Watchmen Chapters I and II
Directed by Brandon Vietti
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Based on Watchmen by Dave Gibbons (Alan Moore demanded to be taken off the credits)
Produced by Jim Krieg, Cindy Rago, Brandon Vietti
Animation by Studio Mir (South Korea)
Starring
Matthew Rhys Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II / Sam Hollis
Katee Sackhoff Laurie Juspeczyk / Silk Spectre II / Sandra Hollis
Titus Welliver Walter Kovacs / Rorschach
Troy Baker Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias
Rick D. Wasserman Edward Blake / Comedian
Adrienne Barbeau Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre I
Michael Cerveris Jonathan Osterman / Dr. Manhattan
Geoff Pierson Hollis Mason / Nite Owl I
Kari Wahlgren Female Knot Top
Yuri Lowenthal Knot Top #2
Phil LaMarr Comic Book Narrator, Bernie
Jason Spisak Doug Roth
John Marshall Jones General #1,
Max Koch Bernard, President Nixon
Edited by Cris Mertens
Music by Tim Kelly
Production companies Warner Bros. Animation, Paramount Pictures, DC Entertainment
Distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (USA/Canada), Paramount Home Entertainment[1] (International)
Language English
Alan Moore infamously hates any and all adaptations of his work. To be sure, his stories are dense and multi-layered, subtle and sophisticated, and often a lot is lost in trying to bring them to the screen, big or small. Yes, many of the adaptations (ten in all) were bloody awful. The only movie I liked better than the source material was V for Vendetta, and it bore very little resemblance to the original story.
With the two part Watchmen movie, there would seem to be little to upset Moore. The dialogue, line for line, transitioned wholly intact from graphic novel to animation, right down to Rorschach’s use of “Herm.” It faithfully recreated every scene from the graphic novel. Dave Gibbons, who drew every panel of the original, oversaw the animation art from start to finish. The only element missing was Moore’s often-brilliant use of segues from one scene to another. And I’m not sure that could translate well.
If the viewer is seeking a reinvention of the story or a retelling, look elsewhere. This does exactly what it purports to do: it takes the original art and animates it, and faithfully recreates the dialogue.
After nearly forty years, the original graphic novel is still in print, which by itself tells you what an extraordinary event it was.
The story mostly takes place in 1985, but not the 1985 some of us actually remember. An accident at a nuclear research facility has resulted in the creation of a being of unquantifiable powers dubbed (by the military) “Doctor Manhattan.” (One minor alteration I spotted: in the graphic novel, a television presenter announces, “The superman exists and he’s American”; said presenter bears a strong resemblance to a certain Clark Kent. That resemblance is downplayed in the movie.) He’s used at first by the military as a weapon, but his ability to observe atoms and galaxies first hand revolutionizes the world. He wins the Vietnam war, Nixon gets the 22nd amendment repealed, and in 1985 nearly all vehicles are electric, but the USSR is a more immediate threat. (No, that’s not really explained.)
If the animation seems slightly wooden, it faithfully recreates Gibbons’ style, which features lots of clean, straight lines, uncluttered backgrounds, and characters whose stiff poses reflects on their inability to fully grasp events unfolding around them than it does any deficiency of artistic talent.
If you loved the original, you’ll love this adaptation. If you’ve never read the original, you’re in for a rare treat. I promise you’ll need to watch it more than once to begin to grasp all the complexities, but it’s a worthwhile investment. (The two movies combined run a hefty 175 minutes).
Watchmen is a great work of art, and the movie successfully translates it to a new medium. Don’t miss it.