Blu-ray Review: Watchmen (Director’s Cut)

Release Date: July 21st, 2009
Running Time: 186 minutes

The Film

“One of the greatest graphic novels of our time” and other high praise has been given to Watchmen. However, most people don’t know that the title was a 12-issue comic. People in the comic industry don’t say “graphic novel,” they say comic. “Graphic novel” is a pretention created by people who can’t get over their pre-conceived notions of what a “comic” is. Having said that, I have made that mistake at times, but at least a wider audience is being introduced to the material. With near-infinite critical praise, Watchmen was stuck in the studio system for years. Finally Zack Snyder resurrected the project and it was met with decidedly mixed reviews. I won’t claim to be a Watchmen fanatic, I didn’t read the title until last year, but I love what Snyder did with his adaptation. Watchmen is an engrossing, visually astounding film that isn’t for everybody, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Watchmen presents an alternate timeline for the world, one where costumed vigilante heroes emerged in the 1940s called the “Minutemen.” The trend would continue for decades, leading to the follow up group known as the “Watchmen” that consisted of: the justice extremist Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley); the level-headed Night Owl (Patrick Wilson); the alluring Silk Spectre (Malin Ackerman); the satirical, violence loving Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan); the physics professor-turned to blue god-like being Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup); and the world’s fastest/smartest man, Ozymandias (Matthew Goode). After President Nixon enlists the help of Dr. Manhattan to win the Vietnam War, Nixon is elected to a third and ultimately fourth term and ends up outlawing costumed heroes.

The film takes place in the 1980s when all of the heroes have retired except Rorschach. Tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States have reached a boiling point to where scientists put the nuclear holocaust “doomsday clock” at five minutes to midnight. The story opens with The Comedian, aka Edward Blake, being murdered. Rorschach investigates, concerned that someone is picking off costumed heroes. He tries to warn his old partner, Dan (aka Night Owl), John (aka Dr. Manhattan) and Sally Jupiter (aka Silk Spectre), but they have all moved on. Dan is happily retired and has a weekly beer session with the original Night Own, Holland Mason. Sally is unhappy in her relationship with John who is drifting farther away from humanity, dedicating most of his time to developing a renewal energy source with Adrian Veidt (aka Ozymandias). Things become far more serious, however, when an attempt is made on Veidt’s life and Rorschach is framed for murder, all hinting at a company named Pyramid Transnational. To make matters worse, when Sally leaves John for Dan, he leaves Earth for Mars. With the United States’ nuclear deterrent M.I.A., the Watchmen have to uncover the secrets behind Blake’s murder before the world succumbs to complete nuclear annihilation.

The best thing I can say about the Director’s Cut is that most of the additions are little things you may not notice, but that help flesh out the world and bring the film closer to the comic. There are some major additions; most notably Hollis Mason’s death scene, and the cut succeeds because it didn’t feel much longer than the Theatrical yet is undoubtedly more complete.

Since I got this Blu-ray I have seen Watchmen: Director’s Cut three times. The film is beyond epic. In my opinion, it is the Citizen Kane of superhero films—an adult story with heavy character work fleshed out through precisely placed flashbacks, narration, and character interaction. I love all of the actors in the film, but Jackie Earle Haley steals the film as Rorschach. People will disagree with me, but I feel that his performance id every bit as insane and powerful as Heath Ledger’s in The Dark Knight. I hope that he is remembered when campaigning for awards season begins.

Scene by scene I enjoy every second of it, finding new meticulous details with each viewing. This truly is the comic put to screen with very little compromise. Top-notch effects, stylized acting, and a unique alternate world all suck you in to the absorbing experience that is Watchmen. I simply cannot understand the vitriol that has been associated with this film, especially from die-hard fans. Yes, the squid is not in it, but I feel the new ending works just as well and is far less polarizing than if had they pursued the original. Outside of that major change, this is a direct adaptation—no changes are made to the characters to make them anything other than what they are in the comic. If something doesn’t “work” as a film it is likely due to the direct translation, which is why casual fans could be turned off, but I do not understand how you could like the comic and not like the movie. Panel by panel it is a live-action recreation of the celebrated comic—what is there not to love about that?

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.40:1, 1080p High Definition transfer that balances gritty and sleek looks. Fine detail is superb in close ups (Rorschach’s mask, the costumes, the gore) as well as providing noticeable depth to the wide shots (cityscapes, Mars, etc). The opening scene of The Comedian’s death offers some stellar close-up detail right off the bat. Colors are vibrant and accurate as seen in the broad range of costumes and the luscious landscape of Mars. Though the blue of Dr. Manhattan is gorgeous, it can occasionally succumb to some minor banding. Black levels, vastly important to the image, are consistently inky as if ripped from the pages of the comic. Shadow delineation and detail are well represented. Technical errors such as compression artifacts or video noise are not a problem, making for one very pleasing transfer.

The audio is offered in an English DTS HD 5.1 Master Lossless audio track as well as French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with English/French/Spanish subtitles. The mix features an excellent balance of power, detail, and subtlety. Directional effects are carefully placed to envelope you in the scene. Pans are smooth (Archie whizzing across the speakers), and the rear channels are fully utilized whether through ambient effects or action circling around you. Many of the effects have serious weight to them through LFE support, such as Archie’s engines, Dr. Manhattan’s teleporting, and the power behind every bone-snapping physical impact. The soundtrack music is stunning as well, blasting such classics as “The Times They Are A-Changing” and “All Along the Watchtower” with pristine clarity. Lastly, dialogue is crisp and balanced.

The Extras

The set has an excellent, sometimes groundbreaking, spread of special features.

The “Maximum Movie Mode” is easily the highlight of the set, representing an all-new form of Picture-in-Picture. Throughout the film Director Zack Snyder will stand before two screens: one of the film playing live, and the other full of behind-the-scenes information. He uses these two screens to guide you through in-depth explorations of the production. Traditional picture-in-picture options also pop-up, including: trivia, comic-to-screen comparisons, and interviews. You can also press enter, when prompted, to stop the film and access additional content. The entire process is seamless and will hopefully become the new norm for commentating.

If you don’t want to sit through the three-hour breakdown with Snyder, you can also access 11 behind-the-scenes web videos integrated into the “maximum movie mode” from the special features menus. Called “Watchmen Focus Points,” the 11 short featurettes cover the following topics: “Rorschach’s Mask,” “Burn Baby Burn,” “Attention to Detail,” “The Minutemen,” “Sets and Sensibility,” “Dressed for Success,” “The Ship Has Eyes,” “Dave Gibbons,” “Shoot to Thrill,” “Blue Monday,” and “Girls Kick Ass.”

“The Phenomenon: The Comic that Changed Comics” is a 30-minute exploration of the cultural impact of the epic, groundbreaking comic. Interviews with the cast/crew and comic industry folk provide excellent context for just why Watchmen is such an important work. If you are new to the material this will give you a much better appreciation for the heralded comic.

“Real Superheroes, Real Vigilantes” (26 minutes) is the perfect representation of something more films need to embrace: featurettes not tied to the production but directly related to the film in one way or another. This piece is a historical look at vigilantism from the ‘70s to modern times while drawing comparisons to the film’s characters and themes.

“Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World” (17 minutes) has a series of interviews with the crew and advisor Dr. James Kakalios concerning the technology and science in the film as seen in the production/set design. Dr. Kakalios explains how grounded, reality-based science was extrapolated to create the science-fiction elements in the story.

The Music Video “Desolation Row” from My Chemical Romance is offered.

The disc is BD-Live enabled, and a Digital Copy is offered for the Theatrical Cut.

Final Thoughts

Watchmen: Director’s Cut is a grandiose fan service that also happens to be one of the most compelling, mature superhero films ever made. A stunning Blu-ray disc with ground-breaking extra content makes this film a must-watch for serious fans of the genre.