Blu-ray Review: Watchmen (Director’s Cut)

When it comes to translating legendary comic books and icons into screenplays, there are certain rules you must adhere to: you don’t make Ben Affleck the lead in Daredevil, you don’t make an Elektra movie without knowing the complete Elektra mythos, you don’t over saturate Batman with bright colors and you don’t turn Alan Moore’s legendary Watchmen graphic novel into a feature film.

I balked when I first got the news that Zack Snyder was going to helm a “Watchmen” feature film. On the heals of “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” moviegoers were finally starting to see comic book icons the way comic fans saw them – as real characters with real problems and not Golden Age fantasy “creatures.” Sure Snyder had done an amazing job in adapting “300,” by Frank Miller, but that was just an ordinary graphic novel, and not the “Watchmen.” This was one of the stories, created by Alan Moore, which would inevitably change the genre of comic books for decades. How could you adapt a book with so many subtle nuances into a feature film without completely destroying the original work?

After several press releases and interviews with Snyder, it appeared that he would indeed honor the original book. For brevity, the Black Freighter story would be omitted, which was understandable. However, Zack promised fans several shots taken directly from the graphic novel. Promises in Hollywood have historically been empty. We saw that in the Edward Norton Incredible Hulk feature (it was good and much better than Ang Lee’s Hulk, but far from great), which also promised panels directly from the comic. At the end of the day, fans still demand authenticity in their favorite entertainment medium.

Then the day came when the critics, and those who did not read the graphic novel bashed the feature film. And, I realized one thing: Zack Snyder did an amazing job. By staying completely true to the original work, Zack had recreated the “Watchmen,” nearly verbatim for the silver screen. Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” is nothing short of brilliant, and the Blu-ray release takes brilliant up a notch with an additional 25 minutes of footage. These added scenes really help to flesh out the full emotion and spirit of Alan Moore’s work, as well as giving fans more Rorschach. The additional footage also helps to further explore the darkness of the time, especially when you witness Hollis Mason’s death and the jailbreak scene. Sure, there were a few scenes and directorial liberties taken with story arc, like making the ultimate threat nuclear war instead of a giant octopus. This is perfectly acceptable, if anything it makes the story that much more real for today’s audiences.

The fact that the movie flew over the heads of most reviewers was a testament to Zack’s keen knowledge and awareness of Alan Moore’s work. From start to finish the “Watchmen” is spectacular. Jackie Earle Haley perfectly embodies the character of Rorschach, and not for a nanosecond does his performance ever come off as cheesy. Each of the lead actors delivered stellar performances in capturing real-believable characters for screen.

Although this is a Director’s Cut and Blu-ray release, the bonus features seem light. The second Blu-ray disc contains only four additional featurettes. I have to wonder if this is because there is an “Ultimate Edition” scheduled for release in the future. Regardless, for now, this Blu-ray release is a must own. If there was ever an honest man in Hollywood, Zack Snyder is that man. Snyder put to sleep the apprehension of all comic fans and book lovers; he created a movie that stayed true to form without sacrificing its integrity to appease the masses.

Watchmen Director’s Cut Blu-ray Disc Bonus Features:
- Director’s Cut (additional 25 min.): Newly included footage contains more Rorschach and a scene of Hollis Mason’s death.
- Warner Bros. Maximum Movie Mode [With Watchmen Director Zack Snyder as our host, we’ll dive deep into the intricacies of the Watchmen.]
1) Director walk-ons with scene analysis
2) Picture-in-picture video from the cast and crew
3) Side-by-side comparisons of the graphic novel and the film
4) Timeline comparisons of our world events to those from Watchmen
5) Photo galleries of production stills and storyboards
- The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics [Learn how the subversive, thematically complex, award winning comic that changed literature, inspired analytical debate, and won countless fans, was created]
- Real Superheroes, Real Vigilantes [Explores the fascination and psychology behind real-world vigilantes and where that behavior crosses over into actually donning the hood and behaving as superheroes.]
- Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World [The creators of Watchmen had a great understanding of engineering and science, allowing for plausible mechanics in their characters tools and the world itself. This featurette will guide the viewer through the filmmakers process of turning these technologies into cinematic reality]
- My Chemical Romance Desolation Row Music Video
- BD-Live with even more content
- Digital Copy