Watchmen as a film is problematic from the get-go: the original 12-issue maxi-series from DC Comics on which it is based seemed like something best suited for a 10-part mini-series, like a season of
Game of Thrones from HBO. As it is, as much material as possible was jammed into the long film and, to my mind, it is probably as best a film as could be done given the circumstances. The story takes place in an alternate Earth timeline of 1985, though there are flashbacks throughout which tell how this world came to be: the 'turn' in our history came about in 1939, when various do-gooders put on super-hero costumes to combat the rise of urban crime. None of these heroes had actual superpowers, relying on simple fisticuffs and gadgets. They formed a loose organization called "The Minutemen." The next big event happened in 1959 - this was the origin of Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), a nuclear physicist who was accidentally disintegrated in a mishap and was able to recreate himself. He has virtually unlimited, godlike power, able to create and destroy anything at will.
The plot begins in the 'present' of this storyline, 1985, when one of the current superheroes (now called Watchmen), the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), settled in semi-retirement in his apartment, is attacked and killed. This plot begins as a murder mystery as a few of the other Watchmen, notably the sociopath vigilante Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), begin to look into this murder, even though the Comedian was not really liked by anyone due to his brutal, careless methods. Rorschach himself is barely tolerated by even other costumed heroes and is wanted by the police because Watchmen became officially outlawed only a few years back due to anti-vigilante sentiment from the public. His only friend is Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), a hero who uses gadgets and an Owlship, but is forcibly retired like most other heroes. Nite Owl begins a relationship with young female hero Silk Spectre (Malin Ackerman). They all find themselves to be targeted by someone. As a backdrop, there is political unrest internationally, involving President Nixon (who went on to more terms a la Franklin Roosevelt) and the Soviet Union, setting up the potential for nuclear war.
The other enigmatic hero in all this is Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), the smartest one of them all and also very rich. It gradually becomes apparent to the other Watchmen that Ozymandias has something to do with the steadily approaching threat or event, which is far beyond just the targeting of various Watchmen. This is a fairly dense film, with many plot points, imagined history and ideas packed into the story to fill it out so that there is always something of import happening. At the same time, it has the makings of a committee-styled presentation, kind of sterile and not very innovative, as if all the important parts of the original series were plugged in by-the-numbers to make sure everything of import was in there but ignoring such things as style and ambiance. All the actors are serviceable, not much more - I was disappointed in Morgan as the rough-'n'-tumble Comedian - I expected something more; they're not bad, just mediocre, and no one stands out except Haley, who has to play a depressed psychotic. Director Zack Snyder definitely has talent, however, and the film is at least watchable... BoG's Score:
7.5 out of 10
Watch the Trivia: original writer Alan Moore was reportedly upset and disillusioned with how the film was realized, going so far as to brand the filmmakers with very derogatory names; original artist Dave Gibbons, however, had no problems with how the film was developed and made; he is the only one acknowledged in the credits as a creator; Moore apparently didn't want his name associated with this film.
