OK, so finally out of development hell and creator Alan Moore isn’t watching the Watchmen. But neither is anyone under 18 because from the opening apartment-wrecking scene where you hear bones breaking, its clear to see that director Zack Snyder, 18-rating in tow, has stuck to the acclaimed graphic novel - where a group of masked vigilantes once heroes, now outlawed are being killed off by a unknown assassin, in an America on the brink of Nuclear war led by Richard Nixon… who got four more years!
As the opening credits roll Synder demonstrates his move away from 300’s purely green screen, mixing it devilishly onto real, almost touchable sets, quickly highlighting a bleak society that bleeds and cries to a pumping rock soundtrack. But that’s its only weapon. It gets the pictures to move. After about an hour of frame-for-frame imitation, the novel wears off.
Lucky then, that the performances are outstanding from a fairly unknown bunch who treat Moore’s characters like they’ve known them their whole lives. Particularly Patrick Wilson, Billy Crudup and Jackie Earle Haley as Nite Owl II, Dr. Manhattan and the pitch perfect husky anti-hero Rorschach.
Another plus are the fight scenes. The jailbreak midway through spills guts with gusto, lending heavily on the dry humour encapsulated in the comic to take a breather from storyline.
Even at over two hours, the plot is fitted into such a short time that even fan boys will wish they were reading it so they could skip back a couple of pages. Because of the time-factor the ending may disappoint faithful fans that want to see ‘the squid’. Perhaps if Miramax were producing, Synder would of cut it in two and an explanation could be given, worthy of a more mutant ending. But first-timers who keep up with the plot certainly won’t mind.
Except for ‘the Squid’, Synder shows the famously unfilmable is filmable and should be happy that not many could of done a better job. But like many remakes before it, it just aint’ the original and you can actually judge a book by it’s cover as its always better than the DVD.
4 Stars
Joe E
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