Watchmen: Krenz

"Never compromise. Even in the face of Armageddon."

Okay, so if you are a part of the geek mind set in this country in the slightest, you knew it was coming months and months in advance. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's comic masterpiece take to the silver screen in one of the most highly anticipated adaptations of all time. How did this bar of high expectation fare once the film finally played in theaters nationwide this weekend?

When I first heard of the Watchmen, I knew nothing about the comic. I didn't know it existed. In fact, when I saw the first trailer, I thought Watchmen was about one guy who was a super hero dick who didn't want to save people. ("I whisper, 'No'") Then it came to light that there was this comic turned graphic novel, and a film adaptation has been in production hell for over 20 years. My interest peeked. Eventually I got a hold of the novel, began reading it, and before you know it I had Watchmen fever.

I'm not going to lie, I was damn excited for this flick. It's directed by Zack Snyder, the man who brought to life 300. If you aren't a fan of 300 you don't have any testicles. It was an R-Rated superhero flick, meaning sex, violence, the usual course of interest keepers in movies today. It seemed unable to disappoint.

And I was right. This movie was practically flawless in it's adaptation of the comic. Having finished the comic 24 hours prior to seeing the film, I was watching out for anything ghastly different to ruin the ebb and flow of the heros' converging story lines. They were all expertly crafted together in a nearly seamless fashion. What changes were implemented were done only to better translate the message into a new medium, and they weren't anywhere near unwarranted.


The editing in this film was great. The actors portrayed their parts with near perfection. I especially enjoyed Rorschach's film portrayal, and to hear his voice narrate his journal was amazing. I was surprised but not upset by the choice of how to make Dr. Manhattan sound. In reading the novel, I gave Doc a deep god-like voice, something that would seem to pierce all layers of the universe at once. The filmmakers went for a more Hal-esque sound, making me think Doc Manhattan was more of a computer than a being that transcends reality. All the other parts were cast remarkably well, resembling their comic counterparts in every detail.

The soundtrack in this film was different, but well done. It consisted of more lyrical tracks than ambient noise, making the movie less orchestral in sound. The special effects were interesting, though I do have one complaint. Certain scenes with Dr. Manhattan seemed too animated. Some of the textures in the CGI revealed it to be CGI way too easily, much like the final scene in the Matrix Revolutions. It felt less a part of the film, and more like an effect. The point of an effect is to make it not look an effect was used.


In the end, however, the film did not disappoint. I went and saw it with my lady friend, who didn't read the comic, and she greatly enjoyed the film as well. It seems like a home run for fans and non-fans alike. It is my personal recommendation that you close your laptop, turn off your monitor, or get off of your iPhone, and drive to the nearest theatre to see it. Immediately. Like, right now. I'll wait, it's okay.

...

Are you back? Good. Did you like it. I knew you would. You're welcome.

"All the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'Save us!' And I'll whisper 'no'. "