In an alternate 1985, costumed superheroes have been outlawed. When one ex-âheroâ is murdered, his former colleagues look into it. They include:
- Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley)âa sociopathic fascist detective without powers
- Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson)âa drab wealthy guy with lots of super-gadgets
- Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman)âa generic female vigilante
- Ozymandias (Matthew Goode)âthe richest and perhaps smartest man in the world, with lots of high tech toys and faster than normal reflexes
- Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup)âa scientist who, through an accident, has become a god.
This is Zack Snyderâs first bleak, superhero murderversesâbefore he transformed the DCEU into one. The difference is it fits Watchmen. The story of Watchmen is dark, depressing, and generally nasty, so it ought to be shot that way. Snyderâs tendency for bombast, for posing, and for speeches instead of conversation may also be fitting, but that doesnât mean any of that is good. Watchmen didnât need to be subtle. It couldnât have been. But it didnât have to be this. Grandiose voice-overs, excessive use of slow motion, and too many close-ups makes Watchman the cinematic equivalent to someone screaming in your face for three hours.
The story is episodic. It would have been more fitting for a miniseries (or a comic bookâhey, now thatâs an idea). What passes for the overall arc is put on hold for 30 minutes here, 45 minutes there. That makes it a bit of a slog to sit through. So does having no character to like or follow. Everyone is either an unpleasant fascist or just drab. The fascists I could deal with, although if that was all we were going to get, three hours is too much. Well, it beats Batman v Superman.
Zack Snyder has gone on to bring his Randian sensibilities and dreary style to Man of Steel (2013), and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).