Some believe Zack Snyder's “Watchmen” was a botched adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, while others believe it to be an absolutely essential addition to the superhero genre. It’s a film that has spawned contentious debate over the years.
Moore’s “Watchmen” was made as a sort of antidote to conventional superhero stories. What Moore created back in 1987, with artist Dave Gibbons, was damn-near revolutionary: a superhero world with realist-infused consciousness — a band of alternative caped crusaders that felt ingrained in socio and political resistance.
One person who is an absolute fan is Christopher Nolan. He tells THR that what Snyder created was a game changer for the genre:
“I’ve always believed Watchmen was ahead of its time,” Nolan offers in an email. “The idea of a superhero team, which it so brilliantly subverts, wasn’t yet a thing in movies. It would have been fascinating to see it released post-Avengers.”
“Watchmen” came out in 2009, which was just one year after Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” heralded a new kind of comic book movie — darker, deeper and more cinematic.
A dark and dystopian take of the superhero genre, “Watchmen” is set in an alternate history in the year 1985 at the height of the Cold War. The focus is a group of retired superheroes investigating the murder of one of their own.
The film received mixed reviews from critics; Snyder’s well-known filmmaking style was praised, but some believed that there was a lack of depth to the story. “Watchmen” ended up with a 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 56 on Metacritic.
In a fascinating analysis of the film’s reception, the Los Angeles Times’ Geoff Boucher compared the divided reaction of “Watchmen” to those of “Eyes Wide Shut”, “The Passion of the Christ, and “Fight Club.” He believed that “Watchmen” would continue to be a talking point among those who liked or disliked the film.
Before Snyder took it on, some filmmakers tried and failed to adapt “Watchmen” into a movie, they included Terry Gilliam, Paul Greengrass and Darren Aronofsky. Somehow, Snyder managed to convince Warner Bros to give him $150 million to make the film.
Damon Lindelof would later helm a new adaptation of “Watchmen” for HBO, this one was a limited series. Lindelof’s “Watchmen” was less faithful to its source material, taking some creative liberties with Moore’s original story, but critics were much kinder to it than with Snyder’s version. The series received universal acclaim.
Was Snyder’s “Watchmen” ahead of its time? Maybe your opinion will depend on whether or not you actually like Snyder as a filmmaker. His highly-stylized direction is very recognizable: brooding frames, ultra slow-mo, dark interiors and exteriors, and a penchant for the camera zooming in and out of action sequences.