Watchmen (2009)

This is one of the most faithful adaptations of a book I have ever seen. Although, even this being a very faithful adpatation, the Watchmen graphic novel is able to go to much higher levels than the film. Zach Snyder does a splendid job depicting Alan Moore and David Gibbons' Watchmen world and making it into one of the most unique films to date. Watchmen is filled with Alan Moore's, to say the least different views of the world and human nature. Snyder takes graphic to a whole new level. Watchmen has excessive gore and at times off putting nudity, but as a whole Watchmen is a very entertaining film.

With the ever increasing popularity of comic book adaptations, Watchmen was by far one of the most highly anticipated. Time Magazine ranked the Watchmen book as the greatest graphic novel of all time. Beating out the likes of, Frank Miller's Batmam: The Dark Night Returns, Neil Gaiman's Sandman, and Artie Spiegelman's graphic novel/ biography Maus. Terry Gilliam (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) was the first choice at director, but he considered Watchmen "unfilmable" and it was dropped. Darren Aronofsky (Requiem For A Dream) and Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Trilogy) were the next two considered but things didn't work with them either. Zach Snyder's impressive work with 300 ultimately lead to him being the final decision. Snyder came in completely dedicated, and did a fantastic job with Watchmen's very challenging material. I have always seemed to be drawn to controversial and unique films/ books (and yes also violent). Watchmen fits both of those molds. Snyder's willingness to stay true to the book and dark direction is what made Watchmen a very good film, not a bust like many were expecting.

The story takes place on an alternate timeline where masked, costumed heroes fight crime in America. An act enforced by president Nixon bans masked heroes that are not working for the government. But when Edward Blake a.k.a. The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is killed things get desperate for the former masked heroes. A violent, mysterious masked "hero" Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) believes there is a mask killer on the loose. Around the world the U.S. and the U.Ss and the Soviet Union are on the brink of a nuclear war which could destroy the world. Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) is considered a superman and the U.S. ultimate weapon, but he isn't as dedicated to helping Earth as people expect. An ex masked hero Daniel Driedberg a.k.a. Nite Owl 2 (Patrick Wilson) is faced with the decision of returning to crime fighting, or not. Adrian Veidt a.k.a. Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) tries to protect the world from its self, he uses very different methods to help the world. Humanity is on the verge of extinction and the world needs a hero, but this won't have any comic book hero to save the day.

Watchmen does not feature any hotshot actors, but the performances by a very strong cast may lead to very bright futures. The performance that stood out the most to me was by Jackie Earle Haley as the very complicated character of Rorschach. As in the Watchmen book, while watching the film I found myself interested the most in Rorschach's character and storyline. His very violent methods that seemed very understandable (at least to me) when considering the harsh times the world are facing. Like another character that some may know about, a character by the name of Tyler Durden, I found myself agreeing (to an extent) his excessive/violent ways. The brightest face on the Watchmen cast is easily the darling beauty by the name of Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre 2. Her performance is strong, but yet not really that special. Her face is an added bonus though. Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian is also a very strong performance, second only to the great performance by Jackie Earle Haley. It is always great to watch a film with such high expectations be taken over by great performances by virtually unknown actors.

Although Watchmen was a very good film, the level the book was able to reach is much, much higher. The films length may turn away many (162 minutes for the regular version), but its storyline will keep viewers interested all throughout. Not to mention plenty of violence and action. Watchmen was a huge box office, bringing in over 180 million worldwide. With a very hopeless feeling throughout, some people may not enjoy its storyline. Be prepared to the view the world, and human nature a whole new way. Viewers will not be able to avoid the temptation to think deeply about how today's world will turn out, and what human nature is truly like. Snyder's direction and outstanding special effects are Watchmen's highlights. Watchmen is a must see for our generation, but if you really want the complete experience I reccomend you check out the source material.