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List Price: $19.96 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 14280
Released: July 21, 2009 |
| Our Price: $9.14 |
| Used Price: $3.46 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
A COMPLEX, MULTI-LAYERED MYSTERY ADVENTURE, WATCHMEN IS SET IN AN ALTERNATE 1985 AMERICA IN WHICH COSTUMED SUPERHEROES ARE PART OF THE FABRIC OF EVERYDAY SOCIETY, AND THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK WHICH CHARTS THE USA'S TENSION WITH THE SOVIET UNION - IS PERMANENTLY SET AT FIVE MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT.
Description of Watchmen (Theatrical Cut) (Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition):
Everybody's favorite graphic novel comes to the screen (after years of rumors and false starts), less a roaring work of adaptation than a respectful and faithful take on a radical original. Watchmen is set in the mid-1980s, a time of increased nuclear tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, as Richard Nixon is enjoying his fifth term as president and the world's superheroes have been forcibly retired. (As you can probably tell, the mix of authentic history and alternate reality is heady.) Things begin with a bang: the mysterious high-rise murder of the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a masked hero with a checkered past, puts the rest of the retired superhero community on alert. The credits sequence, a series of tableaux that wittily catches us up on crime-fighting backstory, actually turns out to be the high point of the movie. Thereafter we meet the other caped and hooded avengers: the furious Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), the inexplicably naked Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup, amidst much blue-skinned, genital-swinging digital work), Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode). The corkscrewing storytelling, which worked well in the comic book, gives the movie the strange sense of never quite getting in gear, even as some of the episodes are arresting. Director Zack Snyder (300) doesn't try to approximate the electric impact of the original (written by Alan Moore--who declined to be credited on the movie--and illustrated by Dave Gibbons) but retains careful fidelity to his source material. That doesn't feel right, even with the generally enjoyable roll-out of anecdotes. Even less forgivable is the blah acting, excepting Jeffrey Dean Morgan (lusty) and Patrick Wilson (mellow). Watchmen certainly fills the eyes, although less so the ears: the song choices are regrettable, especially during an embarrassing mid-air coupling between Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II as they unite their--ah--Roman numerals. In the end it feels as though a huge work of transcription has been successfully completed, which isn't the same as making a full-blooded movie experience. --Robert Horton
Watchmen (Theatrical Cut) (Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition) Reviews:
Snyder: Perhaps the Most Evil of Cinematic Villains 
2009-12-20 - Bah-humbug, I say; this film is the worst kind of filth. Hopefully this massacre of an adaptation won't frighten viewers from investing in the graphic novel, which is infinitely more intelligent and rewarding. The problem isn't just the script - which is bland, misogynist, overtly violent and dimwitted - it's the direction. Let's face it: Zack Snyder shouldn't be making movies, he should be making screen-savers. It's over-stylized nonsense, and it detracts from the maturity of the content.
So, in short, by turning Laurie into a self-centered bimbo, adding heaps of unnecessary violence, often hilarious dialog, and a side-splittingly out of place soundtrack, Zack Snyder has managed to turn an intelligent comic book (which is something of a rarity these days) into a moronic popcorn flick which has sold tens of thousands of chain-wallets and wristbands and beanies (which is tragically commonplace). Somehow, this disaster turned into a hit with a strange and decidedly 16-year-old fanbase. Well, you guys can have my copy - I think I'd rather just read it.
Zack, your attempts at sabotaging things that I think are cool have not gone unnoticed. I've got my eye on you, bub, and if you lay one finger on The Dark Knight Returns, well so-help-me-God I will write you the angriest of emails. And don't you forget it.
Watchmen 
2009-12-18 - The superpowers of the graphic novel are weakened, but Watchmen still packs a wallop. This film brings the superhero-noir murder mystery very much to life.
Songs 
2009-12-10 - The song choices for this movie were spot on perfect. Placed the scenes in the right moment of time.
Fans will enjoy
2009-12-10 - My friends and family hate this movie. It may be an acquired taste. I enjoyed repeat viewing of this film. Great PQ & AQ.
Just loved it
2009-12-07 - SPOILERS BELOW.
I just loved this movie. Bear in mind that I usually do not like movies like Transformers, 2012, the Michael Bay ones, Con Air, Mission Impossible (the second part is the worst of all) stuff like that. Also, I also go for comic adaptations with suspicious. But, after "IRON MAN", I thought they could really work.
I was in the middle of part five of the graphic novel (yes, that's a sin, never read it before), when I watched the movie. I don't know if it was the good mood I was in the day, whatever, but the movie got me by the opening sequence and I never got bored or disappointed. I just loved it, every single bit of it (and, like it semms to be the case with many fans, Roscharch was my favorite character.
First, up until I had read the novel, I thought it was a faithful adaptation. Second, the cinematography was spectacular. Casting and costume design were on the spot, it was like the comics were alive. And, thankfuly, the editing was great. You could see the fights, see what's happening, instead of these modern lightning-cut editing tha people seem to enjoy today.
The adpaptation was clearly handled with care and affection by people involved; However, I can understand some negative points mentioned by some reviewers. We must remember director Snyder was behind cameras in DAWN OF THE DEAD and 300 (which I did not like at all). So, he clearly enjoys some gore. But, overall, given the lenght of the movie and the potential scenes to use graphical gore, he kept his instincts at bay... He only goes for it with full throttle in the scene when Roscharch kills the raper. Also, thre is Dr. Manhattan pulverizing Vietnamese people, The Comedian killing a pregnant woman,the overall annihilation of a number of cities around the world. But these last ones are done without so much graphic description. And, remember: the scenes (or at least the idea) ARE in the comics!
Like I said, I loved this movie.
