We watch the Watchmen!

20 years after the night before

By Robert J. Sodaro

Watchmen: Rated “R” (163 Minutes)

Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley

Directed by: Zack Snyder

These are heroes?

Whether you were one of the folks who have waited for the release of the Watchmen film for the 20+ years since the DC Comicbook was initially in print, or you are going into the film with no understanding of who these characters are, where they came from, or even what the fuss was all about you are in for a treat. This is a very slick rendition of a funnybook series produced in a medium long thought of as kiddie fare.

To be sure, odds are that even if you have some understanding what this film is about, because you have read the comic sometime over the past 20 years that unless you actually read it when it first came out you can’t possibly appreciate why the production of it as a comicbook was back in the mid 80’s was such a watershed event unless you actually read it back in 1986.

A Comedian died tonight.

Watchmen is the very human story of a group of thoroughly dysfunctional group of people who acquired powers far beyond those of mortal men, put on spandex, but had no moral credo, no “with great power…” mantra by which to live. These folks are heroes in name only, they are morally bankrupt, emotionally immature, and (in the case of Rorschach) mentally unbalanced.

These are so not your father’s superheroes, there is no noble good in them, yes they fight people who are ostensibly criminals, but they themselves have no moral center. They are vain, petty, squabbling, opportunists who are mostly in this for their own glorification. Even the best of them are half a step off from being thugs and fascists themselves. They are brutal, vicious, and irresponsible. These are not heroes, but Vic Mackie’s Strike Team in spandex.

Befoe the Watchmen

Sure, sure we look to them and see Batman and Captain America and their brethren gone terribly, terribly wrong, but that is only the surface, the psychosis that is Watchmen goes deeper than that. Sure, we’ve seen bright and gaudy superheroes on screen, bright and shiny in their full metal jackets, and we’ve seen dark and brooding ones as well, but these are the guys and gals that allowed us to be able to get past our “all in color for a dime” roots.

The Watchmen are the illegitimate godparents of Heroes, Push, and yes, even the Dark Knight himself. If it wasn’t for the publication of this comic 20 years ago, so much of what we see in comicbooks (and comicbook movies) would not have been possible. Still, as for the film itself. It mirrors precisely my recollection of the comic itself. Yea, they left some stuff out (even tipping in at close to three hours), but all of the high points were hit, and this film is as close to what appeared in the comicbook that you are ever likely to get.

I truly enjoyed the film and urge anyone who has read the comic to go out to see it. Oh hell, go to see the film even if you didn’t read the comic. Then go out buy the comic, and read it anyway.

This entire article is copyright (c) 2009 Freelance Ink, All rights reserved. It cannot be reprinted without specific, written permission from the author.

Robert J. Sodaro has been writing professionally for over 20 years. During that time, his movie reviews and articles have appeared in numerous publications, as well as on the web; currently his reviews appear on the Web here and in print in More Sugar. Questions? Comments? Queries? Head over to PopThought’s film forum, log in, and have your own say.

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