Watchmen

2009

3.5/5 Stars

I was skeptical going into Zach Snyder’s film adaptation of Alan Moore and David Gibbon’s hugely successful graphic novel.  The novel redefined the medium through its complex storytelling and seamless integration of both paneled comic book art and passages of written prose to supplement the main storyline.  The book was dark, cerebral, and often times riveting, employing multiple flashbacks to communicate multiple storylines regarding the rise and decline of the “superhero” in an alternative version of the United States.  Could Snyder manage to maintain the depth of this complex piece of popular fiction in making the transfer to the big screen? 

The answer is, fortunately, largely “yes”.  As is the case with any film adaptation of a longer written work, certain plotlines have to be trimmed and others removed entirely, but the decisions made here work and manage to keep the audience engaged throughout the 162 minutes of the theatrical release (there are also 186 and 215 minute versions available, but I have yet to see those). 

The mood of the book is intact for most of the film.  A dark brooding mood surrounds the noir murder mystery as our anti-hero in Rorschach (played brilliantly by Jackie Earle Haley) tries to track down the killer of the “Comedian” (also a strong performance, turned in by Jeffrey Dean Morgan).  One advantage that the film has over the book is the addition of music, which is strong from start to finish.  The opening sequence (set to Dylan’s “The Times They are a-Changing”) is outstanding as it efficiently and memorably lays a considerable amount of back story in just a few minutes. 

On the downside, not all the performances are on the same level.  Swedish-Canadian starlet Malin Akerman at times seems out of her depth as the emotionally overwrought Laurie Jupiter.  I also questioned the decision to cast 38 year old Carla Gugino as Laurie’s frail 70-something mother, who lives in a retirement community.  The “old age” makeup was unconvincing to me and as a result this character missed the mark by a wide margin. 

This said, these are relatively minor gripes.  On the whole, the film is very good.  Most of the performances are excellent and the plot-trimming from the graphic novel is largely understandable (although at times it can be a little heavy handed).  While fanboys may debate the merits of the surprise ending - which deviates from the book quite a bit- it succeeds in wrapping up the story in a believable way.  Even for those not familiar with the book, “Watchmen” is a worthwhile film that provides an engaging alternative take on the superhero genre.