Watchmen VS. Watchmen (P.2)

Watchmen Review Part 2

As a last touch on the issue of violence, a scene in particular comes to mind. When Rorschach, in prison, has a fellow inmates arms strapped behind bars, another inmate decides to go at them... with a power saw. This scene is played in full, with blood sprayed everywhere.

It isn't artistic. It isn't moving or shocking. It's schlocky, hokey, and tasteless.

It's not just the violence and gratuitous slow-mo that holds this movie back from being an accurate adaptation. One must also account for the exploitative nudity and sexual content.

It's easy to appreciate that this movie is adult. However, the sex scene between Laurie and Daniel is just over-the-top. It's over-glorifying the sensuality to the point of lewdness, where it's supposed to be the moment where Daniel finds himself sexually, overcoming his impotence that stems from his psychological connections to vigilantism; his inability to function outside his suit.

Dr. Manhattan suffers as well. While it's appreciated that they do not shy away from his nudity and what that symbolizes, his penis is -huge-. It's pronounced and almost emphasized at points, while in the comic, it was subtle and tasteful, like a Grecian statue. Perhaps they were just afraid that if it were smaller, people would just mock the character?

My final grievance against the movie pertains to a certain scene that's missing at the very end. After Ozymandias has essentially won, he asks, "I did the right thing, didn't I? It all worked out in the end." Plainly yet cryptically, Dr. Manhattan responds with, "'In the end?' Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends." This line is basically thrown away by Laurie to her -mother-. A line that was very specifically meant for Ozymandias, something to shake his whole foundation; the foundation of the story itself.

There are lesser complaints, from the music choices, the shaky acting, and certain changes in scenes here and there, but what I've laid out is my basic issue with Watchmen. As a film, it struggles because it's message is incredibly hurt. As an adaptation, it's a case of so close, yet so very, very far.