Watchmen (2009)

Watchmen (2009): Starring Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Few creative endeavors have ever evoked the kind of response of the Watchmen graphic novel (it's on Time Magazine's list of the greatest novels of all time), which is particularily odd as it's such an "insider" superhero story and most non-comic book fans will fail to appreciate the subtle references to the superhero mythos and archetypes. Night Owl may bare a passing similarity to Batman in costume design and style, but personality-wise, he has more in common with Woody Allen. In that regard, Watchmen has the nerve to attack its most loyal supporter: the average comic book fan. Night Owl (played by Patrick Wilson- channeling his inner Craig T. Nelson, circa 1980s) is a nebbish "bird Watcher" and history buff whose rich corporate dad died and left him lots of money to invest in his superhero adventures. At night, he would prowl the streets, beating up bullies, er... I mean criminals. The poor slob has a bit of a belly though, and also a sexual disfunction. He is the embodiment of the traditional superhero, wrapped in nerds clothing. And he is the character we are given to identify with, cheated in that, unlike Bruce Wayne, he's not cool and good-looking, but a loser like the rest of us. Some fantasy.

The story itself is a fairly complex one: it's 1985, the world is on the brink of nuclear war, Nixon is still in the white house serving his 5th term in office, the vietnam war has been won, thanks to a god-like atomically created super-being called Dr. Manhattan, and superheroism has been outlawed. An old retired superhero named "The Comedian" is mysteriously murdered, and Rorschach seems to be the only retiree still active and interested in solving the crime. The movie then examines all the characters back stories, going back to the 1940s when the Watchmen superteam was first organized, through the 60s and 70s when the 2nd generation of superheroes came into existence (all set to the tune of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'"). 1940s superheroes look a little ridiculous, dressed in what appear to be baggy wrestling costumes, and once again we are intended to see how silly the reality of men running around in costumes and fighting crime really is. There is a love triangle between Dr. Manhattan, Night Owl and The Silk Spectre (a 2nd generation crime fighter whose mother was an original member of the Watchmen), in which the fate of the human race hangs in the balance. There are moral ambiguities as Rorschach's brand of psychotic vigilantism becomes apparant, and then there are ethical questions on a grand scale as nuclear war looms ever closer (which puts this movie on a par with "The Reader").

Comparisons to the graphic novel are inevitable, just as some fans will be disappointed by what got left out or what got put into the final film. Non-fans might be tempted to call it "impenetrable", but I think it's a good idea for them to see it anyway. In an era where films are made to appeal to the broadest range possible, we get a mainstream movie that targets a specifially narrow group of people. Watchmen is pretentious, epic, contemplative and ridiculous. In short, it's a comic book brought to the big screen, and perhaps for the first time a comic book has been fully realized in cinema. That doesn't necessarily translate into great cinematic art, but it is great pop art. As a comic book fan myself, I can't ask for anything more.
***** out of *****

I am excited over this one; I'm actually going out to see it this weekend. I think the last movie I saw in a theater was one of those Harry Potter movies ...