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 Who watches the Watchmen? It is 1985, the doomsday clock is five minutes to midnight and we are on the brink of nuclear war. The Superman does exist and he is American.
Watchmen was born from the creative mind of Alan Moore and illustrated by David Gibbons, as a twelve-issue comic book series in 1986. And after many attempts to adapt the series into a feature film, director Zach Synder did what many considered impossible and released Watchmen to movie theaters across the globe in March of 2009.
We are now treated to the Director's Cut of Watchmen on Blu-ray and DVD. For this review we will concentrate on the Blu-ray release.
Is the Director's Cut of Watchmen a must-have? Should fans of the series and home theater enthusiasts add it to their collection? Let's find out after the jump.
Set in an alternate reality of 1985, Richard Nixon is still President and the world is on the brink of nuclear war. Edward Blake (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), also known as The Comedian, starts off the movie by sitting quietly in his apartment, most likely reflecting on all the unforgivable things he has done in his life by "protecting America's interests" (he was the 2nd gunman on the grassy knoll that assassinated JFK). But after a confrontation with an unknown figure, Blake is sent crashing out a window and falls to his death.
Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), a masked, paranoid vigilante, is convinced there is a conspiracy to kill all of them, and the Comedian was only the first. There is Dan Drieberg (Patrick Wilson), his former partner and better known as Nite Owl II. Laurie Jupiter (Malin Akerman), known as Silk Spectre II, who took her persona from the original Silk Spectre, her mother Sally Jupiter (Carla Gugino), Laurie is also the girlfriend of Jon Osterman (Billy Crudup), a physicist who suffered a lab accident and emerged as Dr. Manhattan, the only true "Superhero" and considered by many to be a god. It is also the mere presence of Dr. Manhattan that has kept the world from all-out nuclear war. Finally, there is Adrian Veidt (Matthew Goode), aka Ozymandias, often referred to as "the smartest man in the world." Exactly why is never explained, but regardless, he has turned his vigilante days into a huge corporation that has made him into one of the most influential people in the world.
The irony in all of this is that The Comedian is the only vigilante/crime fighter who understands the worthlessness of trying to protect people from themselves, and as the world stands on the edge of destruction, so begins the story of the Watchmen.
I won't reveal the plot in order to keep this spoiler-free for those that have yet to see the film or read the graphic novel. But it should be noted that the story only deviates from the source material to change the ending of the film, and after going back and reading the graphic novel, not only does it make perfect sense why this change had to be made, it also enhances the film and allows the audience to leave with a final lasting message.
Audio/Video:
Watchmen features 1080p VC-1 encoded video that has an average bitrate of 19 mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.5 mbps.
This is a reference-quality audio/video presentation that truly enhanced the enjoyment of this film. Those who like playing their systems at reference levels will want to exercise caution as there are peaks and extended dynamic range in this recording capable of testing the limits of lesser systems.
Bonus Features:
Disc 1:
Director's Cut - newly included footage that further enhances the story (25 minutes)
Maximum Movie Mode - An uncompromising 360 degree look at the film and its production as described by Director Zack Snyder as the film plays out. It includes trivia, facts, behind-the-scenes information. It is broken down into 11 segments that can also be viewed independently.
Warner Bros. BD-Live access
Disc 2:
Behind the story - The comic that changed comics - (28 minutes)
Real superheroes - Real vigilantes - (26 minutes)
Mechanics - Technologies of a fantastic world (16 minutes)
Desolation Row - Music video by My Chemical Romance
Disc 3:
Digital Copy Bonus Disc - Contains a standard definition version of the film that can be downloaded from a compatible PC to a portable media playback device
Final Thoughts:
The theatrical release of Watchmen was underwhelming; I felt it stayed too faithful to the source material and in the end did not give me the experience I was looking for. On Blu-ray however, Watchmen is a harmony of outstanding visuals and sound that goes beyond the typical movie-going experience and has allowed me to explore the world of the Watchmen in a way that, until recently, was not possible. By giving us features such as Maximum Movie Mode, we are treated to a brand new and unique way to garner the insight from the minds bringing this vision to film that goes beyond the typical audio commentary track or behind-the-scenes featurette. The Director's Cut brings an additional 25 minutes of footage further explaining the motives of certain characters, and a movie that felt flat in theaters was turned into something that left me wanting more.
Final Score: A-
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