2 posts from March 2009

Thanks Canada for the Early release. This isn't officially out until next Saturday, but I picked it up last Wednesday. :)

I don't want to gush about Watchmen, and proclaim it the greatest thing since the wheel. I'll admit that I really loved elements of it, but ultimately, it's a film that almost requires the source material to capture the meaning of it all.

Zack Snyder's third effort (having given us 2004's Dawn of the Dead remake and 300) is a fine one, though flawed only by the source material. "Watchmen" is not an easy story to take in on one sitting. It's broken down into about 12 parts in the book and I believe all the important parts made it in, but it's long.

The basic story is this:

The year is 1985. In this alternate universe, Richard Nixon is still the President (no term limits here), the Cold War is still going on (kind of) and the world is on the brink of Nuclear Fallout, as both superpowers are armed to the teeth. Back in the 30's crime skyrocketed. In response, some citizens took things into their own hands and decided to become vigilantes (also known as "Masks"). This is one of Watchmen's strong points - that with the exception of one character, none of the heroes have any major powers. It's just the gadgets they make, the punches and kicks they let fly and the skills they have. I kind of like the sense of realism there, it's a nice touch.

After the murder of a famous hero known as The Comedian (played very well by Grey's Anatomy's own Denny Duquette, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, looking more like Robert Downey, Jr than himself here), one of his comrades investigates the murder. The story plays out almost exactly like the comic, with each chapter giving you a flashback into the history of a particular character.

Here's what worked for me:

The Opening Sequence - the opening credits pretty much sum up what's occured in the last 30 odd years from Kennedy to Vietnam to now. That was done very well.

Rorshach - When I think of Jackie Earle Haley, I remember him as one of the brats in the original Bad News Bears and most recently in "Little Children" (which won him an Oscar Nomination). He basically has the the coolest character in the film, and worked it. If they gave him his own movie, I'd consider seeing it. When paired off with Patrick Wilson's "Nite Owl", they make an interesting team.

The Visuals - Visually, Watchmen's a great film. It has homages to the 80's, from Macs (keep an eye out for the original Mac commercial) to the tv's then. The effects, particularly with Dr. Manhattan are nice, and gives it a style of it's own. The fights, when they do happen are pretty visceral. New York is a dark, gritty place in this film. The kind of city where a dark alley can contain all sorts of problems , which is done well.

The Music - This could be one of the few movies where I may pick up both the Score and the Soundtrack. The movie is peppered with tracks like "The Times They are a Changin'" by Bob Dylan, a Muzak version of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears and a sequence that uses Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" as good as Battlestar Galactica did in one of their Season Finales. The best piece is with Phillip Glass' "Pruitt Igoe" (which many may remember from Grand Theft Auto 4) and is used for Dr. Manhattan's backstory.

The score, by Tyler Bates (who has scored all of Snyder's films) is a quiet one, though there seem to be a lot of elements from Vangelis' "Blade Runner" in there too. I'm eager to hear these pieces, isolated from the film.

Here's what bothered me:

The length. Dear Sweet Jebus, this movie is long. I know there's a lot of material to cover and this film is just about as long as the Dark Knight, but I had at least two points where I looked at my watch. And to think, there may be a Lord of the Rings like Extended version of all this on DVD/BR?

The Sex - Don't get me wrong here. Sex in movies is great if it serves a purpose. It kind of does here, but there are a few point where you stop getting into it and the "Wrap it up" neon sign is flashing in your head. Steamy? Sure. To the point? Not quite.

Slight Predictibility - While I didn't get a chance to finish reading the Watchmen comic, I had figured most of what was up by the first half. If you're familiar with any of Alan Moore's other works, this one works on the same vein. The ending, though threw me for a serious loop and I understand why this was such an important comic back in the 80's. This point could be overlooked, just a little.

Would I run back to see Watchmen again? I don't know. I saw it, and don't feel that need to have to see it right away again. It's worth a second viewing, but maybe at home, on DVD.:)

Okay, Ride's done. :)