Watchmen Chapter I

''Watchmen'' is a 2024 American adult animated two-part superhero film directed by Brandon Vietti and written by J. Michael Straczynski. It stars an ensemble cast including Matthew Rhys, Katee Sackhoff, Titus Welliver, Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau, and Michael Cerveris. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Paramount Pictures, and DC Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in North America and Paramount Home Entertainment elsewhere, the film is based on the DC Comics limited series ''Watchmen'' co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons with co-creator and author Alan Moore choosing to remain uncredited. Set in an alternate 1985, the film follows a group of outlawed and retired superheroes who investigate a conspiracy following the murder of one of their own. Gibbons served as a consulting producer on the film. Animation for the film was provided by Studio Mir.

The first part (titled ''Watchmen Chapter I'') was released on August 13, 2024, while the second part (''Watchmen Chapter II'') was released on November 26, 2024. Both parts serve as the fifty-seventh and fifty-eighth, respectively, and final installments of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies''.

Plot

Chapter I

In an alternate 1985, veteran superhero known as the Comedian is killed by an unknown individual, as the policemen try to investigate the crime, but fail to find any clues or sources. Rorschach, who is also privately investigating the Comedian's murder, suspects that someone is hunting and killing superheroes, after which he decides to warn his comrades to be careful, despite being dismissed.

At the same time, he tries to investigate who the killer is and interrogates one of the former supervillains and a past enemy of the Comedian, Moloch, torturing him and investigating whether he was the killer but Moloch clears his name. As Rorschach investigates, the viewer sees flashbacks from the other individuals' pasts, how each of them became a superhero, what they experienced after the ban on superheroes, and what their future fate is.

Meanwhile, Laurie Juspeczyk and Dan reignite their friendship, after Laurie feels that her relationship with Jon lacks spark and passion because he is too absorbed in his work.

Doctor Manhattan is suspected of causing cancer in all people, after which he exiles himself in Mars. Dan Dreiberg (formerly known as the second Nite Owl) and Laurie Juspeczyk (the second Silk Spectre after her mother Sally "Jupiter" Juspeczyk) are trying to start a romantic relationship at this time.

Meanwhile, Rorschach seeks to interrogate one of the killer's personal informants, only to find him dead, as the killer frames Rorschach by calling the police on him, after which he is arrested and unmasked for the public as Walter Kovacs.

During the end credits, the viewer hears radio recordings of old superheroes from the 1940s.

Chapter II

In prison, Kovacs is consulted by psychiatrist Malcolm Long, to whom he reveals his dark, disturbing past, which led to his transformation into Roschach; from the abuse of his mother, to the investigation of a disappeared and murderered child. Kovacs is also threatened by other inmates, including Big Figure, a mob boss he and Nite Owl apprehended in the past. Meanwhile, Dreiberg begins believing Roschach's theory after being haunted by nightmares of what is yet to come, for which he decides to don the mantle of Nite Owl again, with Juspeczyk joining him as Silk Spectre, eventually drawing public attention after saving a group of citizens from a fire in a building.

After one last visit from Hollis Mason (the original Nite Owl) and evading the police, Dreiberg and Juspeczyk head on to break Roschach out, just as Big Figure orchestrates a riot in an attempt to kill him, only to be killed himself. Juspeczyk is met with and taken by Doctor Manhattan to his palace in Mars, where he debates humans' destinies.

Voice cast

Production

It was reported in April 2017 that Warner Bros. would develop an R-rated animated film based on the comic book series. It was officially confirmed in 2023 that an animated film adaptation was in development and would be released in 2024. A teaser trailer was released on June 13, 2024, with it being revealed to be a two-film adaptation. Director Brandon Vietti praised the animation work done by Studio Mir, stating in an interview that "It was a kind of material and filmmaking that I don't think the studio had approached before, but we had a lot of great discussions about it and they really rose to the challenge."

Release and reception

''Watchmen Chapter I'' received a digital release on August 13, 2024. The film was released on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on August 27, 2024.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating reviews from mainstream critics, the film has a score of 71 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. William Bibbiani of TheWrap felt that the film respectfully adapted the story, but struggled to properly convey its complexity and described the visual aesthetic as "serviceable but not entirely effective". Brad Cook of ''Flickering Myth'' agreed, calling the film a "very faithful adaptation" with a visual style that "hews closely to artist Dave Gibbons' well-regarded depictions of the characters and the alternate 1985 timeline they inhabit".

References

External links

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{{Portal bar, 2020s, Film, Animation, United States, Speculative fiction, Comics

2024 American animated direct-to-video films
2020s direct-to-video animated superhero films
2020s English-language films
2024 films
American adult animated films
American superhero films
DC Universe Animated Original Movies
English-language action films
Films released in separate parts
Paramount Pictures animated films
Paramount Pictures direct-to-video films
Warner Bros. Animation films
Warner Bros. direct-to-video animated films
Watchmen
Films directed by Brandon Vietti
Cel-shaded animation