Newspaper Review

Rating: 8/10 (5 June 2010)

A Different Breed of Hero
Although casual moviegoers were probably looking forward to seeing Zach Snyder's new graphic novel adaptation for about a month or so, devotees of Alan Moore's original masterpiece have been eager to see it for far longer than that. The recent work of cinema known as Watchmen has drawn people (admittedly mostly males) from all groups of society, probably in part because of the skill with which Snyder forged his last epic, 300. What some of them don't know is that Moore is also the author behind a handful of other great movies, including V for Vendetta and From Hell. But many of the people who spent the cost of a theater ticket may have been surprised and possibly disappointed, as Watchmen is far from being a standard "superhero" movie.
The film takes place in an alternate 1980's America, where Richard Nixon is elected for a third term, and vigilantes in costumes protect citizens from the criminal element. The story, told primarily through flashbacks, revolves around several of these "heroes," including the socially-inept Night Owl, the psychotic yet surprisingly winning Rorschach (played brilliantly by Jackie Earle Haley), and the luminescent, omnipotent, and nearly omniscient Dr. Manhattan (portrayed by Billy Crudup). The action is set off by a fight scene in which an aged, but still quite powerful member of the Watchmen called The Comedian is thrown out of his twentieth floor apartment window by an unidentified attacker. Rorschach, a film noir-style hard-boiled detective, spends the rest of the film investigating the crime and searching for what he believes to be a "mask killer" who is out to murder former heroes.
Unlike the more recognizable heroes of Marvel and DC, none of the Watchmen, as the team is called, seem particularly heroic in any portion of the film. Rorschach maims and kills multiple people, and the Comedian is revealed to have been both a murderer and rapist. The brilliant thing about Moore's work in the book as well as the film is that it's almost a dark satire about what kind of person would want to dress up in a costume and "beat up the bad guys." The viewers who "don't get it" are too used to the standard superhero formula: a normal person suddenly gains new powers and uses them responsibly to fight for truth, justice, and other unrealistic American ideals such as those. Watchmen, however, intentionally goes against that stereotype. Instead of flawless protectors of the peace, you get a group of crazy people in long underwear who commit many of the crimes that the public expects them to thwart. It may sound somewhat disingenuous, but the truth is that "heroes" are defined by what they do, not what abilities they have, as best illustrated in the character of Night Owl. Daniel Dreiberg (Nite Owl's secret identity) is irritatingly timid and romantically inept, but when he dons his mask, he becomes, at least in his mind, something more than a man, and is capable of committing great deeds for both society and his girlfriend. His companions are realistic as well, because for every shy guy who has to wear a mask to be a hero, there would be at least two or three psychopaths under similar guises. Then there's Dr. Manhattan, a true superhero who can manipulate all matter in the universe. But unlike Superman, a champion whose most prevalent weakness (other than Kryptonite of course) is that he cares about humankind, Dr. Manhattan has little interest in our race and its everyday problems. This lack of sympathy is not particularly surprising in someone with the powers of a god. Manhattan is so aloof from the rest of humanity that he doesn't even feel the need to wear clothes (if you don't want to see Billy Crudup's obviously computer-enhanced physique, close your eyes).
Alan Moore derived the title from the Latin phrase Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?—translation: Who watches the watchmen? The expression questions who should have the highest authority, a theme explored in this film, as you observe those who should be humanity's protectors and what they would really do with the powers they possess. So who watches the watchmen? According to the first few weeks of ticket sales, apparently 500 million Americans. Overall, the movie was very interesting, both in the way it nit together real historical events and fictional comic book heroics, and through the intelligence it carries through most of the film, including the new climax. Still, Moore makes you question the superhero genre, forcing you rethink how well the whole "masked vigilantes" thing would work for society, and leaves you pondering a deep philosophical conundrum about whether the ends justify the means. But even for (or maybe especially for) fans of the book, it would have to be considered "ok" rather than "good." Visually it was somewhere between 300 and Sin City, but its tone, which flits between subtle contemplation and ultra-violence, may remind you more of V for Vendetta. Unfortunately, there wasn't a really strong sense of who each of the characters were, due primarily to the absence of several essential scenes from the graphic novel, including a final conversation between Dr. Manhattan and another important hero named Ozymandias that brings some closure to story. Still, if you're interested in comics, their movie adaptations, and American culture, I certainly recommend Watchmen in the theaters. If not, save your money and watch it on TV (just not with a parent or younger sibling).