Quick DVD Review: Watchmen

My movie viewing habits have been off to say the least over the last few months. During the time leading up to becoming a first time dad, my priorities began to change. So much so that I just now got around to watching a movie I’ve dreamed of seeing for over 15 years…Watchmen.

Loyal readers will know that I’m not only a film geek but a comic book geek. Watchmen is one of my all time favorite stories and I’ve followed all the twists, turns, and false starts as it’s transitioned to the silver screen over the years. While I never saw 300 I was apprehensive when Zack Snyder was announced as the director simply because he was an unknown to me who seemed to value style over substance. That apprehension quickly dissipated over the last year when footage began to air and when news emerged that Snyder chose to cast relative no names in the leads. I never could quite see Brad Pitt in a fat suit playing Night Owl II. The first trailer set to a classic Smashing Pumpkins tune had me very excited as it seemed Snyder was going to be very true to the book. Turns out he was and it still wasn’t good enough.

Watchmen the movie is a faithful adaptation that leaves you devoid of feeling while still marveling at the skill of the filmmakers. Count me as a fan of Zack Snyder as I truly think the man did everything he could to make this book translate to screen. My only complaint in the production was the over the top use of pop music to indicate shifts in time. On the plus side, the cinematography is brilliant. The cast strong and the flow of a difficult narrative is pulled off. The shot for panel match ups are amazing. My jaw dropped as I see every panel of the comic brought to motion. Notice I say motion and not life. The film feels very mechanical and lacks soul. I really don’t think you can blame Snyder or the cast I think this was just an unwinnable job. The book is dense and the characters are drawn far deeper than most in comics. While the film does deviate on some plot points, I think the changes work and are certainly not the cause of the failure of the film. I’m coping out a bit here as I have not firm reason for the lack of emotions the film produces. It just doesn’t connect but I think huge kudos go to Snyder for trying.