Watchmen: Chapter I
Watchmen: Chapter I
7.192%77%
In 1985, the murder of a government sponsored superhero draws his outlawed colleagues out of retirement and into a mystery that threatens to upend their personal lives and the world itself.
Varun reviewedOctober 19, 2024
I read the comics three years ago in 2021 and thought it was absolutely brilliant. I consume so much media it’s very easy for me to forget most things but I still remember the story and characters vividly, the book is perfect and completely floored me. Then I watched Zack Snyder’s Watchmen (2009) which ended up being total garbage. Then the live action sequel came out on HBO in 2019 and it was highly acclaimed, being praised by everyone. I have never seen a more overrated piece of media, few episodes are really good but the show as a whole is laughably bad and shits on the source material. If you don’t agree with me, I highly recommend checking out the YouTube video A Thermodynamic Disaster by Macabre Storytelling. I haven’t engrossed myself in that world since, but I got pretty excited when out of nowhere Warner Brothers released a trailer of this movie which is supposed to rectify the past failed adaptations and finally do a true recreation and this time with animation. I must say that my excitement paid off and I’m satisfied. But my satisfaction comes from getting the chance to revisit the world again through a different medium. I think the movie gets pretty close in terms of portrayal, I liked the voice acting, characters, animation, music, etc. I think it does succeed a bit in giving you a taste of the mood. However, I think it might just be impossible to fully capture what the comics did. I mean if you really care about getting into this world for the first time, you might as well read the book, because what it did with the comics format is just genius, the panels are structured in a certain way keeping in mind that you’re a reader with the ability to pause for reflection, it has a unique way of affecting you and every single panel is powerful and essential. This isn’t easy to replicate in film, nor is it required when the comics are perfect. There’s a reason why Alan Moore disavows any sequels, changes or portrayals of the comics. I’m thankful that this is finally not a shallow adaptation, I appreciate the decent attempt at doing a proper recreation, and I’m really glad it gave me the chance to explore this world again through animation. I think they should’ve released both Chapters together or just done one big movie, although the cliffhanger is decent and I’m looking forward for the next one. Ultimately it is unneeded and I would only recommend this movie to those who have already read the comics and wish to experience a small taste of it again.