Looking at and past the divisiveness, so I can see more

Rating: 7/10 (18 March 2020)

Among all films adapted from the world of comic books or graphic novels, this one has been considered one of the most divisive of them all, however, among the divisiveness I believe there is still something quite enjoyable and entertaining about this film. The divisiveness is understandable and I can get while people give this film a hard time. One of most commonly heard reasons behind the divisiveness is its faithfulness to the graphic novel or attempt at it. While there are maybe some problems with it, I can't help but admire some the positives in it.
I have to admire Zack Snyder with his effort to make this adaptation a reality. Comic book and graphic novels are not always very easy to do so, especially when it comes to something as highly regarded as Watchmen. I admit that I saw the film first before reading the graphic novel, but it did give me push to go and read it. The graphic novel is one of the best things I've read- massive complexity to its plot, thematic depth, dark/gritty comic book world, interesting use of colors, and dimensional characters. A lot of these elements can be seen in the Snyder's film adaptation- some are achieved while others are partially done, yet we also get some of Snyder's distinct cinematic style adding a new element to this adventurous adaptation. Going back to the general complaint about the film being "too faithful" to its original source material, I find that partially true. While the majority of the film does greatly resemble the graphic novel on a visual and narrative standpoint but does stray away some. The graphic novel is full of thought provoking themes and ideas the story involves itself with each page you flip to next, however, Snyder's film does try to invoke those same elements I mentioned a second ago, but only goes to a short distance when telling them. Another way of saying it could be that it's only on the surface level rather than wanting to dive deeper. Another thing I would like to mention since we live in the time of Marvel's Cinematic Universe, Watchmen doesn't try to sugar coat itself or lessen the darkness of it simply to fit a wider audience- mainly family and kid oriented target audiences. Just because it comes from a comic book doesn't mean it needs to sacrifice what made it so infamous and groundbreaking in order to fit a traditional formulated type film so that it pleases a general audience/make a quick buck.
Snyder manages to find a way to somewhat balance itself in its plot in order to get as much of Moore's original storyline but not feel like its leaving out too much or obviously rushing. The color I will say does tend to differ a lot from the graphic novel, in which it appears more colorful while the film goes for a more darker tone in the sense of color with the occasional pop of color(mainly from Dr. Manhattan). Following Zack Snyder's trademark use of slow motion, several moments in the film are enhanced by the visually impressive technique allow audiences(more for those who have read the graphic novel) to mentally visualize moments from the graphic novel as if they literally leaped out of their panels/coming alive. Production value exceeds very well in capturing the right look and feel of the world the Watchmen inhabit. Like any other comic book related film, when it comes down to the costumes and outfits for the characters there are a lot to consider or discuss. In the case of this film, the costumes for some characters remain identical to the original graphic novel's designs drawn by Dave Gibbons, while others were changed, some of it border-lining on campiness, yet it doesn't feel like it's done without good taste. The major addition to the film by Zack Snyder was the opening title sequence, which I found to be such an immersive visual tool throwing the audience directly into the world they are about to see. Not just the sheer visual images being presented on the screen are immersive, but Bob Dylan's song "The Times They Are A-Changin" perfectly compliments each moment in the sequence showing that times are changing both literally and metaphorically. This sequence I'm glad is in the film and strongly believe that the film wouldn't be same without it.
The main ensemble cast consisting of Jackie Earle Haley, Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Goode, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan- come together to bring their characters to life right out of the graphic novel. The one character I'm most impressed with and found to be an awesome portrayal was Dr. Manhattan played by Billy Crudup. Out of the main characters Dr. Manhattan is by far my favorite of the Watchmen. There's such a rich emotional complexity and depth to the character, which Crudup completely immersed himself as that god-like figure struggling to balance his humanity and intellectual understanding. I think throughout the film a considerate amount of time was given to developing Dr. Manhattan character, which gave us the opportunity to see all his dimensions(sides). Besides the performance itself, the effort put into making Dr. Manhattan visually impressive as he comes off as an actual person/character on the screen rather than appear as just another one of many visual effects.
Watchmen is definitely something to admire about when it comes to adapting such an infamous piece of work from another medium. Again it does not completely matchup to Alan Moore and Davie Gibbon's graphic novel, but it does have a good number of positive qualities worth cheering about. Overall Star Rating: 7.6-7.7/10