Watchmen (Director's Cut + Digital Copy and BD-Live) [Blu-ray]

The Feature: 4/5

It's 1985 and the United States and Soviet Union are on the brink of nuclear war; the countdown to doomsday has begun. Meanwhile, the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a brutally cynical costumed hero, has been killed, tossed out the window of his high rise apartment like a rag doll. One of his former colleagues, Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley), still in operation despite legislation banning all masked heroes except those government-sanctiond like the Comedian, suspects someone is targeting their kind. Following the trail takes him back to old friends like Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman), Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) but their lives after their forced retirement seems to have gotten the better of them. If they're not weary and out of shape, they're lost in the convolutions of their personal dramas, making them easy targets in multiple ways. Only Rorschach has stayed on the edge all these years - at a cost - but the conspiracy he's digging up is proving bigger than he can fight on his own. With nuclear armageddon on the horizon, will a return of the masked hero even make a difference?

Long considered unfilmable, director Zack Snyder's adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' celebrated graphic novel "Watchmen" is surprisingly effective, capturing much of the original work's tone and character despite making some fairly significant changes. The removal of the "Black Freighter" metastory and revision of the conspiracy plot, while likely missed by devotees of the source material, ultimately make for a tighter and more accessible narrative, particularly for general viewers. If anything, it's the little things, added up, that can become a problem. For instance, why are the masked heroes so strong, able to throw bodies and punch through brick, when it's stated many times that the only "super" is Dr. Manhattan? Along the same lines, why is the violence so gory? It comes off as gratuitous, especially when there are moments of beautiful cinematic power as when Rorschach puts an end to Big Figure. Finally, Silk Spectre's character arc never seems to get the consideration it deserves, in part due to the limitations of the actor playing her but also the overall attention from the film itself, even in this longer cut. When she finally has her big revelation, we're just not there with her, unable to understand the depth of her anguish because we haven't seen enough of the events leading up to it.

Still, in the big picture, these are nitpicks. Considering the sweeping depth and complexity of the original work, it's amazing what translated so well. As in the graphic novel, Dr. Manhattan's meditative origin story is the film's high point in both story and visuals. The title sequence and Haley's portrayal of Rorschach are also among the film's undeniably great features. While there are obvious compromises in the adaptation, anyone except the most ardent fans of the source material should find themselves both entertained and moved to reflection on the story's darker ideas and themes.

The director's cut of "Watchmen" includes around 24 minutes of additional material not in the theatrical version (which is available as the digital copy on Disc Three). Most of the scenes involve Hollis Mason (the first Night Owl), though there is some additional time spent on Silk Spectre. Frankly, I don't think the scenes add that much. Silk Spectre stood to benefit most from a longer cut, but what's added back just isn't enough to remedy the shortcomings of the character treatment and her portrayal.

Video Quality: 4.5/5

The film is correctly framed at 2.40:1 and presented in 1080p with the VC-1 codec. Black levels are excellent, though there is a varying degree of black crush. Since it changes depending on the type of scene (more pronounced, along with some moderate color desaturation, in scenes set in the '40s) it's safe to say it's intentional. Colors, though obviously stylized, show very good depth and saturation as well. Sharpness and detail are consistently amazing, revealing fine texture in hair, skin and fabrics. The image is also free of edge haloes, signs of grain reduction and blemishes. Overall it's an excellent looking transfer that seems to accurately present the filmmakers' stylistic choices.

Audio Quality: 4.5/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio mix exhibits excellent LFE activity, clear and intelligible dialogue (especially with Rorschach's gravelly voice) and effective use of the surrounds for both atmospheric and directional effects. The only thing missing is a constant state of immersion that can be experienced with some of the best mixes. In this case the array perks up at the expected times for action sequences, but seems to become a strictly center channel affair when it's just dialogue. I know some find surround activity during dialogue sequences distracting, but when done properly it really lends the film an added sense of realism. The mix and presentation for "Watchmen" is certainly no slouch, but lacks some of the detail that would truly make it exemplary.

Special Features: 4/5

Disc One

Maximum Movie Mode: Exclusive to the Blu-ray release, this amplified variation on the video commentary includes picture-in-picture comparisons of storyboards and graphic novel panels to the film, a graphical timeline showing the events of the Watchmen world in relation to ours, walk-on video commentaries by Snyder, and a handy memory feature that will remember where you left off if you decide to leave. The feature also branches off to focus points, which are independently accessible as well.

Focus Points

• The Minute Men (3:33) - Introduction to the first generation of masked vigilantes.
• Sets and Sensibility (3:54) - Set construction and design.
• Dressed for Success (3:03) - Costume design.
• The Ship Has Eyes (4:20) - Design and construction of Nite Owl's ship, Archie.
• Dave Gibbons (3:21) - Illustrator Gibbons' impressions of the production.
• Burn Baby Burn (2:12) - Fire stunt during the prison riot.
• Shoot to Thrill (3:14) - Emulating the graphic novel's color palette and look.
• Blue Monday (2:59) - The wizardry behind Dr. Manhattan.
• Attention to Detail (2:53) - Props and set dressings.
• Girls Kick Ass (3:03) - Carla Gugino and Malin Akerman talk about their characters.
• Rorschach's Mask (3:38) - Developing and portraying the Rorschach character.

Disc Two

Disc Three

Recap

The Feature: 4/5
Video Quality: 4.5/5
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Special Features: 4/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4/5
 

An impressive adaptation of a deep and complex graphic novel gets excellent technical treatment and a fine set of special features.