For better or for worse, Zack Snyder has made a name for himself with films that have impressive visuals, meticulous montages, and unforgettable soundtracks. Though sometimes an acquired taste, all of these elements came together magnificently in the 2009 feature film adaptation of Watchmen. An ambitious film for any director, Watchmen was adapted from Alan Moore’s graphic novel that questions fascism and the hero worship of superheroes in a complex and immersive tome. Adapting one of the best graphic novels to date would be a high order for anyone, which could have been the reason that Watchmen didn’t find its audience early on. In recent years, however, the film has become more embraced by audiences who were admittedly too hard on it at first.
Snyder practically splashed Moore’s visuals onto the big screen in a world where vigilante justice became the norm. In an alternate universe where America won Vietnam and Nixon was elected for three terms, the titular Watchmen were a group of costumed heroes who, for a time, protected the world from evil. Vietnam was won thanks to Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and his limitless powers. But while Marvel revels in otherworldly archetypes who save the world on the regular, Snyder’s film showed what the real-life ramifications of this could be.
Dr. Manhattan had no checks and balances to his power, and though at first he had good intentions, he slowly lost his empathy for humans. On the other side of the spectrum was The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who reveled in his abuse of power, which he used to assault women and commit violence. These themes that were so prevalent in the graphic novel were present in Snyder’s adaptation, which fans can now watch for free.
‘Watchmen’ Is Close To Being a Faithful Adaptation
Before Damon Lindelof set to work creating a sequel to Alan Moore’s graphic novel, Zack Snyder developed an adaptation that was as faithful as anyone would expect. His film contains the important themes, eloquently communicated in a just question: “Who watches the Watchmen?” People with unchecked power often don’t make the right decisions, which is what led to the group and other vigilantes effectively being outlawed.
Only when the Watchmen start to be murdered do the remaining members band together to solve the crime. The Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman) and Night Owl (Patrick Wilson) spearhead this new initiative only to realize that there is corruption in their own ranks. All of this transpires quite faithfully with the source material, until the end, which was perhaps too weird for Hollywood at the time. In the book, the conflict gets resolved when a giant squid is dropped on Manhattan, causing the world to band together and find world peace. Snyder elected not to go this route, which was admittedly a shame for book readers. However, this was rectified in Lindelof’s HBO series, which followed these events precisely and had the perfect ending.
This allowed Snyder’s Watchmen to exist as a joyful celebration of the graphic novel, even if all the events didn’t line up exactly. The roles were largely well cast, and the music was iconic. There is no question that the Dawn of the Dead director spins a good yarn when it comes to visuals. Viewers can revisit a film that has gotten better with age by streaming it on HBO Max.
Watchmen
- Release Date
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March 6, 2009
- Runtime
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163 minutes
