Watchmen : Les Gardiens

I thought this movie was just OK when it came out in 2009. Now watching it in 2023 I am watching this movie realizing I was an idiot in 2009. I see the Boys and almost every comic movie since in it in 2023. They've all pulled something from Watchmen. Superheroes with real people problems that have real opinions negative and positive doing both good and bad things all the time. It's great and I'm finally seeing what those that got back in 2009 that were way ahead of the curve. Acting, camerawork, effects, costumes, story, nostalgia, all put on full display in this movie. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jackie Earle Haley put on a show in a movie that I felt like everyone was exceptional. That's how good they are. Give this another go if you're somehow here reading this debating on whether you should watch this movie.

After 14 years I watched this film again. And after all the MCU shenanigans, I gotta say this film is a masterpiece, from the story to the music and the super heroes. The fact that they are vulnerable makes it more interesting.

Like I said in the tittle, the world wasn't ready for this movie, if it had came out in this time it would've blown the front door. The way it was made, special effects, graphic fight scenes, nudity, dark tone and soundtrack, Zack Snyder really knocked it out of the park with this one. This is how every super hero film should be made. Not a blockbuster comedy wanna be.

For a super hero film, a true 10/10 in my book!

Watchmen turned out to be an engrossing film, one definitely worth seeing. I have to say, I wasn't enthusiastic about watching it at first. It's based on the great graphic novel by Alan Moore. It's widely considered to be the best graphic novel ever. Films adapted form great literary works usually don't turn out well. The film also didn't have a big budget. More money was thrown at making Iron Man (2008) and The Dark Knight (2008), for example. This doesn't matter though because Watchmen surpasses all comic book films in terms of professionalism. Zack Snyder is a good action director. Just watch 300 (2007) for proof. With Watchmen he demonstrated that he is just a good director overall. He works well with actors. The acting in the film is almost universally excellent. Everyone gets to shine. Even Malin Akerman had her moments. Not one character feels like a throwaway. All this is further complimented by the good choices in costumes. No one can deny that the heroes in Watchmen look cool. The CGI is excellent too. Be it Doctor Manhattan or Nite Owl's airship, everything looks just right. Snyder staged some truly impressive dramatic scenes. The use of music is inspired. The score by Tyler Bates is obviously fitting, but the choices in songs may surprise some people. I, however, think that the songs are just right. It was good to hear Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changing" at the beginning and Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan" at the end. What made me like the film even more is its cinematography by Larry Fong. The look of each decade was captured perfectly. The 1980s are somewhat dark in the film's alternate reality though. Nuclear war seems close, and society is sick. To all this is added the sweet look that's also present in the graphic novel. There are many images in Watchmen that are memorable, even unforgettable. There are so many interesting details that I couldn't wait to watch the film more than once to pick up what I missed on first viewing. Thankfully, Snyder didn't change the politics and observations of the graphic novel for the film. Some parts are missing but the endeavour is still a thought-provoking two-and-a-half hours. Plus, it has a clear narrative. This is a comic book film for mature audiences. It stands above other comic book films because it's smart and because it tackles some of the most important issues, even mankind's existence. Watchmen was expertly made, there is a lot to like about it. I respect it and I like it more than any other superhero motion picture. It gets a high recommendation from me.

Some time after "The Boys" I decided to give this film a rematch... Back in 2009 it was still a time when there was not that many similar to each other superhero films Watchmen cam out a bit too early..., What makes Watchmen feeling so fresh in 2020 is that it's completely different to most of Marvel films.... The characters in Watchmen feel more like real people than idealistic figures you usually get - they age, they change opinions on things, they do wrong things... The world is also much more similar to ours in 2020 that it was in 2009... Brilliant film 9/10!

The graphic novel source material is a masterpiece, bold, uncompromising, subtle, witty, imaginative with very unique characters and an immersive world. Albeit one that is near-unfilmable, with the themes, the huge amount of content and the amount of depth needed, a three hour film sounded nowhere near enough on paper. Plus Zack Snyder is nowhere near close to being a favourite of mine, but saw 'Watchmen' anyway because of my love for the source material, that it looked fantastic and because the cast are very talented.

'Watchmen' really is well worth your time. More the director's cut though than the theatrical release, though both versions have the exact same brilliant qualities. Of which there are many in 'Watchmen'. It is a prime example of how to transcribe a graphic novel to film, while not being as good and not having everything there, and still be near-great on its own terms. It is by far Snyder's best film in my view, as well as being his most mature and ambitious, being the only one to be above good and be more than style over substance. His other films left me mixed to indifferent.

Is 'Watchmen' perfect? No. It does feature one of the most uncomfortable-feeling and pointless love scenes on film, and Leonard Cohen (well certainly for the song in question, it is a great song that is not well used) has never been used more awkwardly in visual media in my view (partly because in my opinion it doesn't fit with the context of the scene).

Matthew Goode is also a bit too stiff and subdued as Ozymandias. Actually do prefer Jeremy Irons' more eccentric and all out portrayal in the recent series, despite the character being a lot less puzzling here. So it is easy to see why 'Watchmen' is a divisive film, though more for its heavy, polarising themes, the huge length (that sounds overlong on paper), that figuring out what's going on admittedly is not easy for anybody who is not familiar with the graphic novel and it seems that the ending has left people divided (the ending in the source material sparks much debate as well).

For all of the flaws mentioned, so much works in 'Watchmen's' favour. It looks amazing for one thing. Very stylish and imaginative with some incredible special effects, there is nowhere near as much gratuitous slow-motion here than seen in some of Snyder's other work. The opening sequence is absolutely amazing in as jaw-dropping a way as you can get, what a way to start a film. The music is nostalgic and atmospheric, with mostly inspired use of great songs. Only the Cohen song in the scene in question is questionable. Snyder's direction is some of his most ambitious and doesn't try to do too much to the same extent as his other films.

Moreover, the script compels, flows naturally and raises interesting ideas that provokes thought, managing not to trivialise its difficult content. A good deal of talk but not too exposition-heavy, even when focused on Dr Manhattan in the middle act. There is not much subtlety here, Snyder and subtlety never belonged in the same sentence, but the ironic wit translates well to film from the graphic novel as does the maturity. The length is a long one, but the source material is massive so the film really needed to be long. If anything, in terms of adapting it would be better a mini-series. The story makes the most of getting one immersed in an authentically rendered world, and thematically it is bold and executed in an unforgivably uncompromising approach as ought. The violence shocks but didn't come over as gratuitous and the action thrills. Didn't have much of a problem with the ending, but can see why others would, the climax is thrillingly staged at least.

A good job is done with the characters, though Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias is underused and a bit underdeveloped. Night Owl and in particular Rorschach being the standouts, though The Comedian is also a difficult role to pull off. Apart from reservations with Goode, the performances are strong. Jackie Earle Haley is perfect casting as Rorschach, and have no qualms with Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson and Jeffrey Dean Morgan either. The most difficult roles, pulled off beautifully.

Overall, very good and nearly great, with a lot done extremely well with a couple of misgivings. The polarisation is understandable but the appeal is even more so. The recent adaptation, despite getting a lot of over the top hate very prematurely into its run is also worth seeing. It is a slow starter and ends anti-climactically but there is so much brilliant about it, and if one sticks with it if put off by the first couple of episodes it to me and others got a lot better. 8/10