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Released by: Warner Brothers
Released on: 3/3/09
Director: Jake S. Huges
Cast: Tom Stechschulte
Year: 2009
The Movie:
Published by D.C. Comics in its original twelve issue run between 1986 and 1987, Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, would go on to become one of, if not the, most influential comic books of the modern age. While Frank Miller's run on Daredevil might have helped to bring a human side to the superhero, it was Watchmen that really subverted the genre's traditional trappings and blended golden age comic book ideals with realistic perversion. If that sounds too highbrow, let it suffice to say that Watchmen took the superhero comic and gave it a well deserved kick in the balls. This was a series that really shook things up in the comic book world, it was new, it was fresh, it was exciting and it was completely unpredictable. This was 'comic books all grown up' and while it may have heralded in a new wave of grim and gritty anti-heroics, it still holds its own as an incredibly rich, layered, and mature work of sequential art.
The story takes place in an alternate America where the presence of the superhero has grown from a bunch of guys fighting crime to a serious political force, affecting not just purse snatching thugs but the outcome of major wars and presidential elections. One man calling himself Doctor Manhattan is the most powerful of the lot of current 'heroes' and his loyalty to his country helps America hold it's place as a superpower. In 1977, however, superheroes were outlawed. This resulted in some caped crusaders hanging up their tights for good, while a few others such as Doctor Manhattan and The Comedian accepting positions with the government. However, one former hero, Rorschach, essentially went underground.
When the man believed to be the Comedian's alias is found dead and the cops come up empty handed, Rorschach figures that there's a scheme to wipe out costumed heroes afoot and so he feels he needs to warn some of his former comrades - Doctor Manhattan, his girlfriend Silk Specter, Nite Owl and Ozymandias. After the funeral for their fallen comrade, Doctor Manhattan's powers are accused of causing cancer in humans, causing Manhattan to head to Mars in a self imposed exile which affects American's superpower status and results in a Russian invasion of Afghanistan. When his girlfriend comes to visit him, they have to come to terms with her true origin while back on Earth, Rorschach and Nite Owl try to figure out why the Comedian was murdered and what the real motive behind the plot against the superheroes is and what Ozymandias has to do with it all.
Named by Time Magazine as one of its '100 greatest novels of all time' this is a dark, disturbing epic that proves that superhero comics can and are written on an adult level (something that comic book fans had known for decades, though this had failed to dawn on the mainstream). It really is as good a read as the hype would have you believe and it is truly one of the finest comic books ever created. Warner Brothers, just in time to cash in on the theatrical adaptation of the series, has taken Moore and Gibbons original comic and 'brought it to life' in this Complete Motion Comic. What's that mean? Basically, through voice work courtesy of Tom Stechschulte and some subtle but effective animation, they've taken the panels from the comic book and put them on Blu-ray/DVD in what is basically a really long but very effective reworking of the material. With the voice work, musical score, sound effects and animation all applied to the original material, the comic book really does feel more like an animated feature but one that remains as accurate to the source material as is possible. It's good stuff. I have to admit, I had serious apprehensions about this and figured it was a big ol' recipe for crap, but Warner Brothers did it right this time around and Watchmen fans should be pretty happy with how this material has been treated here, even if Moore's name is nowhere to be seen anywhere on the packaging (he signed an agreement to have his name removed from the credits and his share of the royalties given to Gibbons as Moore opposes the film).
Video/Audio/Extras:
The 1.85.1 anamorphic VC-1 encoded 1080p high definition transfer looks colorful and sharp. In fact, the visuals here are actually very impressive. Every line of Dave Gibbons' artwork is reproduced very faithfully and while some edge enhancement rears its ugly head now and again, generally the authoring is spot on. Color separation is incredibly tight and black levels are nice and deep. Detail levels are as good as the original artwork really allows for and the appropriately subtle animation used works much more effectively than you probably guessed.
The audio is presented in an English language Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix with an optional standard definition Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix included. Subtitles are provided in English only. While this mix can't be expected to deliver the same kind of impact as an actual movie, the score is spread out nicely and the narration sounds crystal clear throughout. Sound effects make good use of the rear channels but only occasionally, almost all of the dialogue and action comes from the front of the mix. While more surround activity might have been fun, it's hard to complain about the quality of the audio here. Everything is properly balanced and it sounds clean and clear from beginning to end.
Supplements are slim on this release. Included is a three minute featurette that serves as nothing more than a glorified advertisement for Zach Snyder's big screen adaptation and a ten-minute clip from the animated Wonder Woman movie.
Aside from that, look for a digital copy (included on a second disc), animated menus and episode selection. The keepcase fits inside a slipcase containing identical cover art on the front and rear of the packaging. Inside the keepcase is an add for the Watchmen video game and the Watchmen Graphic Novel from D.C. Comics as well as a coupon for $7.50 off of a ticket to see the theatrical film. More features are available via Blu-ray live for those who have connected their player to the web.
The Final Word:
As a fan of the original 12 issue limited series from way back when it was originally published in 1986, I figured this had 'bad idea' written all over it. While the voice work might take a little while to get used to, Warner Brothers have actually done a very nice job respectfully bringing the sequential story to life on Blu-ray. The transfer is great and the audio impressive but it's the story here that really impresses and this release is actually a great way to enjoy it all over again.