Watchmen (film)

''Watchmen'' is a 2009 American superhero thriller film based on the 1986–1987 DC Comics limited series of the same name co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons with co-creator and author Alan Moore choosing to remain uncredited. Directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay by David Hayter and Alex Tse, the film features Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. A dark and dystopian deconstruction of the superhero genre, the film is set in an alternate history in the year 1985 at the height of the Cold War, as a group of mostly retired American superheroes investigates the murder of one of their own before uncovering an elaborate and deadly conspiracy, while their moral limitations are challenged by the complex nature of the circumstances.

From October 1987 until October 2005, a live-action film adaptation of the ''Watchmen'' series became stranded in development hell. Producers Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver began developing the project at 20th Century Fox, later moving it to Warner Bros. Pictures, the sister company of ''Watchmen'' publisher DC Comics, and hiring director Terry Gilliam, who eventually left the production and deemed the complex comic " unfilmable". During the 2000s, Gordon and Lloyd Levin collaborated with Universal Pictures, Revolution Studios and Paramount Pictures to produce the film. Directors David Hayter, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were attached to the project before it was cancelled over budget disputes. In October 2005, the project returned to Warner Bros., where Snyder was hired to direct. Paramount remained as its international distributor, whereas Warner Bros. would distribute the film in the United States. However, 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 modelled his storyboards on the comic, but chose not to shoot all of ''Watchmen'' using green screens and opted for real sets instead.

Following its world premiere at Odeon Leicester Square on February 23, 2009, the film was released in both conventional and IMAX theaters on March 6, 2009. The film was a box office bomb, grossing over $185 million against a production budget between $130–138 million. The film polarized fans and critics; the style was praised, but Snyder was accused of making an action film that lacked the subtlety and wit of the comic. 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 voiced by Gerard Butler, and a fictional documentary titled ''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. The "Ultimate Cut" edition incorporated the animated comic ''Tales of the Black Freighter'' into the narrative as it was in the original graphic novel, lengthening the runtime to 3 hours and 35 minutes, and was released on November 3, 2009. The director's cut was better received than the theatrical release.

Plot

In 1985, a man in a Manhattan apartment watches news about escalating Cold War tensions and the response from five-term President Richard Nixon, when an unseen assailant attacks him and hurls him to the street below. A credits montage reviews the rise of costumed crime-fighters from 1939 to 1977, culminating in a public backlash and passage of an anti-vigilante act. Rorschach, a vigilante detective who operates illegally, discovers that the dead man was Edward Blake, better known as the Comedian, a costumed hero who worked for the government. Suspecting that other vigilantes could be attacked, he warns members of his former team, the Watchmen. Rorschach's former partner Dan Dreiberg ( Nite Owl II) believes he is paranoid but relays his concerns to Adrian Veidt ( Ozymandias), a crime-fighter turned businessman. Rorschach visits Jon Osterman ( Doctor Manhattan), a physicist whose accidental superpowers make him a national security asset, but Osterman is preoccupied with energy research and ignores him.

At Blake's funeral, Osterman, Veidt and Dreiberg each recall the Comedian's pessimism in his later years about the Watchmen's mission. After the service, a lone mourner pays his respects. Rorschach tracks down and questions the mourner, former supervillain Edgar Jacobi (Moloch). Jacobi says that Blake had recently broken into his apartment while he was sleeping — tearful, unmasked and incoherent. Rorschach is astonished, but doubts that Jacobi would tell a lie so bizarre. During a press interview with Osterman, an investigative journalist tells him that several people who had contact with him have developed cancer, including his former girlfriend. As other reporters mob Osterman with questions, he shouts to be left alone. Escaping to Mars, he reflects on his existence as Doctor Manhattan and his regrets at being turned into a weapon. In his absence the Warsaw Pact countries make aggressive moves and Nixon prepares for war.

Veidt survives an assassination attempt, suggesting that Rorschach's "mask-killer" theory is correct. Dreiberg takes in Laurie Jupiter (Silk Spectre II), a second-generation vigilante and estranged friend of Osterman, for protection. Rorschach's investigation of the assassin leads him back to Jacobi. While attempting to question Jacobi again, Rorschach is framed for his murder, arrested, and unmasked as a low-born vagrant. In prison he defends his vigilantism to a psychiatrist, saying that he cannot ignore evil and the people who cause it. Dreiberg and Jupiter, growing nostalgic for their crime-fighting days, put on their costumes and break Rorschach out of prison. Osterman teleports Jupiter to Mars while Dreiberg joins Rorschach's investigation of the Blake murder. Evidence points them to Veidt as the mastermind; they find him at an Antarctic hideout, where he has just overseen activation of Osterman's energy reactors in New York and other world cities. On Mars, Jupiter tries to convince Osterman that humanity is worth saving, and succeeds only when he learns that Jupiter is Blake's illegitimate daughter, a fact so unlikely that it restores his respect for life.

Veidt admits orchestrating Osterman's exile, staging the assassination, framing Rorschach, and killing Blake who was spying on his activities. He has also executed the final step of his plan: turning the world against Osterman by rigging his reactors to explode, killing 15 million people. Osterman returns with Jupiter to a devastated New York, pieces together what has happened and teleports to Veidt's hideout. After a brief struggle, Veidt shows him that the countries of the world have put aside their rivalries to focus on a common enemy. Realizing the logic of Veidt's plan, the Watchmen agree to keep his secret, with the exception of Rorschach, whom Osterman kills to preserve the new global peace. Osterman departs permanently for another galaxy, Dreiberg rebukes Veidt's moral sacrifice, and Jupiter finally comes to terms with her parentage. A New York tabloid editor, disgusted that there is no war to report on, tells a reporter to grab something from a box of crank submissions that contains Rorschach's journal.

Cast and characters

Production for ''Watchmen'' began casting in July 2007 for look-alikes of the era's famous names for the film—something director Zack Snyder declared would give the film a "satirical quality" and "create this '80s vibe." 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. Snyder's son appears as a young Rorschach, while the director himself appears as an American soldier in Vietnam. Actor Thomas Jane was invited by Snyder, but declined to work in the film due to being too busy.

The Watchmen/The Crimebusters

* Malin Åkerman as Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II:
Åkerman described her character as the psychology and the emotion of the film. The actress worked out and trained to fight for her portrayal of the crime-fighter. In earlier attempts to make the film, Hilary Swank, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Connelly, and Jessica Alba were considered for the part of Laurie.
** Haley Guiel as Young Laurie Jupiter
* Billy Crudup as Jon Osterman / Doctor Manhattan:
The only member of the group with genuine superpowers, Doctor Manhattan is virtually omnipotent and works for the U.S. government. He is a scientist who suffered an accident during 1959, giving him superhuman powers. Crudup plays Osterman in flashbacks as a human and is replaced for his post-accident scenes 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. 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." 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." Keanu Reeves was also offered the role. Reeves was interested in the role but he ultimately passed.
** Jaryd Heidrick as Young Jon Osterman
* Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias:
A retired superhero who has since made his identity public. At first Snyder wanted Jude Law (a big fan of the character) for the part, but said that Goode was "big and tall and lean," which aided in bringing "this beautiful ageless, German superman" feel to the character. 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. Snyder said Goode "fit the bill... We were having a hard time casting he role because we needed someone handsome, beautiful and sophisticated, and that's a tough combo." Tom Cruise was also interested in the part, and met with Snyder.
* Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach:
A 45-year-old masked vigilante who continues his extralegal activities after they are outlawed. He takes his name from the Rorschach test, as the shifting black-and-white patterns on his mask resemble its inkblots. Unlike the other principal actors, Haley had read the comic as a young adult and was keen to pursue the role when he heard he had become a favorite candidate among fans. 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. 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. Rorschach appears several times in the movie without his mask before he is apprehended, carrying a placard sign proclaiming, "The End is Nigh", but not until he is unmasked by the police is it made apparent that the sign bearer is Rorschach. Haley said that upon hearing of the casting of Rorschach, he actively sought the role. His agent came up with the idea that they should do a shoestring-budgeted audition tape of Haley wearing his own "little cheesy Halloween" Rorschach outfit. All of the audition was shot in the living room and kitchen of Haley's house. The tape was then sent to the film production crew where Snyder watched it. After viewing the tape, Snyder cast Haley in the role of Rorschach, saying, "Very low-tech but awesomely acted. Clearly there was no other Rorschach."
** Eli Snyder as Young Walter Kovacs
* Patrick Wilson as Daniel Dreiberg / Nite Owl II:
A 40-year-old retired superhero with technological expertise. Snyder cast Wilson after watching 2006's '' Little Children'', which also co-starred Haley. Wilson put on to play the overweight Dreiberg. He compared Dreiberg to a soldier who returns from war unable to fit into society. During several attempts to get ''Watchmen'' adapted as a film, Kevin Costner, Christopher Walken and Richard Gere were each considered for the part. John Cusack, who is an admitted fan of the graphic novel, expressed great interest in playing the role.

The Minutemen

* Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre:
A retired superheroine, mother of Laurie Juspeczyk 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 " Bettie Page meets Alberto Vargas." In earlier attempts to make the film, Liv Tyler, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ann-Margret, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Sigourney Weaver were considered for the part of Sally.
* Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake / The Comedian:
A superhero and a former member of the Minutemen who is commissioned by the U.S. government as a black-ops specialist. 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. 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 ike beat up and sexually assault Jupiter ..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." 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!'"
* Stephen McHattie as Hollis Mason / Nite Owl:
A retired former member and the first Nite Owl, Mason now owns and lives over an auto shop.
** Clint Carleton as Young Hollis Mason
* Dan Payne as William Brady / Dollar Bill:
A deceased member, Brady was a bank-sponsored member of The Minutemen who was created for publicity purposes. He dies during a bank robbery in 1947 when his cape is caught in the bank's revolving doors, allowing the robbers to shoot him at point-blank range.
* Niall Matter as Byron Lewis / Mothman:
A former member, Lewis had a privileged upbringing and sought to help the less fortunate and fight oppression and corruption as a crime fighter. To this end, Lewis created a costume with special wings that helped him glide. His mental stability ultimately deteriorated after he was called before HUAC, leading to him being forcibly brought to a mental asylum.
* Apollonia Vanova as Ursula Zandt / The Silhouette:
Deceased. A gun-toting vigilante, motivated by the deaths of her parents and sister at the hands of the Nazis in their native Austria. Zandt is killed along with her lesbian lover in what is implied to be a hate crime.
* Glenn Ennis as Hooded Justice:
A deceased former member, H.J. was a violent vigilante who was trained in hand-to-hand combat.
* Darryl Scheelar as Nelson Gardner / Captain Metropolis:
A former Marine Lieutenant, he was one of the more active members of the Minutemen, having organized its formation. He died in a car accident in 1974 which decapitated him, though it is believed by some to be a form of suicide.

Other characters

* Matt Frewer as Edgar Jacobi / Moloch:
A former supervillain. Moloch was jailed for a time during the 1970s. He is dying of cancer which he received from Adrian Veidt. Moloch was later murdered by Veidt, who frames Rorschach.
** Mike Carpenter as Young Moloch
* Laura Mennell as Janey Slater:
A scientist who was Osterman's first girlfriend until he fell for Laurie.
* Danny Woodburn as Tom Ryan / Big Figure:
A jailed dwarf crime boss and old adversary of Nite Owl and Rorschach. He tries to get revenge when Rorschach is imprisoned in the same jail as he is.
* Robert Wisden as Richard Nixon
* Frank Novak as Henry Kissinger
* Gary Houston as John McLaughlin
* Sean Allan and Garry Chalk as NORAD Generals
* Michael Kopsa as Paul Klein
* Chris Gauthier as Seymour David

Cameo roles include Jay Brazeau as a news vendor, Mark Acheson as a large man at Happy Harry's, Leah Gibson as Silhouette's girlfriend, Alessandro Juliani as a Rockefeller Military Base technician, Salli Saffioti

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