Zack Snyder's most 'Zack Snyder' movie.

Rating: 6/10 (21 December 2019)

'Watchmen (2009)' is certainly a mixed bag. Some moments are great, some moments are poor and the end result resides somewhere in between. It's probably Zack Snyder's most 'Zack Snyder' movie, but it's also probably his best. Each and every moment feels obsessed with seeming 'cool', stretched out with Snyder's signature slow motion and visual tinkering. Most images resemble the panels of its source comic an impressive amount, comparable almost 1:1 in many cases. This gives the film its distinct style but it also causes it to feel oddly slow; it revels in each moment, rolling around in its self-serious visual splendour. It all feels rather self-congratulatory, constantly content with itself. While its imagery is definitely an achievement, it seems like the sole focus. The story is messy and structurally unsound, oddly paced and severely back-loaded. The majority of its runtime is dedicated to what's essentially exposition, as the piece makes a point of introducing the alternate-history world and satirical superhero characters that will be at stake in its final third. When things finally get going, it's rather interesting and enjoyable. Its relatively nuanced finale is only marred by the fact that its majority is conveyed through dialogue-based exposition. The antagonist reveals his entire plan in typically bad guy fashion, explaining his motivations to the characters and audience alike, while making a point of saying that he isn't a 'comic-book villain'. Luckily, it's rather intriguing and has a subversive payoff. The finale is probably the most cohesive part of the entire picture. The rest sort of feels cobbled together, comprised of clunky story and bone-cracking action. It also feels long, with several moments practically screaming to be cut (the final scene is detrimentally elongated by a random Ronald Reagan gag, for example). However, there are several set-pieces that practically burn themselves into your brain, remaining long after the plot has slipped from memory. A stand-out is Dr. Manhattan's always-happening origin story, which feels like a complete short in and of itself. It's this kind of storytelling that the movie excels at, even if it never quite trusts its audience. It seems to misunderstand the comic's satirical view, though; there are several incredibly earnest scenes that don't have a hint of irony. The character Nite Owl suffers the most from this, his earnest boy-scout dialogue being treated with the same scene-chewing sincerity as everyone else's. Wilson does a good job with what he has, though. So does Haley, who manages to deliver his purposely over-worked noir narration with conviction and confidence. Crudup does well playing a blue-skinned, god-like being losing touch with his humanity and Morgan manages to bring a slimy, sort of sickening charm to his near-comically evil character. Goode is good at hamming it up, Akerman is decent, if unremarkable, and Gugino is underused but as good as ever. The whole cast do a good job of elevating the affair's less successful moments but they can't quite save everything. There are some really cringe-worthy elements and, at times, the thing is almost boring. It's always just about engaging enough, though. In general, it's typically entertaining. Its traditionally 'superhero' action is well-conceived, if out of place, and its tone is typically consistent. Ultimately, the experience is too long and too uneven for its own good, but it's still a good effort, especially for an adaptation of an 'unfilmable' book. It's worth a watch. 6/10