The Watchmen Trailer

Who Watches the Watchmen?

Apparently all of America saw the trailer for the spring 2009 release of The Watchmen prior to The Dark Knight this weekend, except for me. I got to the theater after it was already shown but fortunately, I'd already seen it online. Some of you may not know what The Watchmen is so allow me to enlighten you.

The Watchmen is an award winning graphic novel from the late 1980's depicting dilapidated superheroes living in the shadows of the Cold War. In this alternate history, superheroes are commonplace but the public is weary of their perceived vigilante tactics. The Doomsday Clock is set at 5 minutes to midnight and this group is about to come out of retirement to solve the murder mystery of one of their own. These are not the goody-two shoes heroes who always take the high ground. They're more like a posse of misfits with various neuroses, plagued by ethical and moral dilemmas. Are you impressed yet? I read this novel for my Media Criticism class in college and wrote a paper about its underlying theme depicting the American Monomyth. Who says you never use what you learned in school? ;)

Now director Zach Snyder is turning The Watchmen into a full blown movie and from the trailer, it's breathtaking. I'm not familiar with any of the actors but I think that's a positive. The special effects look amazing and the characters appear spot-on from their depictions in the comic. If the movie keeps to the plot of the novel and allows the themes of authority, social opposition, and moral relativism to develop, it should be a winner. I hope this will be a thinking person's movie; just like the novel encouraged the reader to question certain ideals and notions, so should the movie encourage the viewer to leave with a greater perspective of human nature and the forces both heroic and villainous in us all.

"Why So Serious?"

We just got back from seeing The Dark Knight and this movie was phenomenal! So good, I want to see it again. When I can’t stop thinking about a movie, that’s when I know it’s awesome. The Dark Knight takes the other Batman movies (sans Batman Begins) and makes them completely laughable. Besides Sex and the City, which I can’t place in the same category, this was the best movie I’ve seen all year! Very dark and disturbing; there was lots of psychological terror but not much gore, which is exactly what scares me most. I don’t need to see a bunch of gruesome acts to get the point that a person died hideously or was tortured, etc. The apprehension is what freaks me out and this movie had plenty of it. I was curling up in my seat at a few points for fear of what the Joker might do.

Tension and angst, savage humor and depravity, the inner struggle of nobleness versus hedonism; this is definitely a movie that gets your pulse going. There were some plot twists to keep viewers guessing and deep themes which allow it to maintain significance and relevance. There was a point where they were referring to the joker and his cronies as terrorists and Gotham was mad at Batman for letting civilians and policeman die all while he was trying to protect them from evil. I couldn't help but think this was a comment on President Bush and the War on Terror, which I found purely fascinating. I’ll let you see the movie and then draw your own conclusions as to the writers' perspective.

Heath Ledger’s performance was truly immaculate. He really melted into the role of the Joker. You forget that you’re watching lovable Heath and truly believe that this sadistic psycho is out to get you. Jack Nicholson’s Joker cannot touch Ledger’s. Tim Burton’s Batman came out when I was 11 and Nicholson’s Joker didn’t scare me at all. Ledger’s on the other hand had me cringing. While Nicholson’s Joker was evil and twisted in a silly way, Ledger’s was a completely diabolical maniac, relishing in creating chaos and fear. Of course the writers and director get total props for their contributing parts in the movie; Ledger wouldn’t have been able to play such an awesome role without the excellent writing and direction. But he really dug deep to bring out the sheer demented nature of the Joker.

The Joker’s background in The Dark Knight is much more of a mystery than in Batman (1989). Instead of falling into a vat of chemicals, he has scars from knife wounds in his cheeks, for which he offers multiple explanations. I think this brings an element of sympathy to his character and offers a much more abysmal side to his past than previously portrayed.

I like the Nolan Batman movies much better than Burton’s or Schumacher’s because they’re simply more realistic. Real cities, not just sets and paintings and the themes are dark but not gothic. Burton’s movies in comparison seem very cartoonish. I think if you’re taking comic book characters onto the big screen, they should be made real, because that’s what they are in the comic book; they are supposed to be real people, they’re just drawn. The movie should not look like a comic book or a cartoon but should still retain the elements of the characters. Nolan’s movies do that. No redonkulous antics or attention detracting CGI. Everything in his movies makes sense from how and where Bruce Wayne gets his “toys” and training to the villains’ motivations.

I also don’t care much for the other Batmans. Christian Bale is definitely the best in my book. George Clooney plays himself in every movie so I feel like he never got into the Batman role at all. Michael Keaton is a decent actor but his pursed lips always really bothered me. Val Kilmer wasn’t bad, but I really just thought his main draw was his attractiveness. Bale definitely makes Batman/Bruce Wayne his own. The casting of Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine was also excellent and I heart them (esp. Freeman) in every movie I’ve ever seen them in. Aaron Eckhart makes a much better Harvey Dent/Two Face than Tommy Lee Jones could every dream of and his face is truly horrific after the accident. (Kudos special effects peeps!)

The soundtrack to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are both fantastic. Gripping, brooding, sweeping and with a perpetual motion sound that seems to tick toward doom with brief moments of redemption. The scores by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard highlight the action sequences brilliantly. Well worth the purchase on iTunes!

I have to give a cliché of two very enthusiastic thumbs up for this movie I enjoyed every aspect of it from beginning to end. It will certainly be on my list of DVD purchases and a movie I can watch again and again.

Rest in Peace, Heath. Your magic lives on!