Watchmen (2009)

Dir. Zack Snyder

*****
With Snyder's Superman reboot just two months away, I thought I'd review what is to me the director's masterpiece. Following the enormous success of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, Watchmen is a further reflection of the comic book film's capacity for a much darker and thought-provoking tone.

Set in an alternate 1985 society where President Nixon is serving his third term, this adaptation of the groundbreaking graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is a unique and invigorating experience. As with the source material, the film opens with the murder of an ex-superhero known as The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). From there, the mysterious and equally legendary Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) investigates his old friend's death, with concerns of a plot to eliminate masked vigilantes. Although viewed as a paranoid conspiracy theorist, the shadowy figure is relentless in warning his former colleagues and discovering the truth behind a series of strange events. With Cold War tensions escalating by the minute, fear of nuclear war reaches an all time high. What Rorschach and the other Watchmen will soon discover is a far more diabolical scheme than their own demise that will threaten the entire existence of the world they know.

The ingenuity of this apocalyptic tale is found primarily through the precise detail devoted to bringing each of these iconic characters to life on the big screen. As outlandish as they are in both the comic and the movie, the manner in which they reflect elements of classic mythology is exquisitely dynamic. Rorschach is a hard-core detective whose mask is splattered with ink blots that continually change shape. Comedian is presented as blatantly amoral, always carrying weapons that appear to be illegal, and through his perception of society is as critical of it as Rorschach.

Then there's Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), practically a walking H-bomb. Continually emitting radioactive particles from his body, this godlike figure is the most powerful and misunderstood of this band of misfits. While it would seem difficult to take a naked, blue man seriously, Snyder presents the character as a Zeus of sorts. The most intriguing aspect of him is his inability to understand humans, as his former identity as renowned physicist Jon Osterman is all but diminished. We also meet his lover Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman). Having been sucked into the vigilante world in order to fulfill the wishes of her mother Sally (Carla Gugino), she struggles with the burdens of her mortality and past regrets, while living with a man who could potentially live forever. Also accompanying the group is Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), who is in essence the Batman of this universe. Lastly, the wealthy businessman and supremely intelligent Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), continually seeking to expand his already vast empire.

What has often been called an impossible book to adapt is done remarkable justice by Snyder and screenwriters David Hayter and Alex Tse. In spite of it not being feasible to capture the full essence of Moore and Gibbons' work, the visions of both teams are nonetheless greatly consistent with one another.

While I wasn't a big fan of 300, Snyder's slow motion, exaggerated techniques are much more effective for this film. The visceral and exquisitely detailed lighting effects correlate well with the gritty atmosphere and graphic images.

Another highlight of the film is its soundtrack. From classic songs by Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel, to a well crafted score by Tyler Bates, the music is a further reflection of the darkened elements within this Armageddon story world.

In spite of Nolan's Batman being a more entertaining film, Watchmen is a great demonstration of Snyder's capacity for cinematic ingenuity, while also being one of the best pictures DC has given us.