The doomsday clock is ticking for Watchmen fans. Director Zach Snyder’s adaptation of the graphic novel was once said to be “unfilmable” by many, and they may prove to be right.
The opening credits immediately hint that Watchmen is not the film audiences expected or even wanted. It is questionable whether or not Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A’Changin’,” played in the opening credits, truthfully found a proper place in this film, but the film’s soundtrack admirably shows Snyder’s dedication to the writers’ vision on most levels.
Having that said, Watchmen is full of the blood, sex, violence and suspense the 1986 novel portrayed. Most will find themselves thrown into the story after having seen Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) or heard the first of Rorschach’s hauntingly dark journal entries. Simply put, Watchmen succeeds in pleasing the “fan boy” population by staying true to Alan Moore’s and Dave Gibbons’ iconic phenomenon to the best of its ability.
The film shows its unexpected but creative edge during a hilariously brilliant montage featuring The Comedian, a flamethrower and the amusingly inappropriate song “I’m Your Boogeyman” provided by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. It is these instances that will strike viewers as odd, but surprisingly likeable — obviously fitting for the Comedian. They’re amusing embellishments, but unexpected.
The occasionally rushed, constant transitioning between story lines rarely allows the audience to sympathize for the characters, including Rorschach. Patrick Wilson’s portrayal of Dan Dreiberg/ Nite Owl II is believable enough, staying true to the character’s quiet and calm nature. But the intensity the rest of the film tries to deliver is all too often dragged down by the completely miscast Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre II, at right) and Matthew Goode (Ozymandias).
Rorschach serves as the cast’s saving grace along with several notable moments featuring The Comedian. Jackie Haley’s Rorschach portrayal is confident enough for viewers to look past his cheesy ruggedness and simply enjoy his witty sarcastic undertone.
Fans will leave the theater not discussing the film’s strengths, but rather how the strengths of the graphic novel were or were not properly adapted. Those unfamiliar with the Watchmen universe may leave compelled to pick up the graphic novel which they will likely favor.
However, Snyder’s 163-minute feature responsibly used the limited time it had by properly selecting the more significant moments from the graphic novel. Snyder’s Watchmen is not The Dark Knight of 2009, nor is it Marvel’s Iron Man. However, Watchmen is probably still as faithful of a comic-book adaptation as writers Gibbons and Moore could have imagined. It is the lackluster performances of particularly Akerman and Goode that hinder Watchmen from becoming extraordinary.
Grant O’Brien can be reached at [email protected].
