Region 1 Warner (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 16x9 enhanced
186 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: previews for other products; “The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics”; “Video Journals”; My Chemical Romance’s “Desolation Row” music video; Digital Copy
Released: 21 July 2009
After watching and reviewing Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic, I figured that I’d be bored to tears if I ventured into a movie theatre to watch Zack Snyder’s live-action adaptation of the famed graphic novel. I have just finished sitting through the Director’s Cut, and I must confess that I was wrong. I was not bored to tears...but merely bored.
The major differences between Snyder’s live-action version, The Complete Motion Comic, and the graphic novel are as follows:
1) full-motion and exaggerated slo-mo; limited motion; no motion
2) many actors; one voice actor; no audio
3) huge budget; small budget; every-day living expenses for the graphic novelist and artist
4) the live-action version has a slightly modified ending.
Otherwise, you get practically the same experience no matter which version you choose. The Complete Motion Comic is visually similar to the graphic novel for obvious reasons, but the live-action version’s mimicry of the original mise-en-scene makes you wonder why they bothered spending so much money and so much time on doing something that’s already been done. Yes, yes, Snyder and his buddies respect the source material, and the filmmakers wanted to show fans that they respect the fans’ love of the graphic novel. Well, if you’re going to do a shot-for-shot re-make, you really have nothing to say other than, “I make photocopies for a living.”
I didn’t mind the general visual designs present in The Complete Motion Comic, but many of the costumes and vehicles look silly in the live-action version. Jackie Earle Haley is the only credible actor in the bunch; the others are either flat or lost (even the usually dependable Carla Gugino). Jeffrey Dean Morgan looks like he was Robert Downey Jr.’s stand-in on the set of Tropic Thunder. The song selections are terrible. The ending is a bit changed from the graphic novel and The Complete Motion Comic, though it’s still every bit as turgid, bloated, and yawn-inducing as the rest of the movie.
The behind-the-scenes drama involving Fox suing Warner to prevent the movie from being released is a lot more interesting than the movie itself. Fox won its lawsuit, and Warner decided to sue the person who took the project to Warner without giving the studio adequate notice about Fox’s residual rights. You can imagine a series of lawsuits being filed as everyone involved tries to get another person to pay for fees and damages.
Zack Snyder’s Watchmen is a visually stunning waste of resources. Warner, Paramount, Snyder, and friends should’ve spent their big bucks on something else.
Note: If you want the theatrical version, you’ll have to get either the one-disc DVD or a non-U.S. Blu-ray as it appears that Paramount, which has non-U.S. distribution rights, is only releasing the theatrical cut abroad.
Video:
The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen image appears to be darker than the usual Blu-ray presentation, though this is clearly in keeping with the filmmakers’ intent and the movie’s tone. The “grain” (whether film-based or added digitally) that Zack Snyder likes is noticeable but not intrusive. Indeed, the “grain” makes some passages look like they have the paper-fiber textures of a graphic novel. The dark hues of the rich production design are beautiful. Unfortunately, the three-hour movie is heavily compressed and is several grades below the top-notch quality of the Blu-ray.
Audio:
You get an expansive, boomy DD 5.1 English track. The audio compares favorably against the mix for The Dark Knight, which had such overpowering bass that dialogue was frequently buried. Here, Rorschach’s monologues and dialogue in general are always intelligible, even in the thick of action. The rear channels are also very effective for crowd scenes and the Antarctica sequences at the end.
Extras:
--Disc 1--
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other products.
--Disc 2--
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other products (not the same as the ones on Disc 1).
“The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics” discusses some of the circumstances surrounding the creation of the graphic novel and its subsequent reception, though without Alan Moore’s participation, there’s an undeniable sense of incompleteness.
There are eleven “Video Journals”, which are the same as the “Focus Points” offered by the Blu-ray edition. These were originally shown on the Internet.
You also get My Chemical Romance’s “Desolation Row” music video and a Digital Copy.
--Miscellaneous--
You also get a cardboard slipcover with holographic artwork. An insert advertises a five-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition (which will weave the already-released animated Tales of the Black Freighter into the movie), currently scheduled for December 2009.
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