Average User Rating: 
Reviewed by Scott Firestone IV
[Editor's Note: Please be aware that we're not condoning this film, or in any way suggesting you or your youth group should see it. But the fact is that there are kids in your group who have seen it, and if you want to know the background and the sorts of things contained in the film—and have some questions you can ask that will point back to biblical truths—we've provided it.]
What would happen if ordinary people decided to don costumes and make the world a better place-at least as they see it? This fascinating premise drives Watchmen, director Zack Snyder's film adaptation of the influential comic book series by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons. The graphic novel came out the same year as Frank Miller's hard-nosed The Dark Knight Returns
Both of these works ushered in grittier, seamier, and darker comic books. Until recently it was believed that Watchmen could never be made into a movie-too dense, complex, and filled with too many stories told in flashback. Snyder decided to give it a shot anyway, and he's created an amazingly faithful adaptation of the source material.This is not a typical superhero movie—in fact, they do everything they can to tear apart the superhero genre.
The opening credits are a marvel, bringing the audience right up to speed on the complex back-story through a series of set pieces and short episodes. The credits take us up to the story's setting, which is 1985 America, where Richard Nixon is entering his fifth presidential term, having removed term limits, and we're on the brink of nuclear war with the Soviets. Someone has brutally murdered The Comedian (played with gusto by Jeffrey Dean Morgan), one of the masked "heroes," and it's up to his old partners to find out who did it and why.
Let me be very clear here: This is not a typical superhero movie—in fact, they do everything they can to tear apart the superhero genre. If you go expecting to see another Iron Man, or even Dark Knight, you'll be shocked. The "heroes" in this movie are deeply flawed. Spider-Man's problems involve having a mean boss and wondering whether he'll get the girl or not. The Comedian tries to rape one of his colleagues, murders the mother of his unborn child while in Vietnam, and generally revels in killing anyone he feels is on the wrong side of right.
A congressional order has sidelined the group of heroes, labeling them vigilantes. This causes the character Nite Owl to live a quiet life of longing for the glory days of crime-fighting. The Silk Spectre II is living in her mother's shadow (the original Silk Spectre), who wants her to continue the tradition. This pressure seems to keep her from maturing, and running from one father-figure relationship to another.
The only "superhero" with actual powers is a man the government has dubbed Dr. Manhattan—hoping to strike fear into the heart of the Russians. He's a scientist who had an accident, causing him to become a god-like being of pure energy, who can see up and down his own timeline all at once. He's on a different mental plane, and he begins to see life and death as merely states of being. And with all that power, who needs pants, right?! The good doctor has no use for clothes, and only wears them out in public and for interviews and such. In the graphic novel, artist Gibbons rarely showed the doctor's genitalia, and when he did it was understated-something you'd see on a classical statue-because his nudity wasn't the point. Snyder made the odd decision to seemingly emphasize his nudity. Manhattan spends 90% of the film naked, and there's no attempt to hide it—just a lot of full-frontal (and backal—I made that word up) male nudity.
But none of these people are as fascinating as Rorschach, played by Jackie Earle Haley. He wears a black-and-white mask that constantly changes into various mirror images, and his worldview is just as black-and-white. He views the world as a cesspool, and has no tolerance for anyone breaking his moral code. Haley is a diminutive Clint Eastwood, and when he kills a man in jail and screams to the other inmates, "I'm not locked in here with you; you're locked in here with me!" it's chill-inducing. He's angry and utterly believable.
Director Snyder is also the man behind the hyper-violent film 300, so it should come as no surprise that he decided to take the nudity and violence over the top. In addition to Dr. Manhattan's nudity, there's a long, explicit sex scene between Nite Owl and Silk Spectre II—with Cohen's "Hallelujah" playing in the background, no less! And the violence is unbelievable at times. There are two scenes involving Rorschach that are merely violent in the graphic novel, but are taken to grisly extremes in the film. What's so disappointing is that we're shown a glimpse of Snyder's potential in a scene that highlights the simple dread of a swinging door. Instead he seems to revel in showing us slow-motion shots of people being shot and getting bloody.
There are no heroes in this story, and that ultimately dooms it, as the last third of the film, and the graphic novel, sort of chug along, unable to keep our attention. The villain is, not surprisingly, someone we know, but someone who was hardly on stage, so we just don't care that he's turned bad. The film goes to such great lengths to show how these are flawed heroes, but there's nothing that shines even the smallest spark of humanity in this dark world—no real heroes, and certainly no God. That may be Watchmen writer Alan Moore's worldview, but it certainly isn't mine. "Who watches the watchmen?" the film asks. The savior of the universe does, and I take comfort in that.
Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity, and language.
Scott Firestone IV is the associate editor for Group Magazine, an editor for youthministry.com, and a huge fan of music and movies.
This review first appeared on ministryandmedia.com. Go there. Take the tour. Sign up.
Eden, it appears you missed the very first paragraph where I said we're *not* condoning this movie and we *don't* think you or anyone in your youth group should see it. But again, as I said in that very first paragraph, teenagers did see it, and now that it's out on DVD, more are going to see it. We can't put our heads in the sand and assume that they won't. Therefore, I've provided some areas to enter into conversation with those who have seen it, so that you can speak biblical truth into the terrible things they've seen.
Scott Firestone IV 8:07:25am on 7/20/2009
OffensiveI use your site quite frequently when I'm needing some new ideas for our youth. However, it has bothered me time and again the type of movies your site, as times, condones for the sake of the message. I have not seen this movie, but the rating alone tells me it is one I wouldn't watch, let alone allow my teens to watch. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. Do we really want our teens taking strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language into their hearts to be muddled through while already struggling to hold their own in this world of temptation. We take Jesus with us wherever we go. Would he want to watch this?
Eden 8:07:09am on 7/19/2009
OffensiveHmm to be fair, the movie does have some good points to consider: 1. When Dr. Manhattan was interviewed if he considered himself as God, he answered "No." confidently. When asked why, he simply answered, "I don't know everything." 2. When Ozymandias challenged them to keep the secret of what caused the explosion which stopped the U.S. and U.S.S.R. from declaring nuclear war, Rorschach chose the difficult stance of "No compromise." because he believed that a peace created from a lie is not true peace. 3. Just because everything in this world is wrong doesn't mean that it doesn't have the capacity to do right, or else someone like the second Silk Spectre wouldn't have been born (not that wrong's okay, but that it's amazing how all things work together for good despite everything). Just like you and me. 4. The movie ends with Rorschach's journal at an unknown newspaper outfit, signaling that despite all that the genius Ozy and future-seeing Manhattan, they cannot stop the truth from getting out- just like God's truth. Just some thoughts... By the way, I try not to encourage my youth to watch either, but for those who stubbornly did, oh well... ^^
Cyanfox 9:03:53am on 3/18/2009
Offensive
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