Written by: David Hayter & Alex Tse
Starring: Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley
Rating: [2.5/5]
The entire conceit of vigilantism originates from the idea the powers in place have failed to do their duty of protecting citizens and enacting the proper reparations for those afflicted from a misdeed. It comes from a place where individual(s) believe they can do better, but even then they can fall into a territory where they feel they can decide what serves a community best, which can certainly bring plenty of complications as displayed in Watchmen. Adapting its source material with the intent of plastering it on the screen, what we get comes to us with such languish pacing that it makes the entire experience quite a drudge to get through.
Following the murder of their former crew member, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) begins to investigate the intent behind it and if the remaining members are next on this list. As he begins his search, he reconnects with the other members as they now live in this Cold War era where their vigilantism no longer exists as a viable option for them and they have adapted to more normal lives.
While not having read the original source material but having heard plenty about it through the great things its audience has to say about it, Watchmen through the lens of Zack Snyder hopes to bring this tale in ways only he can do. This typically entails some dazzling visuals and plenty of slow motion, but also the many trappings that doom his films. This movie certainly has plenty of complex material to get through, which has its challenges within the parameters of a feature film but what we receive in this film has the sprinkles of something undeniably interesting but presented in such a tiresome manner that does not get helped along by its runtime.
In its bones, Watchmen has quite the story of these vigilantes who dispensed their own type of justice for many years and even collaborated with governments in order to get things done but can no longer operate. It certainly brought plenty of issues especially when the film presents the all-famous line “Who watches the Watchmen?” This agreement with the public ceases to exist, which makes them no longer allowed to partake in the activities that define them. Through this feature, we mostly get the aftermath of this all in their present reality with the world sitting in an incredibly tense moment with nuclear threat at the brink meaning this investigation led by Rorschach could not have come at a worse time.
With different characters all navigating their own stories, this adaptation ultimately struggles to balance it all within its runtime where it feels quite bloated and it does not properly build it up to the grand reveals to the point where it ultimately has the desired impact. We have the journey of Rorshach and what he begins to discover in addition to the romance of Dreiberg (Patrick Wilson) and Jupiter (Malin Åkerman) and then everything happening with Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup). Each of these stories, while intertwined in a larger narrative feels somewhat underbaked, which makes the ultimate story something that narratively makes sense but does not feel necessarily earned. Perhaps it comes with the territory in the attempts of trying to bring this to this particular medium but in the end, it does not fully work.
What does work, however, are the visuals to no surprise when dealing with a Zack Snyder film. This feature provides plenty of striking moments that drive home the point of the story as a whole and presents these characters in ways readers of the graphic novel could only probably dream of. Snyder uses plenty of slow motion but it mostly works for the action captured in this film and the overall style sought in presenting these former heroes donning their costumes once again. Certain moments feel overly indulgent but it all comes as part of the territory here and it ultimately serves the overall presentation.
While certainly having elements to appreciate, Watchmen has plenty of potential but with the sum of its parts, it fails to cut the mustard in bringing this adaptation to the big screen. The fragmented stories fail to gel together and the robust runtime and languid pacing make this story ultimately quite the chore to sit through for vast stretches making for a mostly unenjoyable viewing experience.
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