Watchmen (2009)

Director:

Zack Snyder

Writers (WGA):

David Hayter (screenplay) and
Alex Tse (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

6 March 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

This city is afraid of me. I've seen its true face.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

1985 | Vigilante | Conspiracy | Murder | Investigation

Awards:

1 win & 12 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Aug. 6	1:20 AM	MAX
Wed. Aug. 11	3:40 PM	MAX

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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

Also Known As:

"Watchmen: The IMAX Experience" - USA (IMAX version)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language. (also director's cut and ultimate edition)

Runtime:

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

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44894) | Czech Republic:15 | Australia:MA | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | Netherlands:16 | Ireland:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:R21 | Singapore:M18 (edited for re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Ireland:16 (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Germany:16 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Japan:R-15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Portugal:M/16 | France:-12 | Iceland:16 | Hong Kong:IIB (cut version) | Hong Kong:III (IMAX DMR version) | Italy:VM14 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:16 | Peru:18 | Mexico:C | USA:R (director's cut) (certificate #45165) | USA:R (Ultimate edition) (certificate #45166) | Denmark:15 | Austria:16 | South Africa:16LV | Chile:18 (original rating) | Chile:Y7 (re-rating) | Malaysia:18PL

Filming Locations:

Bloedel Floral Conservatory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Popular John F. Kennedy assassination-conspiracy-theory suggests that the President was killed by a bullet fired from the front; specifically, from a fence behind a grassy knoll; also that three transients arrested soon after Kennedy's murder are said to be the "additional assassins". The opening montage portrays the Comedian delivering the fatal bullet from the grassy knoll's fence dressed in the same outfit as one of the "3 Tramps" as they were famously photographed. The puff of gun smoke said to have been seen, turns out to be Blake's cigar smoke. At Blake's funeral, the soundtrack plays "The Sound of Silence" by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel, a song reportedly inspired by national emotional trauma from the Kennedy murder.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the main titles, Nite Owl stands up and his head completely covers the "1940" on the sign behind him. In all subsequent shots of the photograph of "Minutemen 1940" the banner hangs unobstructed above his head.

Quotes:

Doug Roth:Mr. Veidt, to date, you're one of only two Watchmen ever to reveal their true identity to the world, the first being Hollis Mason. And you've certainly profited greatly by it turning your superhero alter ego, Ozymandias, into a billion-dollar industry: toys, lunchboxes, genetic engineering. I understand there's a movie in the works.
Adrian Veidt:I'm not hearing a question, Mr. Roth.
Doug Roth:I'm sorry. Do you think...
Adrian Veidt:The other Watchmen resent me for prostituting their struggle? It's a fair question. Yes, it's crossed my mind some of my old colleagues might see it that way, just as you're clearly aware that biased journalism sells more magazines. The merchandising arm of Veidt Industries is funding our work with Dr. Manhattan. We recently expanded our research facility in Antarctica in the hope of developing cheap, renewable sources of energy that we might eliminate the world's reliance on fossil fuels. Now, it doesn't take a political scientist to see that our Cold War with the Russians isn't ideological - it's based upon fear. Fear of not having enough. But if we make resources infinite... ah... we make war obsolete. I would hope the other Watchmen understand that. Wherever they may be. Thanks for your time.
Dan Dreiberg:You look good, Adrian.
Adrian Veidt:Dan. It's been too long. So Rorschach thinks someone's hunting the Watchmen, huh?
Dan Dreiberg:You think it's possible?
Adrian Veidt:Statistically, one murder doesn't equal a trend. Rorschach's a sociopath, Dan. And so was the Comedian. He was practically a Nazi. You know that better than anyone.
Dan Dreiberg:I'm not here because I miss him.
Adrian Veidt:It's occurred to Rorschach that we're the only ones who know each other's identities.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Features "Jeopardy!" (1984)

Soundtrack:

Pruit Igoe

Watchmen is a fascinating graphic novel adaptation that deserves to be seen by anybody that likes their movies complex, dark, and absorbing.

Watchmen is the long-awaited graphic novel adaptation that has for a long time been deemed un-filmable. There have been many different points over the years where this movie was supposed to be made, which always ended up not happening. But now Watchmen is finally here in all its glory, and it's probably the best adaptation possible of this complex graphic novel. The story takes place in an alternative 1985, with Nixon beginning his third term as president, and the streets of New York are gritty, dark, and violent. Within New York lives a group of costumed heroes that used to be loved by society, but are now hated by practically everybody. One night a depressed retired hero named The Comedian is murdered by a masked person that breaks into his apartment. Another hero named Rorschach, who wears a mask with shifting ink blots, believes that someone is picking off costumed heroes to begin their own agenda of destruction. Rorschach begins investigating and hunting down the person that is responsible for The Comedian's death. Meanwhile we meet another hero who glows blue, and has almost literally become a God. His name is Dr. Manhattan, and although he has the power to save the world he won't do it because he has lost many of his human emotions. The other main costumed heroes are Night Owl and Silk Spectre, who begin to fall in love amid the chaos of their secret lives. Any other attempt to describe the complex plot of this movie would be nearly impossible.

Watchmen was an extremely complex graphic novel filled with a lot of flawed costumed characters, strong plot, powerful sense of style, and also contained a world that seems a little too close to our own. The movie carries every one of these elements in the best way it possibly could. It stays true to the novel, and only changes a few details. The memorable characters are very well portrayed and acted as well. Dr. Manhattan (the giant blue guy) is played very well by Billy Crudup, who manages to keep the character interesting despite his emotionless attitude. Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre II), Patrick Wilson (Night Owl II), and Matthew Goode (Adrian Veidt) are also very good in their roles. However the two actors that truly help add depth and a real sense of anger to the film are Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian, and Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Rorschach was probably my favorite character because technically he's not really a hero at all. He's a psychopath with harmful and destructive behavior, even though in a way he's trying to do what he believes is right for the world. He is a fascinating character with his shape-shifting mask full of ink blots that mirror his personality.

The movie takes place in 1985 and mimics what was happening back then. Watchmen's story revolves around the threat of nuclear war and global destruction, and the characters mostly try to do the right thing for the world but have trouble seeing the point in doing so. This is a great film that stays true to the original graphic novel while transitioning its style, characters, chain of events, and storyline from page-to-screen the best it possibly could. However if you're not familiar with the source material you may find yourself confused by this movie. It's not like The Dark Knight where everybody that goes to see it knows who Batman and the Joker are. These characters are not as famous as those types of household name characters, and may be hard for someone's whose never read the novel to understand. Personally I only read a few chapters before I saw the movie, and I thought the movie was incredible. I always give a movie props for not taking the easy way out by spoon-feeding everything to the audience. The book, as well as the movie, was daring by taking of the risk of being complex and making you think for a change. Watchmen is a great movie, and despite its long running time of 163 minutes, I never found it boring at all. Watchmen is a fascinating graphic novel adaptation that deserves to be seen by anybody that likes their movies complex, dark, and absorbing.