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Watchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Set in an alternate-history 1985, tensions heighten between the United States and the Soviet Union as a group of former vigilantes investigates an apparent conspiracy against them and uncovers something even more grandiose and sinister.
Following publication of the Watchmen comic, a live-action film adaptation was mired in development hell. Producer Lawrence Gordon began developing the project at 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. (parent company of Watchmen publisher DC Comics) with producer Joel Silver and director Terry Gilliam, the latter eventually deeming the complex novel "unfilmable". During the 2000s, Gordon and Lloyd Levin collaborated with Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures to produce a script by David Hayter; Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were also attached to the project before it was canceled over budget disputes. The project returned to Warner Bros., where Snyder was hired to direct – Paramount remained as international distributor. Fox sued Warner Bros. for copyright violation arising from Gordon's failure to pay a buy-out in 1991, which enabled him to develop the film at the other studios. Fox and Warner Bros. settled this before the film's release with Fox receiving a portion of the gross. Principal photography began in Vancouver, September, 2007. As with his previous film 300, Snyder closely modeled his storyboards on the comic, but chose to not shoot all of Watchmen using chroma key and opted for more sets.
The film was released in both conventional and IMAX theaters on March 6, 2009, grossing $55 million on the opening weekend, and grossed over $180 million at the worldwide box office. It divided film critics; some gave it overwhelmingly positive reviews for the dark and unique take on the superhero genre, while others derided it for the same reason, as well as the R-rating, the running time, and the much-publicized accuracy to the graphic novel. A DVD based on elements of the Watchmen universe was released, including an animated adaptation of the comic Tales of the Black Freighter within the story, starring Gerard Butler, and the documentary Under the Hood, detailing the older generation of superheroes from the film's back-story. A director's cut with 24 minutes of additional footage was released in July, 2009.
Plot
The story takes place in an alternate timeline in which masked, costumed vigilantes fight crime in America, originally in response to a rise in masked and costumed gangs and criminals. In the 1930s and '40s, the vigilantes formed a group called the Minutemen to "finish what the law couldn't." The original lineup often suffered early and violent deaths in action, or became suicides, or were arrested for breaking the law themselves, or in one case was committed to an asylum. Decades later, a second generation of "superheroes" attempts to form a team as well, called the Watchmen. Various historical events are shown to have been altered by the existence of superheroes, such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Vietnam War. The American victory in Vietnam, due to the intervention of the godlike being Doctor Manhattan, leads to Richard Nixon's third term as President following the repeal of term limits in the United States. By the 1980s, however, the Watchmen have been outlawed by Nixon after an outpouring of anti-vigilante sentiment in the country, and tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union have escalated the Cold War with threats of nuclear attack.
By 1985, only three adventurers remain active: the Comedian and Doctor Manhattan, both of whom act with government sanction, and the masked vigilante Rorschach, who refuses to retire and remains active illegally. Investigating the murder of government agent Edward Blake, Rorschach discovers that Blake was the Comedian, concluding that someone is trying to eliminate the original Watchmen. He goes off to warn his former comrades—the emotionally detached Dr. Jon Osterman (Doctor Manhattan) and his lover Laurie Jupiter (Silk Spectre), Daniel Dreiberg (Nite Owl), and Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias)—but he makes little progress.
After Blake's funeral, Dr. Manhattan is accused of causing the cancers afflicting his former girlfriend and colleagues from before the accident that turned him into the being he is now. Manhattan exiles himself to Mars, giving the Soviet Union the confidence to invade Afghanistan in his absence. Later, Rorschach's conspiracy theory appears to be justified when Adrian, who had long since made his identity as Ozymandias public before retiring, narrowly avoids an assassination attempt, and Rorschach finds himself framed for murder.
Meanwhile Jupiter, after breaking up with Manhattan, falls in love with Dreiberg, and the two former superheroes come out of retirement as they grow closer. After breaking Rorschach out of prison alongside Nite Owl, Silk Spectre is confronted by Manhattan. He takes her to Mars and after she asks him to save the world, explains he is no longer interested in humanity. Probing her memories, he discovers the Comedian was her father. His interest in humanity renewed, Manhattan returns to Earth with Silk Spectre.
Investigating the conspiracy, Rorschach and Nite Owl discover that Adrian may be behind everything. Rorschach records his suspicions in his journal, which he drops off at a newspaper office. Rorschach and Nite Owl confront Adrian, dressed in his Ozymandias costume, at his Antarctic retreat. Ozymandias confirms he is the mastermind behind The Comedian's murder, Manhattan's exile, and the framing of Rorschach; he also staged his own assassination attempt to place himself above suspicion. He explains that his plan is to unify the United States and Soviet Union and prevent nuclear war by destroying the world's main cities with exploding energy reactors he had Doctor Manhattan create for him under the pretense of providing free energy for the world. Rorschach and Nite Owl attempt to stop him, only to find his plan has already been set into motion. The energy signatures are recognized as Doctor Manhattan's, and the two opposing sides of the Cold War unite to combat their "common enemy."
Jupiter and Manhattan arrive at the ruins of New York City and realize Ozymandias's plan. They confront him in Antarctica but, after seeing a news report in which President Nixon states that the US and Soviets have allied, Dr. Manhattan, in a state of helpless disbelief, realizes that killing Ozymandias and revealing the conspiracy would only break this peace and lead to war again. Rorschach is unwilling to remain silent and, upon exiting Ozymandias' retreat, is confronted by Manhattan. Knowing that he is the only one among them who wants to reveal Ozymandias' plot, he tells Manhattan to kill him. After much reluctance and coaxing by Rorschach himself, Manhattan finally kills him. Manhattan shares a final kiss with Jupiter and departs for another galaxy.
With the end of the Cold War and the uniting of humanity, Jupiter and Dreiberg return to a New York City being rebuilt, and begin a new life together. The film closes with a newspaper editor in New York complaining of nothing worthwhile to print because of the world-wide peace. He tells a young employee that he may print whatever he likes from a collection of crank mailings, among which lies Rorschach's journal, implying that Veidt's plot may be unveiled to the world.
Cast and characters
Malin Åkerman as Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II: Jessica Alba and Milla Jovovich were originally considered for the role, but Snyder felt that they were too well known to be playing such a serious part. Åkerman described her character as the psychology and the emotion of the film due to being the only woman among the men. The actress worked out and trained to fight for her portrayal of the crime fighter.[3] Åkerman's latex costume and wig, which often stuck into the latex, did not permit a lot of protection when performing stunts, and she often bruised herself during filming.[4] In the film the surname Juspeczyk appears briefly on screen when Laurie wears Nite Owl's visor. The character prefers the name Juspeczyk, as Jupiter is just a surname that her mother went by during World War II so that people would not know of her Polish background.
Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach: A masked vigilante who continues his vigilante activities after they are outlawed.[5] Unlike the other five principal actors, Haley had read the comic and was keen to pursue the role when he heard he had become a favorite candidate among fans.[6] He and fourteen friends put together his audition, where he performed scenes from the comic.[7] Haley "almost went nuts" trying to reconcile his understanding of complex human behavior with Rorschach's moral absolutism, stating the character made him wonder if people generally just make excuses for their bad actions.[8] Rorschach wears a mask with ink blots: motion capture markers were put on the contours of Haley's blank mask, for animators to create his ever-changing expressions.[9] Haley found the mask "incredibly motivating for the character" because of its confining design, which heated up quickly.[10] Small holes were made in the mask for him to see.[9] Haley has a black belt in Kenpō, but described Rorschach's attack patterns as sloppier and more aggressive due to the character's boxing background.[4]
Patrick Wilson as Daniel Dreiberg / Nite Owl II: A retired superhero with technological experience.[5] John Cusack, a fan of the comic book, expressed interest in the role.[11] Snyder cast Wilson after watching 2006's Little Children, which also co-starred Haley. Wilson put on 25 lbs. to play the overweight Dreiberg.[6] He compared Dreiberg to a soldier who returns from war unable to fit into society.[12] Wilson said the fight style he was instructed to give Nite Owl was "heavy-handed and power coordinated".[4]
Billy Crudup as Dr. Jon Osterman / Doctor Manhattan:[13] A superhero with genuine powers who works for the U.S. government. The role was once pursued by actor Keanu Reeves,[14] but the actor abandoned his pursuit when the studio held up the project over budget concerns.[5] As well as playing Osterman in flashback as a human, for his post-accident scenes as Dr. Manhattan, Crudup is replaced in the film with a motion-capture CG version of himself. During filming, Crudup acted opposite his co-stars, wearing a white suit covered in blue LEDs, so he would give off an otherworldly glow in real life, just as the computer-generated Manhattan does in the movie. The special effects technicians considered that Dr. Manhattan is supposed to be a god-like being who after his accident tries to create the perfect human form with a well-formed physique and extreme musculature. For this purpose, his body was modeled on that of fitness model and actor Greg Plitt. The crew then 3D-digitized Crudup's head and "frankensteined it onto Greg Plitt's body"[15]. Crudup had to keep thinking of the character in the comic, because he felt ridiculous in the LED suit.[7] Crudup deemed it fortunate he did not have to wear prosthetics or fit into a rubber costume like the other actors though, and would remind them of this when they made jokes about his appearance.[6] Snyder chose not to electronically alter Crudup's voice for Manhattan, explaining the character "would try and put everyone as much at ease as he could, instead of having a robotic voice that I think would feel off-putting".[16]
Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias: A retired superhero who has since made his identity public. The role of Ozymandias was originally connected to actors Jude Law, Lee Pace and Tom Cruise (whom Snyder felt would have been better as Manhattan),[4][14] but they left the project behind because of the studio's delay in handling the budget.[5] Snyder said Goode was "big and tall and lean", which aided in bringing "this beautiful ageless, Aryan superman" feel to the character.[6] Goode interpreted Veidt's back-story to portray him with a German accent in private and an American one in public; Goode explained Veidt gave up his family's wealth and traveled the world, becoming a self-made man because he was ashamed of his parents' Nazi past, which in turn highlighted the themes of the American Dream and the character's duality.[17] Because of the German-born depiction of Veidt, Goode pronounced his surname as "Vight".[18] Goode had been "very worried about my casting", feeling he was "not the physical type for [Ozymandias]. Yet Zack was adamant and reassuring and made me feel at ease". Snyder said Goode "fit the bill.... We were having a hard time casting [the role], because we needed someone handsome, beautiful and sophisticated, and that's a tough combo".[19]
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake / The Comedian: A superhero who is commissioned by the U.S. government. Prior to Morgan's casting, producers Lawrence Gordon and Lloyd Levin met with Ron Perlman to discuss portraying The Comedian.[20] When reading the comic for the part, Morgan stopped when he saw his character was killed off three pages in. When telling his agent he did not want the part, he was told to continue reading it and find out how important his character was.[6] Morgan found the role a challenge, explaining, "For some reason, in reading the novel, you don't hate this guy even though he does things that are unmentionable. [...] My job is to kind of make that translate, so as a viewer you end up not making excuses to like him, but you don't hate him like you should for doing the things that he does."[21] Morgan asked Snyder if The Comedian could swear more in the script.[4] Of his casting, Snyder said, "It's hard to find a man's man in Hollywood. It just is. And Jeffrey came in and was grumpy and cool and grizzled, and I was, like, 'OK, Jeffrey is perfect!'"[19]
Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre: A retired superheroine, mother of Laurie Jupiter and the first Silk Spectre. Gugino's character ages from 25 years old in the 1940s to 67 years old in the 1980s, and the 37-year-old actress wore prosthetics to reflect the aging process. Gugino described her character's superhero outfit as an influence of Bettie Page-meets-Alberto Vargas. The actress donned the trademark hairdo of the character, though it was shaped to be more plausible for the film.[22] She also posed for the Alberto Vargas-style pin-ups of her character and a painting meant to be done by Norman Rockwell, which she enjoyed because she was fascinated by Vargas.[23]
Matt Frewer as Edgar Jacobi / Moloch the Mystic: An elderly rehabilitated criminal, known when he was younger as an underworld kingpin and magician.
Stephen McHattie as Hollis Mason / Nite Owl: The first vigilante to take up the mantle of Nite Owl.
Danny Woodburn as Big Figure: A dwarf crime boss whom Rorschach and Nite Owl put in prison fifteen years prior.
Niall Matter as Byron Lewis / Mothman: He is not a main focus of the storyline, but appears in flashbacks, at one point reduced in his later years to fragile sanity.
Dan Payne as Bill Brady / Dollar Bill: A first-generation crime fighter who caught his cape in a revolving door during a bank robbery and was shot to death. Payne is a fan of the comic and shot his scenes over four days, both for his cameo in the theatrical cut and the fictionalized DVD documentary.[24]
Apollonia Vanova as Ursula Zandt / Silhouette: A former member of the Minutemen who was forced into retirement after her status as a lesbian became public knowledge. She and her partner were later murdered by a former arch villain.
Glenn Ennis as Rolf Müller / Hooded Justice: The first masked vigilante to appear in the 1930s. Was involved in a sham relationship with the first Silk Spectre to hide his homosexuality. Later thought to be killed by The Comedian.
Darryl Scheelar as Nelson Gardner / Captain Metropolis: An ex-Marine and one of the founding members of the Minutemen.
Doug Chapman as Roy Chess: A hired assassin who tries to kill Ozymandias.[25] Doug Chapman was also the Canadian stunt coordinator for the movie, and performed as a stunt double and stunt performer.[26]
Patrick Sabongui as Knot Top Gang Leader
Alessandro Juliani as Rockefeller Military Base Technician
Production for Watchmen began casting in July 2007 for look-alikes of the era's famous names for the film — something Snyder declared would give the film a "satirical quality" and "create this ’80s vibe" —[27] including Richard Nixon, Leonid Brezhnev, Henry Kissinger, H. R. Haldeman, Ted Koppel, John McLaughlin, Annie Leibovitz, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Fidel Castro, Albert Einstein, Norman Rockwell, John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Elvis Presley, Mao Zedong, Larry King, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and the Village People.[28][29] Snyder said he wanted younger actors because of the many flashback scenes, and it was easier to age actors with make-up rather than cast two actors in the same role.[30] Snyder's son cameos as a young Rorschach,[31] while the director himself appears as an American soldier in Vietnam.[32] Actor Thomas Jane was invited by Snyder, but declined to work in the film due to being too busy. [33]
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