Watchmen (2009)

In an alternate 1985 where former superheroes exist, the murder of a colleague sends active vigilante Rorschach into his own sprawling investigation, uncovering something that could completely change the course of history as we know it.

Director:

Zack Snyder

Writers:

David Hayter (screenplay), Alex Tse (screenplay),

Stars:

Malin Akerman, Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson

5 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Malin Akerman	...	Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II
Billy Crudup	...	Dr. Manhattan / Jon Osterman
Matthew Goode	...	Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Rorschach
Jeffrey Dean Morgan	...	Edward Blake / Comedian
Patrick Wilson	...	Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl
Carla Gugino	...	Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre
Matt Frewer	...	Moloch
Stephen McHattie	...	Hollis Mason
Laura Mennell	...	Janey Slater
Rob LaBelle	...	Wally Weaver
Gary Houston	...	John McLaughlin
James M. Connor	...	Pat Buchanan (as James Micheal Connor)
Mary Ann Burger	...	Eleanor Clift
John Shaw	...	Doug Roth

Storyline

In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so discover a deeper and far more diabolical plot.

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Plot Keywords:

vigilante | murder | investigation | conspiracy | usa | 

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Taglines:

Who will save us now? (DVD tagline)

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Genres:

Action | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Watchmen: The IMAX Experience

Filming Locations:

Bloedel Floral Conservatory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$130,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£3,243,001 (UK) (6 March 2009)

Gross:

$107,503,316 (USA) (22 May 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Legendary Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

162 min 186 min (Director's Cut) 215 min (Ultimate Cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Zack Snyder cast actors younger than their characters because of the large number of flashbacks in the story. Snyder decided that make-up and special effects artists would have an easier time making actors look older, rather than younger. Carla Gugino (born 1971), 37 while filming, plays the 64-year-old mother of Malin Akerman (born 1978), who in turn is supposed to be younger than the character of Laura Mennell (born 1980). Jeffrey Dean Morgan, however, was not deemed able to play a 16-year-old, so it was decided to change the Comedian's birth year from 1924 to 1918. Jackie Earle Haley, 47, played Rorschach, 45 in the book. The Rorschach newscast gives his age as 35, but this is a character error, as all other chronology in the film indicates that Rorschach is 45, not 35.

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Goofs

If you look closely at all the framed newspaper articles, especially in the opening credits, the articles themselves are just series of repeating texts and paragraphs. However, this may be intentional, as it is a convention in comic books/graphic novels for "minor text" to appear as scribbles or repeating text.

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Quotes

Rorschach: You keep calling me Walter. I don't like you.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits themselves often cast shadows in the frame that correspond with the flashes from photographer's bulbs.

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Connections

References The Simpsons: D'oh-in' in the Wind (1998)

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Soundtracks

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
Written by Chris Hughes, Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley
Performed by Studio Group
Courtesy of Mascara Music & More
Under license from Licensemusic.com ApS

User Reviews

The greatest superhero story ever told.

Watchmen turned out to be an engrossing film, one definitely worth seeing. I have to say, I wasn't enthusiastic about watching it at first. It's based on the great graphic novel by Alan Moore. It's widely considered to be the best graphic novel ever. Films adapted form great literary works usually don't turn out well. The film also didn't have a big budget. More money was thrown at making Iron Man (2008) and The Dark Knight (2008), for example. This doesn't matter though because Watchmen surpasses all comic book films in terms of professionalism. Zack Snyder is a good action director. Just watch 300 (2007) for proof. With Watchmen he demonstrated that he is just a good director overall. He works well with actors. The acting in the film is almost universally excellent. Everyone gets to shine. Even Malin Akerman had her moments. Not one character feels like a throwaway. All this is further complimented by the good choices in costumes. No one can deny that the heroes in Watchmen look cool. The CGI is excellent too. Be it Doctor Manhattan or Nite Owl's airship, everything looks just right. Snyder staged some truly impressive dramatic scenes. The use of music is inspired. The score by Tyler Bates is obviously fitting, but the choices in songs may surprise some people. I, however, think that the songs are just right. It was good to hear Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changing" at the beginning and Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan" at the end. What made me like the film even more is its cinematography by Larry Fong. The look of each decade was captured perfectly. The 1980s are somewhat dark in the film's alternate reality though. Nuclear war seems close, and society is sick. To all this is added the sweet look that's also present in the graphic novel. There are many images in Watchmen that are memorable, even unforgettable. There are so many interesting details that I couldn't wait to watch the film more than once to pick up what I missed on first viewing. Thankfully, Snyder didn't change the politics and observations of the graphic novel for the film. Some parts are missing but the endeavour is still a thought-provoking two-and-a-half hours. Plus, it has a clear narrative. This is a comic book film for mature audiences. It stands above other comic book films because it's smart and because it tackles some of the most important issues, even mankind's existence. Watchmen was expertly made, there is a lot to like about it. I respect it and I like it more than any other superhero motion picture. It gets a high recommendation from me.