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Few comic book properties being adapted into the medium of film draw as much fantard enthusiasm, skepticism, and scrutiny as does Watchmen, the beloved graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Gibbons about ex-costumed vigilantes searching for answers after one of their kind is murdered, only to discover that it is a small piece of something bigger and much more terrifying than they initially thought.  The book has long languished in the depths of development hell, with directors such as Terry Gilliam, Paul Greengrass, and Darren Aronofsky having been attached before Zack Snyder came on board immediately after his unexpected blockbuster 300, another famed graphic novel adaptation.  A friend of mine gave me a copy of the Watchmen comic years ago, enthusiastically recommending that I give it a try.  It was a fascinating read, containing a story that transcended the medium by deconstructing the conventions the costumed superhero, a uniquely American concept that could only be taken apart and examined under the comic-book literary microscope by an outsider, that outsider being Alan Moore, who hails from the United Kingdom.  That being said, I probably don’t hold the book as near and dear as most, however its greatness is something I most certainly acknowledge.  Seeing the film has shown me that it’s high time that I crack it open once again.

Much has been said about the talents of Zack Snyder (for better and for worse) since the release of the 300, and I’m sure more will be said once this movie comes out on Friday.  Snyder first attracted notice for directing 2004’s Dawn of the Dead, a remake that was initially considered to be an act of heresy by most, but won over fans and non-fans alike with its quirky sense of humor, a wit that can be credited to its writer, James Gunn.  After two dormant years, the trailer for 300 shook the Internet with its marriage of gloriously masculine (read: homoerotic) visuals and the music of Nine Inch Nails.  Ultimately divisive among fans, it set Snyder’s approach to comic book material in stone, an approach that essentially involves using the artwork from the comic as storyboards, the same idea employed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller when they adapted Sin City.  Snyder applies the same technique in Watchmen, recreating many of the most striking frames of the comic book with great care, and this is usually where the movie is at its best.

The trouble with Snyder’s direction is that he is too much of a visual stylist, and his attempts to wow the audience visually often comes at the expense of the story.  His talents come through for the better during the incredible opening credit sequence, which makes fantastic use of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” as well as during many of the key sequences from the graphic novel, such as the scenes where the main characters flashback to their memories of the psychotic Comedian at his funeral.  Unfortunately they also manage to bog down the story when he overindulges in the gee-whiz factor of the obligatory (but often pointless) superheroes-kicking-ass action scenes, often speeding up and slowing down the action which frequently ends up messing with the flow of certain scenes, causing the maneuvers on screen to look almost like parody.  Snyder’s stylistic touches reach their nadir during what is probably one of the worst sex scenes ever committed to film.  If you thought the sexual-position montage in 300 was silly, brace yourself for the one aboard Nite Owl’s ship set to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”  It’s a doozy.

Even when the movie gets bogged down in its visual bullshit, the majesty of the source material can’t help but come through.  Walking out of the movie I was obviously bothered by its problems, but I was also thrilled with what the movie got right.  Some of the performances are fantastic, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian and Jackie Earle Haley as the uncompromising fan favorite Rorschach being the standouts.  Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan is also worth mentioning, as is his big blue dong, which is proudly on display during most of his scenes (it took a great deal of self-control to keep from slaying the audience members who wouldn’t stop making bitchy quips every time his character chose to not wear any pants).  Crudup plays the god-like character with a soft-spoken, detached ambivalence that really brings the memorable creation to life in a charming manner.  Most of the other performances are merely serviceable, although Robert Wisden, the guy that played President Nixon, is no Frank Langella.

I’ll be very interested to see how fans and non-fans alike react to this movie once it comes out.  Like The Dark Knight, this is a superhero movie that has some weight behind it and isn’t just out there to give you your thrills and spills while your brain waits for you at the bar next door.  Snyder definitely respects the source material, even when his execution leaves something to be desired, and for that I can’t help but tip my hat to it.  It’s not the great movie that fans are certainly hoping for, but the passion and ambition behind it come through, which is enough for me to look forward to the second viewing — but not quite as much as I look forward to the second reading.

Edited by Matt Schneider