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Watchmen broke the 2009 box-office record with a $55.2 million take on opening weekend. This Warner Brothers film, however, cost $100 million to make, so it's got a way to go before any profit is to be had. But, all in all, not bad for a movie that was said to be impossible to film by many.
Based on the award winning cult graphic novel of the same name written by
Alan Moore, Watchmen chronicles the lives of a group of free land vigilante super heroes. Set in an alternate 1986, where Richard Nixon is in his fifth term in office and the Coldwar Doomsday Clock is set at five to midnight, the movie shows us, through a series of flashbacks, who the Watchmen were and how they came to be where they are now - outlawed.
The film opens with the death of the nihilistic, misogynistic character,
The Comedian (brilliantly played by
Jeffrey Dean Morgan). We are then introduced the rest of the cast, including
Rorschach (
Jackie Earle Haley),
Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), and
Adrian Veidt/Ozymandium (Matthew Goode). Unfolding like a murder mystery, the film goes on to examine power and its use in our society. It shows us what type of people choose to hide behind a mask to fight crime, and shows us how far they will go to protect humanity.
Clocking in at 2 3/4 hours, the film is riveting. We made the mistake of going to the midnight show the first night it opened, however - not always a great idea with a film as long as this.
Overall, I give it two thumbs up.
Different photo supplied by editors:
(How is this one? ANON:)
One of the most highly anticipated films for spring 2009 must surely be The Watchman. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, it is directed by Zack Snyder. Legal battles over distribution rights between Fox and Warner have pushed back the release date, but that looks to be settled now; rumours last year had fans worried when the movie was clocking in at just over three hours. Likewise, a fantastic first trailer was followed by a much weaker one. Add to that a storyline and cast of characters that many feel will be hard to translate to the big screen in a meaningful way, and you've got a whole lot of people waiting with bated breath until March.My prediction: it'll be worth the wait. The story, set in an alternate 1985 America, where superheroes are a part of everyday life, is a strong one. Writer of the graphic novel, Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Swamp Thing) is a legend. The film's director Snyder has vowed to stay as true to the graphic novel as possible. He has also, apparently, worked some CGI magic with main character Rorschach's mask which can only add to the overall effect.All in all, this film will be a good one to watch for.
