The Review Vault---Watchmen

Well the wait is now finally over, the latest graphic novel film adaptation called Watchmen has finally arrive in theaters nationwide but the question is whether this movie is going to be the most accurate comic book movie that the producers have been hyping it up to be in this first edition of THE REVIEW VAULT (where I tell like it is good or bad). To be brutal and honest, Watchmen had so much potential to be a phenomenal film that in the end it became a film that you loved, hated, or both in this case. Usually when adaptations are made, it changes some of the story line's around which may be radically different for some people but if it keeps the important themes that made the story so compelling to readers in the first place then there wouldn't be a problem at all. Well that is not the case since there were major changes made with the final product that I am going to analyze before this bumpy ride is over. Watchmen is one of the prime examples of what you would get if you put style of substances and it all starts with the story.

The story (minor spoilers throughout review) starts out with Edward Blake-The Comedian (Jeffery Dean Morgan) being murdered by an unknown assailant that is refer throughout the story as "Mask Killer" whom with his death starts off a chain of events that would interlink Dan Drieberg-Night Owl II (Patrick Wilson), Laurie Juspeczyk-Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Adrian Veidt-Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), Jon Osterman-Dr. Manhattan (Billy Cudup), and Walter Koviacs-Rorschauch (Jackie Earle Haley) with a conspiracy that may serve for a more deadly purpose. Throughout the whole film, we see the Super Heroes emerge from the scenes of the 40's (AKA-Golden Age of Heroes) to the heroes having sordid lives or ending up dead along with retiring after the Keene Act was passed throughout the 50's to the late 70's. The setting for this story takes place in an alternate take on 1985 which involves the U.S. with Manhattan's intervention help the U.S. win Vietnam and the Russians retaliated by attempting to catch up in the nuclear arms race at a time when the cold war was about to be thaw out by something very hot like Nuclear War.

During the course of the story, we are treated to flashbacks into the dark histories of the heroes in the Minuteman along with the Watchmen (Comics-Crimebusters) to how Dr. Manhattan became an omnipotent being to how it felt for Heroes of all kind including Driebreg to be in a costume and finally what made the Comedian to treat the whole world and Dr. Manhattan as a joke. Confuse? This story while it keeps the main components of the graphic novel's storyline, it sacrifices the origins stories of 2 to 3 important characters along with events that actually had an impact on how you saw the heroes in a different light for a streamlined, confusing version of a story that really is difficult to adapt on screen. The highlights of the story though are the telling of Dr.Manhattan's origins story (told accurately well and great scoring) and the Comedian flashbacks thorough the eyes of the ones who knew him best (Despite some bad music choices, great performance from Morgan). If I saw the movie without reading the book, I would have felt more compassionately about the story but the overall storyline starts out well and near the end it just topples down to mediocre material that really felt rushed and unorganized to me from beginning to end.

On the other hand, the actors might turn this lackluster story into something that is truly meaningful and exciting especially for a book that is beloved by those who read graphic novels after all they can in some case turn a s***y script in to gold. Well unless Zack Synder doesn't know how to direct actors, it is a combination of great performances from Jackie Earle Haley to just downright awful from the female cast altogether. The worst actor or actress from this movie was Malin Akerman along with Mathew Goode whom they actually have the acting flexibility to move a rock just 2 inches of emotions. I speak so harshly about these two in particular because in Malin's case (obviously ladies first), she is very beautiful to look at on screen but sometimes a pretty face can't cut it if the actor is not going to actually express some kind of emotion for any kind of situation especially with the characters that she hates throughout the whole film. Mathew Goode has the acting talent of a rock since he seems to be stuck between two accents that I have some trouble understanding so next time stick to one accent so asides from the fact that he acts like a robot including the plot hole that leaves out who Ozymandias really is, it really makes it hard to care or hate a character that I don't know anything about.

The other actors do a better job of portraying their characters like Billy Cudup as Dr.Manhattan who portrays a sad, trouble character who doesn’t understand the value of human life and how significant it to us as human beings. As for the other cast members, Patrick Wilson does an admirable job portraying a shy but likable character that while I felt he overacted in some parts of the film, he still did a decent job of translating Drieberg from book to screen. The obvious standout performance for me is Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschauch with the low growl voice and a menacing presence that would make any grown man shake with fear. I speak highly of his role in Watchmen because he pretty much nails the character spot on from the novel especially when it is time for him to bow out of the film near the end (hope that wasn't a spoiler to ya). My opinions on the cast was mixed since there were some performances that made me excited to see these characters jump out of the book and into the screen and others that made me cringes to the conclusion on why that actor was chosen when he or she can't act.

The Cinematography for this movie had some great visual moments like Rorschauch visiting Edward's grave to the beginning parts of the film involving the Comedian's death but really it is all over the place with bad lighting on the shots and way too much slow-mo that makes me bored of the action sequences (Zack, STOP IT WITH THE GOD D*** SLOW MOTION SHOTS). Whoever did the costume design for Watchmen needs to be on the unemployment line because the 40's costumes are the ugliest things that looks like a 3rd grader did it and the 80's costumes were okay like Nite Owl's but Ozymandias' reminded me way too much of the Batman Suit from 'Batman And Robin (ugh...). The art design for the setting really feels like it was strip from the comics with the incredibly well designed Dan's hideout to the look of (spoiler alert) Karnak fortress in Antarctica are what brings the sets from the comics from the pages to reality even if the costumes were really flat out bad.

When things could go from bad to worse, it gets worse with the music scoring and placement in Watchmen. The songs from Bob Dylan’s “Times are a-Changing (in the book), Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable”, Nena’s “99 Luftballons (German Version), Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Musak Version ) and many more either helped and destroy the emotional overtones of certain scenes in Watchmen. Some of the songs from Bob Dylan and Nat King Cole were well placed with the scenes that it accompanies with but others like Nena is really just out of place in the film that makes you wonder why in the hell are they in the movie. The scoring (Unfortunately was at a minimal) is really good in parts of the film especially in Dr. Manhattan’s Origin story which was very eloquently done but reminded me that this movie would have benefited with an Orchestral score for the whole film like another movie called 'The Dark Knight' (Had to go there :0) or even Blade Runner (some people are comparing this movie to that sci-fi classic).

So what else can be say for this film that hasn't been said already like how really long the film is because of the overlong dialogue that don't go anywhere & the competently done action sequences but I think they did those sequences with an all Asian stunt crew as if we haven't gotten over the stereotype that all Asians actually know Kung Fu. Well it is because of the slo-mo shots that the feel of the whole movie just seems poorly paced with too much long drawn, pretentious dialogue and scenes that are unnecessary to the film. Watchmen is going to be that movie you are going to love and hate at the same time with good moments that truly made the movie felt like a great novel finally coming to life but bad ones that made me want to read the Watchmen again so I never have to see this movie again. Is it a bad movie? No, since it had some wonderful performances (bad ones shall go unnamed) along with beautiful shots that capture the book's panels accurately and had some great art designs of the sets that made me awestruck to have it brought to life. So this is still good movie for those that haven't read the graphic novel even with all its flaws but for those who have read it will realize the problems in a heartbeat and I am afraid I will find more problems to hate on if I see Watchmen again.

For those who are looking for a good superhero movie despite all of it's problems, MATINEE!

For fans of the Watchmen Novel then for you guys and the one or two gals that read it, RENTAL!

Hope you enjoyed this review of watchmen and until then, here is a pic of the comic just for you guys. LATER!