen is one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, and Zack Snyder faithfully adapts the movie to the big screen. This is a superhero movie- but unlike any superhero movie you have ever seen. It is the darkest one yet (even darker than The Dark Knight- a bleak, realistic look at the life of a superhero. Alan Moore's amazing graphic novel really changed the way people viewed superheroes, and this movie conveys that message as well. This is a beautiful movie, and a great one, without a doubt.

I loved the look and feel of this film. Watchmen has one of the greatest opening credits sequences I have ever seen- Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" plays while we're taken through the history of superheroes, from the 1940s to the "present day" of the 80s. This was mesmerizing, beautiful, and a hell of a terrific way to start the movie. Snyder has an eye for cinematography, and every scene is eye-popping and impressive. This is simply a beautiful movie to watch.

The cast is pretty impressive as well. None of these actors are the typical comic book/superhero casting choices, but they work well here. Malin Akerman is good as Silk Spectre II, although I'm not sure she is a great actress. She does just enough to keep the movie interesting. Billy Crudup is quite good, yet nearly unrecognizable as the amazing Dr. Manhattan. Manhattan is one of the most fascinating characters in the film, and Crudup does quite well. I actually thought Matthew Goode was a bit weak as Ozymandias. He is okay, but a better actor in this part was needed. Jackie Earle Haley gives perhaps the best performance of the film. Rorschach is one of the coolest characters in the whole film, and this is due to the jaw-dropping performance of Haley. I never, ever would have thought of Haley for this role, but he was brilliant. Jeffrey Dean Morgan did great work as the Comedian. He was an unlikeable, hard-to-watch character, but Morgan was great in the role. Patrick Wilson was good as Night Owl II, but I wish he would have been a bit better. All in all, the cast is unconventional, but every actor works well in their respective roles.

While I loved Watchmen, it is not a perfect movie. The film's plot is overly complicated, and doesn't deliver quite the emotional payoff needed at the end. This is a movie that gets better with subsequent viewings, because the first time through (especially if you haven't read the graphic novel) is pretty hard to follow. The film is also quite long at 162 minutes. I'm not saying it should have been much shorter, but it is not the easiest movie in the world to get through from start to finish. It doesn't feel like you are watching it for nearly three hours (which is a tribute to Snyder keeping the film moving quickly), but it still takes some effort.

While not perfect, Watchmen is still an amazing achievement, because many people viewed the graphic novel as unfilmable. It is truly an unforgettable, beautiful movie. The story is unique, the characters are impactful, and Zack Snyder delivers a powerful, impressive movie. This film- in many ways- blew me away.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: 300, The Dark Knight