Watchmen Ultimate Cut

"Watchmen" is contentious for a variety of reasons - a fanbase with occasionally dedicated and opinionated fans, the author's own complicated history with the work (before, during, and after it's release with Vertigo comics), and some who just don't plain like the story. The "unfilmable" adaptation of "Watchmen" turns into a great movie by staying faithful to the spirit of the comic while not letting the narrative be dragged down by superfluous elements that don't add to the immediate story. "Watchmen" is about an alternate United States during 1985 where superheroes, once well-regarded and beloved, have become outlawed and despised. Save for Dr. Manhattan, every superhero and villain are just normal people with no powers, choosing a life behind a mask. We see the toll it takes on the world, with these heroes dramatically altering history, and the Cold War between the Americans and the Soviet Union now coming even closer to a head than it was in our own universe as the setting of the narrative. What kicks off the entire story is the murder of Edward Blake, also known as "The Comedian" during his superhero days, and the last active (and outlawed) superhero, Rorschach, tracking down clues and criss-crossing paths with former members of the once prominent crime-fighting group, the Watchmen, to discover who could be behind the death. As the narrative focus expands, the cast is introduced, and the plot becomes thick with conspiracy and dread for possible worldwide devastation, the film delves into these characters' pasts and their philosophies on the world of superheroics in an age that has seemingly left them behind. Whereas the appeal of many superhero tales from what benefit these outstanding people can be to the world, this story questions the usage of validity of a world that needs to turn to masked vigilantes to protect themselves from the worst of humanity. I watched the theatrical cut back in 2009, and enjoyed it a great deal. I've found the 'director's cut' of the film to be the best version of the story to date. It maintains so much of the graphic novel's enormous cast of characters, still provides focus for the main ideas of the story, and even updates elements (such as Dan and Laurie's updated characterization, the simplification of the "ending conflict," and cutting back on some more of the eccentric characterizations of some of the comic book characters to make the personalities feel more grounded) for the better. It's visually stunning, remarkably well-crafted in audio engineering, and great direction for Zack Snyder's interpretation of the story (even though I had no problem with the majority of the fight scenes, there were some moments that seemed too focused on style and impact over substance). Most of the cast nails their roles perfectly, including the updated versions of classic characters. Billy Crudup's performance as Dr. Manhattan is something so other-worldly yet quiet and sedated that it really emphasizes the distance between himself and the rest of existence. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Comedian is terrific as his boundless energy and maliciousness translate so well to a character of almost pure nihilism. Carla Gugino as Silk Spectre I really did surprise me in how seamlessly she could shift between bubbly and warm to fiercely angered and controlling. Matthew William Goode, Matt Frewer, Patrick Wilson, and including some great bit character moments from smaller characters are done really well. Malin Akerman is the only real person in the cast that I have some reservations on, and while I do think she did a great job with her emotional outburst on the "Mars scene", there are times where her dialog comes across as stilted, although I'm not sure if it was an actor decision for the restrained Laurie to have more impact when it comes tumbling down or not. Jackie Earle Haley was BORN to play Rorscach - a violent, hard-line, authoritarian moralist whose anger for crime is only matched by his inability to compromise; Rorschach steals every scene he's in and easily ranks among the very best performances the 2000s that were sadly overlooked. To movie and superhero fans (or just people who enjoy the concept of analyzing what the struggle of vigilantism would look like in a society like our own), I highly recommend checking out this film! Read more

Watchmen is without a doubt the greatest comic book adaptation ever done. One thing I appreciate is the fact that the movie so closely follows the graphic novel. Very little is changed during the film adaptation, and what is does not take away from the story at all. You really have to watch the movie more than once in order to appreciate the attention to detail given. You will see so many parallels to our 1985 with the Watchmen storyline intertwined. One example is before Laurie and Dan fight the gang off you can see on the wall of the alley posters advertising famine aid for Africa. Difference being it has Veidt's picture on it as opposed to celebrities of our era. Little things like that, which the average viewer may not even notice, are prevalent throughout the movie. The soundtrack is incredible and I especially love the opening credits where the history of the Minutemen and later the Watchmen are shown intertwined with actual history, like the first Silk Specter painted on the side of a B-17 bomber during WWII in the same vein as Betty Grable. It's really no surprise that viewers are torn over the movie. I believe a lot of the bad reviews stem from people who have never read the graphic novel and maybe do not understand the concept of the story. Personally I don't read comic books, but I did read Watchmen just before the movie came out. Make no mistake; this is a movie you have to pay close attention to in order to fully appreciate it because the story is so deep. Some criticize it, saying parts of it are a political ploy, particularly the scene where Veidt is arguing with the oil and coal industries over clean, renewable energy. Fact is; this is straight from the book, which was written in 1985. The argument over fossil fuels and renewable energy is nothing new. I think another reason for viewers feeling torn is not only is it extremely graphic (and definitely not something for kids to watch), it shatters the mold of every superhero stereotype out there. This is definitely NOT a "feel good" movie like Spiderman. Instead it makes you feel like what it would be like if super heroes actually existed, thereby making the story more believable. The characters are very much flawed, especially Blake the Comedian. Some of his actions are downright evil, and yet he is supposed to be one of the good guys. The paradoxes jump out and smack you across the face. Spiderman's so-called "dark side" becomes completely laughable when compared to Blake or Rorschach. What we find is that super heroes are indeed human and flawed like the rest of us...even Dr. Manhattan (though he is the only one with true super powers), for as time progresses he becomes more detached and nihilistic. The added scenes to the Director's Cut have been covered, so I won't address those again here. Suffice it to say, they add more depth to the story and clarify things that those who saw the theatrical version without having read the book would find puzzling. There will always be two groups of people with strong feelings about Watchmen. You will either love it or hate it, and it's unlikely that one side can ever convince the other otherwise. You can count me in the former category, as I feel this movie, and indeed the graphic novel, are timeless and deep in their story-telling. The messages of Watchmen are just as relevant today as they were in 1985, and probably always will be. Given the attention to detail and how closely the movie follows the book, the "unfilmable" graphic novel has indeed been filmed and to the highest standards. Read more

It's a good movie. Kinda like justice league but R rated for sure. Read more