Watchmen is set in 1985 in an alternate America where Richard Nixon has been re-elected to the Presidency, Soviet nuclear war looms and superheros are a part of society's fabric. When one retired superhero is murdered however, an inkblot-masked vigilante, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) takes it upon himself to investigate and reunite his old team, the Watchmen. What they discover has far reaching repercussions...
Unsuccessful Adaptation, Unlike that of Moore's V for Vendetta
Author Alan Moore has famously distanced himself from Hollywood adaptations of his works, including this most recent effort. On this evidence, it's not hard to see why. The problems are many fold, starting with the almost puppy dog devotion Snyder displays to the source material. The comic just sits there on the screen, like a million dollar mattress, but without any indication of what depth or irony it may pose on its own terms.
For once, any of the directors originally on-board, plus a tinker with the story structure (as was Paul Greengrass' intention), may have worked dividends, or maybe Terry Gilliam's idea of making it a TV miniseries would have allowed it to breathe more naturally. As it stands, those unfamiliar with the comic (as this reviewer is) are likely to be left wondering what all the fuss is about.
Director Snyder has made the fatal error of mistaking loyalty for integrity and much of the blame can be lain at his feet. Events occur but are dragged out and laboured to the point of tedium. It's not enough to just have the comic's (admittedly striking) imagery simply there for the viewer's delectation, since not all viewers will understand it.
Little Children stars Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley Fare Best
A case in point is the characterisation of Dr Manhattan, formerly Dr John Osterman, who is turned into a blue demi-God, able to see past and future simultaneously, as a result of a terrible accident. Although sensitively played by Billy Crudup and rendered in superb effects, he remains a colossal walking bore, given to portentous, droning soliloquies. Again those who appreciate the comic will understand him; others are likely to walk away more irritated.
The other performers fare better. Patrick Wilson is a standout as the buttoned up Dan Dreiberg, reluctantly urged back into action as Nite Owl and beginning a relationship with Manhattan's girl, Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre II. Earle Haley gets the meatiest part as the borderline psychotic Rorschach, growling Sam Spade style behind his inkblots, and brutally handling anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way.
Ultimately though they are in the service of a film that is at times almost outacted by its own soundtrack. When the likes of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix provide more enjoyment than the scenes they accompany (more often than not because they're poorly integrated and bizarrely anachronistic), it's time to go back to the drawing board.
