100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Image Courtesy of Legendary Pictures
#80. Watchmen
Medium
Live-Action Feature Film
Release Date
March 6, 2009
Credits
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: David Hayter, Alex Tse
Based On: Watchmen by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore
Cast: Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach, Patrick Wilson as Daniel Dreilberg / Nite Owl II, Billy Crudup as Jon Osterman / Dr. Manhattan, Malin Åkerman as Laurie Juspeczyk / Silk Spectre II, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Morgan Blake / The Comedian, Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias, Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre
The Reason It’s Great
Zack Snyder’s current DC Extended Universe hasn’t been going smoothly. And his vision is much to be desired from hardcore fans of classic DC. However, the director really shined in his 2009 film that translated the critically-acclaimed Watchmen into a live-action epic.
Also titled “Watchmen,” the film was the source material brought to life. Every line, color, and angle was beautifully duplicated by Snyder—who’s definitely known more for his visuals than storytelling. It was probably duplicated too well, with some detractors stating that the film should’ve brought something new. Hey, you can’t make everyone happy.
There were some differences in the plot though—with the ending being the most major. There was a giant squid in the original story and Dr. Manhattan’s reputation didn’t take a hit with the public. With those things in mind, the overall film was still considered a success. Rarely do films perfectly match the rich tapestry of comic books, and Watchmen fell into the camp that did it well.
It was a worthy endeavor and it actually helped to bring more attention to the seminal 1980s work of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Snyder’s dark and overly serious take on comics may be parodied post-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it was definitely fitting for this great film.