Who Watches the Watchmen?

For many comic book fans, any movie based on Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel, Watchmen, was unthinkable. An accurate translation was considered impossible. But that is exactly what it appears Director Zak Snyder has done with his adaptation due in March of 2009. Buzz has surrounded the project since Snyder chose it as his follow-up to the critically acclaimed 300, also a comic book adaptation. As fans analyze the trailer and promo images it appears that the movie is an almost frame-by-frame love letter to the original comic. Here's what you can expect from the Watchmen movie.

What is a Watchmen, Anyway?

Watchmen is a seminal graphic novel originally published by DC Comics in the mid-eighties. It presents the tale of a group of superheroes who exist in an alternate timeline to our own where Richard Nixon extended term limits and is still President and costumed crime fighters have been outlawed due to the appearance of an actual 'super' hero (Dr. Manhattan, played by Billy Crud-up). With innovative touches like excerpts from books and newspapers that exist in the world of Watchmen, it is considered the inspiration for the 'deconstructionist' movement in superhero comic books. For the first time we see masked mystery men not as Gods above, or symbols hiding in the shadows, but as human beings with all the corruption and foolish judgment that implies.

The Look of Watchmen

Pictures from the set have shown a striking attention to detail. Place panels of the comic book side-by-side with promotional shots and you'll see everything from billboards to candy wrappers taken from the page and re-created in the real world. Even the promotional campaign is a tribute to the acclaimed series (movie posters are meticulous recreations of house ads that promoted the series during its initial run.) Artist Dave Gibbons served as a consultant on the movie and ever made a set visit which he described as walking into the world he and Alan Moore rendered.

An Issue of Length

The original series is known to be a very dense work, so naturally the movie is going to reflect that. Current run time is estimated at three hours. A longer version is in the works for the home release, as it will feature the Pirate comic book that appears alongside and comments upon the main story. Producers felt including these excerpts in the theatrical release would be too much for audiences, but expect it to be featured in a future Special Edition.

For a movie that was never supposed to exist, Watchmen appears that it will be everything fans of the book have been waiting for. Unfortunately, Alan Moore has no interest in being involved in any movie adaptations of his books, but one would hope that when he sneaks a peak at this latest one he may finally realize that his tails are classic in that they can transcend the original medium to reach a whole new audience.