Watchmen (2009)

Director:

Zack Snyder

Writers (WGA):

David Hayter (screenplay) and
Alex Tse (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

6 March 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

This city is afraid of me. I've seen its true face.

Plot:

In an alternate 1985 where former superheroes exist, the murder of a colleague sends active vigilante Rorschach into his own sprawling investigation, uncovering something that could completely change the course of history as we know it.

Plot Keywords:

1985 | Vigilante | Conspiracy | Investigation | Murder

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Malin Akerman	...	Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II
Billy Crudup	...	Dr. Manhattan / Jon Osterman
Matthew Goode	...	Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Walter Kovacs / Rorschach
Jeffrey Dean Morgan	...	Edward Blake / The Comedian
Patrick Wilson	...	Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II
Carla Gugino	...	Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre
Matt Frewer	...	Edgar Jacobi / Moloch the Mystic
Stephen McHattie	...	Hollis Mason / Nite Owl
Laura Mennell	...	Janey Slater
Rob LaBelle	...	Wally Weaver
Gary Houston	...	John McLaughlin
James M. Connor	...	Pat Buchanan (as James Michael Connor)
Mary Ann Burger	...	Eleanor Clift
John Shaw	...	Doug Roth

Also Known As:

Watchmen: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language. (also director's cut and ultimate edition)

Runtime:

162 min | 186 min (director's cut) | 215 min (ultimate cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44894) | Czech Republic:15 | Australia:MA | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | Netherlands:16 | Ireland:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:R21 | Singapore:M18 (edited for re-rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Ireland:16 (re-rating on appeal) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Germany:16 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Japan:R-15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Brazil:18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Portugal:M/16 | France:-12 | Iceland:16 | Hong Kong:IIB (cut version) | Hong Kong:III (IMAX DMR version) | Italy:VM14 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:16 | Peru:18 | Mexico:C | USA:R (director's cut) (certificate #45165) | USA:R (Ultimate edition) (certificate #45166) | Denmark:15 | Austria:16 | South Africa:16LV | Chile:18 (original rating) | Chile:Y7 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Bloedel Floral Conservatory, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The computer in Adrian Veidt's office is a black Apple Macintosh SE/30, running in inverted mode on screen. Macintoshes of the era were never officially sold in black, but a consignment is believed to have been once used by the National Security Agency. The program running is an early version of the Mac OS. At the time, these versions were still in black and white, and the production team simply inverted the black and white colors to make it look different.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the camera zooms out from the crime scene at The Comedian's apartment, the Chrysler Center is visible in the reflection of the glass, but is not visible as the camera zooms out far enough to be able to see where it should be.

Quotes:

Rorschach: We need to squeeze people.
Dan Dreiberg: [sarcastic] Sure. We'll pick them out of a phone book.
Rorschach: You forgot how we do things, Daniel. You've gotten too soft. Too trusting. Especially with women.
Dan Dreiberg: No, listen, I am through with that! God, who do you think you are, Rorschach? You live off people by insulting them and nobody complains because they think you're a damn lunatic!
Dan Dreiberg: [Rorschach approaches Dan, who sighs and turns to him] I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, man.
Rorschach: Daniel? You are a good friend.
[extends his hand and Dan takes it]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Watchmen: A G4 Special (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

All Along the Watchtower

Compelling, exciting and original

It is 1985, Richard Nixon is serving his fifth term as US president and the world stands on the brink of destruction as the world's two superpowers vie for nuclear supremacy. The only thing stopping the USSR from launching a doomsday attack is America's Dr Manhattan – a being with enough power to destroy planets and much else besides.

Wow! I was lucky enough to watch this at a preview screening in London last night and came to the film with little knowledge about what to expect. Having seen the posters around the place and perhaps catching one or two of the trailers I was expecting something akin to another "X-Men" movie (which frankly I've never found particularly interesting). However, it was a very pleasant surprise to find that Zack Snyder has served up something entirely fresh and quite dazzling. Watchmen takes the well-worn superhero format and turns it on its head. As you would expect from a movie of this genre you get a tale of attempted world domination by evil baddies, good guys wearing latex costumes, fistfuls of action and spectacular special effects. What you would not expect is to have this interwoven with eye-watering violence (a scene where one particularly nasty bad guy gets a meat cleaver brought down on his forehead being one example), full frontal male nudity (albeit computer generated) and rampant satire. The US political system, military posturing and blind patriotism are all given a bit of a roasting by David Hayter and Alex Tse's script. Add to this a host of compelling performances, notably Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach and Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl, and you have an exceptional cinematic experience.

Watchmen is no ordinary superhero movie and likely to manage the difficult feat of satisfying both the fan-boys and the uninitiated punters (like myself). Its success means it must be highly likely that there will be a sequel – if not several. Catch this early if you can and be one of the first to witness that rarefied thing in cinema – something beautiful, exciting and original.