Watchmen (2009) – REVIEW

by Jordache Wee

Release Date: March 5, 2009
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Music by: Tyler Bates
Starring: Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Matt Frewer, Stephen McHattie, Laura Mennell, John Shaw, Robert Wisden, Danny Woodburn, Niall Matter, Dan Payne, Apollonia Vanova, Glenn Ennis, Daryl Scheelar, Doug Chapman, Patrick Sabongui, Alessandro Juliani

An alternate timeline where masked and costumed heroes fought against crime that the police could not have done. In the late 1930s, a band of costume vigilantes called The Minutemen was formed. Many years later, a second generation of costume heroes were formed, they are the Watchmen.

The Minutemen

President Richard Nixon (Robert Wisden) becomes president for the third term, when John F. Kennedy was shot by Edward “Eddie” Blake/The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). The American won the Vietnam War with the help of a walking blue nuclear deterrent known as Jonathan Osterman/Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup).

The Watchmen

By early 1980s, the Keene Act was passed and announced that there will be no costume heroes except police enforcers taking care of the public welfare. But the uprising Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union has turn into a nuclear threat.

On October 12, 1985 – The Comedian died. He was thrown from an unknown figure from his apartment against the bullet-glass-frame. The police investigates and suggest that it was a robbery and also probably he was murdered by government forces because he probably was from Black Ops.

After the police and detectives left the crime scene, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) went to further investigate at The Comedian’s apartment. But found nothing. He went over to Daniel Dreiberg’s (Patrick Wilson) home and help himself with some beans. Daniel is the second generation Nite Owl known as Nite Owl II while the first was Hollis Mason (Stephen McHattie), whom he often visit for drinking session.

Rorschach informs Daniel that The Comedian has been murdered and the possibility of that someone is trying to eradicate the members of Watchmen.  He also inform and warns Doctor Manhattan and Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre II (Malin Åkerman) at the Rockefeller Military Research Center.

The next day, Daniel went over to inform Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), who later dismisses it. Doctor Manhattan, Laurie Jupiter and Daniel Dreiberg were present at Blake’s funeral. Each of them recalls working with The Comedian and his finest words ever been told to them on the surrounding changes in America.

After the funeral, Doctor Manhattan is invited for an interview session regarding the Soviet’s nuclear threats and ambitions. But was intervened by another news reporter who brought up his past about his laboratory friend, Wally Weaves, who died of cancer and his ex-girlfriend Janey Slater (Laura Mennell) was also having cancer, suggesting that he was the cause of cancer. Doctor Manhattan fled to Mars avoiding various questions.

Jonathan Osterman/Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup)

Soon, Laurie broke up with Doctor Manhattan for not paying attention to her and drifting out of touch for his focus on his work than her. Laurie went over to Daniel’s home and have intimate moments. Soon the two decided to don the costume once more to save innocent people.

While Rorschach was framed and arrested in prison for the murder of Edgar Jacobi/Moloch (Matt Frewer) along with the other crooks he put in prison with. Daniel and Laurie rescued Rorschach and returns to Daniel’s home.

Doctor Manhattan appears in Daniel’s basement and took Laurie away to Mars because Laurie plans to convince him to neutralize the Soviet invasion. But he has no interest and he reveals to her that The Comedian was her father.

The Soviet Union has invade Afghanistan and is prepared with 51,000 nuclear missiles. Doctor Manhattan and Laurie returns to New York to find the city has collapsed due to the artificial energies produced when he landed in New York. He realized that this is Adrian’s doing.

At Antarctica, Adrian is well-prepared when Nite Owl II and Rorschach sneak-attack at him. He told them that in order to save billions, he sacrifice millions. Rorschach disagreed with this idea. Doctor Manhattan and Laurie teleported to Adrian’s lair. At first, Doctor Manhattan disagreed but he agrees after he rethink over this matter when he saw the news that United States and Soviet Union are no longer at war and they have a common enemy who is Doctor Manhattan.

However, Rorschach still disagrees and decided to tell the whole world that peace is built on a lie. He is then vaporized by Doctor Manhattan. Daniel and Lauries leaves Adrian and start a new life.

Reviewer’s Note:
Another great graphic novel by Alan Moore has turn into a film.

Just like 300, Zack Snyder gives us a comic feel and the classic slow motion. The colors and lighting plays an important role building up this prominent characters.

What’s more interesting is they followed exactly like the comic book. But not everything is place in one basket. It’s just a beautiful film.

I’m glad my it didn’t ruin my favorite comic book! You just have to sit back and enjoy Watchmen! It’s like they are in an alternate Earth with no superheroes but costume heroes with extra strength and feat to battle bad guys.

When The Comedian was thrown from a his apartment from many storeys high. Rorschach went into investigation. The police said it could be a robbery. But that’s bollocks! The Comedian couldn’t get robbed by small punks.

Rorschach is an outlaw vigilante known for his inkblot mask. He is agile and quick in investigating, he’s like Dick Tracy. And he did mention about Dick Tracy but the other way. He warned Nite Owl II  – a retired Watchmen member.

In the film he has the looks of that Christopher Reeves’ version of Clark Kent. And yes he kinda nerdy. He has a secret basement which was an old railway block which is abandoned and linked to the sea surface: that’s where Archie (Archimedes) ship is.

The discovery of Rorschach has yet to be fruitful but there is a possible chance that the government murdered Eddie Blake (The Comedian) since he’s been working as a legal and registered superhero after the Keene Act was pass in ’77.

There were many flashbacks on Eddie’s past such as being the assassin who shot JFK (President John F. Kennedy). Making President Richard Nixon survived for 3 election terms as
president.

The film too chronicles real-life events such as the Vietnam war and the Gulag war among the USSR and Afghanistan. Watchmen team changes the real history making the Americans won the World War and Vietnam war and held as peacemaker.

Each character has a past to tell and has their own agenda especially multi-billionaire of the Veidt Corporations owned by Adrian Veidt who also reveals the world his true identity.