‘Watchmen’

Rated R

Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Malin Akerman

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Directed by Zack Snyder

Runtime: 162 minutes

Grade: B

It’s been fifteen years since ‘Watchmen’ was first announced as a movie. In those 15 years, the world went through three Presidents and a torrent of social change, yet ‘Watchmen’ remained as prevalent and beautiful a graphic novel that has ever been written.

It has long been said that the novel is unfilmable, and it would be impossible to convey the scope of the graphic novel in a single film. Director Zack Snyder, along with writers David Hayter and Alex Tse, has finally done what has long been thought to be impossible.

Their efforts are certainly a sight to behold. Though the ‘Watchmen’ film doesn’t approach the heights of the comic book, it’s a fascinating and dense film that will most likely reward repeat viewings. There’s a tremendous amount of things happening in this almost three hour film, and its loyalty to the comic book means fans of the graphic novel will eat it up.

The plot is quite difficult to describe, as it is enormously complex and filled with subplots, but the impetus is the murder of The Comedian (Morgan), who was once a masked vigilante on the streets of New York. The film takes place in an alternate universe, where it’s 1985, Nixon has been President since the 70’s, and the US stands on the brink of nuclear war with Russia. Another masked hero, Rorshach (Haley) begins to investigate the murder and believes there is a plot to destroy the masked heroes of old. He warns three former heroes, Nite Owl (Wilson) Silk Spectre II (Akerman) and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) that they could be next on the chopping block. Meanwhile, the only true superhero of the group, Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), a giant blue man with super human ability, is facing the fact that he has become disconnected with humanity, and that he may be the only hope to stop nuclear war.

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This barely even begins to scratch the surface of what happens next, but fans of the graphic novel know that the story develops in both unexpected and chilling ways. Snyder and his writing team, in adapting the story to the screen, have only made a few changes along the way (mainly in the finale, although the change is hardly noticeable) and for the most part, things work.

The main problem with the film is in that condensing all of the graphic novel’s plots and subplots into a workable film, there are long passages of dry exposition, in which characters sit around explaining things to each other and talking about the past, so the audience can keep up. This is fine for some of the film, but at 162 minutes, it begins to drag in the middle sections.

It’s a bit difficult to have definitive opinions on the film as well, as Snyder has stated in interviews that his preferred cut of the film, a three and a half hour version, is coming to DVD later this year. Perhaps with more scenes to breathe and expand on the film’s thoughts, it will become a better experience. The current version, while exciting and intense at times, gets too bogged down in making sure the audience is keeping up with the story instead of further fleshing out the characters.

The casting is largely spot on, with the lion’s share of the praise going to Morgan and Haley. Their characters are unlike any superheroes we’ve seen before, and they dig into their roles with relish. Rorshach is especially interesting- his mask, which was merely pictures before, comes to life and becomes almost a character in and of itself. The only real weak link in the casting is Akerman, who was clearly cast for her looks and not her acting ability. She’s not terrible, but in some of the more involved emotional passages, her limited range as an actress shows.

Snyder and his writers have done a terrific job writing and directing this film. This is probably as close as we’re ever going to get to ‘Watchmen’ brought to life on screen.

Though the film is not perfect, and though it will be interesting to see what Snyder left out for the director’s cut, this is an interesting and involving superhero saga, and in the wake of ‘The Dark Knight,’ it’s another step forward for thought provoking comic book movies.

Wes Lawson can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 275