Watchmen - Capítulo I

I do not write many thing here anymore, mostly due to the imbecile politics and character limit.

But. But this thing is ... good. And I want people to know it.

I'm not a shill, I'm not a bot, nobody paid me to write it.

I read the comic in the last millenium. As in, in the 90's. Still Iron Curtain, that was one of my glimpses of "The West". And I was truly impressed.

Then, they made a movie. Unfortunately, with a wrong ending - but with Malin Akerman (here replaced by Katie Sackhoff from Battlestar Galactica, super nice touch).

And this, this is more than good. It just follows the comic book almost to the letter. Very, very impressed. I'd give it 8, but I'm bumping it to 9 because of fidelity.

"I am not locked here with you. You are locked here with me". I truly hope next two chapters are going to be a masterpiece. Please keep following the comic to the letter, not the simplified Snyder movie.

I know we're only one episode in and I know it's based on the comics but it's word for word, scene for scene an animated version of the Snyder film. They're obviously some artistic additions and perhaps more comic accurate scenes but I'm just curious as to why they blatantly copied Zack Snyder's version. Maybe it's a way to expand on what he had in mind? We all know what the executives at Warner bros are and aren't capable of. I like the animation and the voice actors, over all I don't have any complaints, I'm just sincerely confused as to why it's so similar to the live action theatrical version.

I'm starting to believe that DC/Warner is actively mocking the intelligence of us geeks and nerds. There's simply no logical explanation for the stark contrast between the consistently impressive output of their animation division and the abysmal quality of their live-action films and television series over the past two decades. It's as if they're either testing our patience to see when we'll finally snap, or they're conducting a grand experiment to determine just how much mediocrity we'll tolerate without complaint. Perhaps the animators at this behemoth of a company have demanded autonomy, and the executives who have repeatedly stabbed the live-action division in the back (and then twisted the knife) simply don't meddle in their affairs. Whatever the reason, I yearn for the truth behind this perplexing dichotomy.

"Watchmen: Chapter I" is a production that will undoubtedly satisfy a Watchmen reader, or even a casual fan of the film adaptation, or simply an animation enthusiast. After experiencing Chapter 1, my sole desire is for the subsequent installments to arrive in rapid succession.

Every frame of this animation has been meticulously crafted, paying homage to the source material with reverence and respect. Ah yes, the pot-bellied CEOs of DC and WB, take note: producing quality work and pleasing hardcore fans is that simple. The real challenge lies in taking beloved, culturally significant characters and stories and turning them into cinematic and televisual abominations.

The animation style is a visual feast, capturing the gritty realism and dark undertones of the Watchmen universe. The voice acting is superb, with each actor breathing life into their iconic characters. The pacing is deliberate, allowing the complex narrative to unfold at a satisfying pace. The action sequences are thrilling, the emotional beats are poignant, and the overall experience is one of pure, unadulterated satisfaction.

"Watchmen: Chapter I" is a testament to the potential of animation to tell mature and thought-provoking stories. It's a reminder that even the most beloved and well-known properties can be reimagined in fresh and exciting ways. It's a beacon of hope in a sea of mediocrity, a shining example of what can be achieved when talented creators are given the freedom to express their vision.

So, Watchmen is one of the most famous, one of the best and one of the highest valued graphic novels in the world.

So, why would we get another adaptation of it with a relatively cheap animation? It basically gets no advertising push and with little information about it (it doesn't even have a wikipedia page at time of writing this!).

Just seems like they are devaluing the IP by releasing it this way!

But that's the why, now we move on to the what - the actual product!

And dammit, I thought it was pretty darn good. Clearly a straight adaptation, but they did it well. It engaged me, I thought the animation style captured the feel of the book well, and the voice acting was pretty good.

So why I don't think this should exist, given it does - I have to admit it could have been way worse.

I expected this movie to be a full unabridged comic adaptation, but instead it's just a disappointing shot by shot animated remake of the live action version of "Watchmen", albeit the director's cut. If you've already watched Zack Snyder's live action movie, you'll be extremely bored by this movie. If you have only read the comics, you'll probably enjoy this adaptation. However, if you've only read the comics, the motion comic is far more complete than this.

I'm not sure how chapter 2 expects to cover the remaining ground of the comic in less than 90 minutes. Unless there's a director's cut of these animated films, I expect that a significant amount of story was unfortunately cut out.