Taking place in an alternate 1985, where the threat of nuclear war is at a fever pitch, Watchmen asks what would happen if superheroes were factored heavily into our society, and what effects being a superhero would have on those individuals. When one of them, the Comedian, is brutally murdered, the enigmatic vigilante Rorschach sets out to discover the killer’s identity. As he reaches out to his retired colleagues, he discovers a larger conspiracy that may threaten everyone on the planet.

Touching on Cold War hysteria, politics in general, and how superheroes would be perceived by the public as well as themselves, Watchmen certainly is ambitious. With every conversation between the characters, and every newspaper commentating on the escalation between America and Russia, there is the sense that humanity could destroy itself if things don’t change. It’s a densely-packed narrative, with a number of small, intimate subplots playing into it. The struggles and conflicts of the characters are engaging and thought-provoking, with each of the remaining Watchmen having their own views on what can be done about the world, if anything. Dan Drieberg and Laurie Jupiter look to each other for comfort and reassurance, eventually finding freedom in revisiting their alter egos, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre. Adrian Veidt, the world’s smartest man, and one of its richest, challenges captains of industry, believing that the world can be united if only they would let go of their selfish practices. Meanwhile, Rorschach remains vigilant despite masked crimefighting being outlawed. As enigmatic as the ever-changing inkblots on his mask, he’s steadfast in his need to punish evil and see to it that the truth isn’t hidden from the public, no matter how ugly it may be. Blessed with godlike powers and a perception of time and reality beyond human comprehension, Dr. Manhattan finds himself growing more distant from humanity every day. Ultimately, everyone has to ask themselves what they’re willing to compromise for the greater good.

Jackie Earl Haley and Jeffery Dean Morgan (Rorschach and The Comedian respectively) are the standouts in the ensemble cast. They capture the extreme nature of their characters effortlessly, monstrous in their actions and their views of the world. Their underlying cynicism speaks volumes about the world being presented to us. As Nite Owl, Patrick Wilson conveys the necessary sense of fear and insecurity the character feels out of costume. Assisted by CGI, Billy Crudup is surprisingly endearing Dr. Manhattan. Decidedly soft-spoken throughout the film, he sells not only the character’s indifference, but just how mindful he is of that indifference. However, Matthew Goode (Veidt) and Malin Ackerman (Spectre) struggle to bring their characters to life. Goode has his moments as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, but Ackerman is lost for a majority of the film.

Director Zack Snyder does an impressive job capturing the look and tone of the comic, while infusing the film with his own sensibilities. His use of slow-mo may be overbearing to some, but it helps to the sell the emotion of a number of scenes, especially the Comedian’s murder, as well as the film’s near-brilliant opening credits sequence. There’s also a great deal of violence that manages to work in the context of the film, even when it appears needlessly excessive. If there are any issues to be had, the primary one would have to be the somewhat lacking perspective of normal individuals, as we never get a true sense of why the backlash towards masked crimefighters was so strong, or their views on the threat of nuclear war. Furthermore, the use of music has its ups and downs. The contrast between Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” and the Comedian’s fight scene with his killer is fantastic, but the use of “Hallelujah” during a love scene feels entirely out of place and almost comical. It doesn’t help that the scene is punctuated by a flamethrower as a visual metaphor for climax.

Visually stimulating and thought-provoking, Watchmen sets out to tell an incredibly large, multi-layered story, and hits the mark more often than not. Not without its shortcomings, it still stands an achievement in challenging pre-conceived notions of superheroes, and takes things further by challenging pre-conceived notions of superheroes when translated to film.

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