I write this review without having seen the major motion picture interpretation of Alan Moore's classic graphic novel. In fact, I haven't read the graphic novel since I was in high school - which is quite a ways back. But either way, I can safely say that for old-time fans and newcomers alike, Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic is a surreal experience. No matter how you slice the proverbial knot, the very concept behind Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic is startling to watch when you first set in and remains a bit unreal all the way through.
My somewhat callous approach to "comic books" as an art form was rocked by Watchmen when I simply grabbed it off a library shelf with no recommendation, rhyme or reason behind it. I was one of those who just stumbled across it naturally. While I wasn't enamored with the artwork the story struck a chord with me in every conceivable respect. Disaffected superheroes attempting to find a place in a world that doesn't want them yet desperately needs someone to bring it back from the brink of destruction. Watchmen told it perfectly and with such style that I, along with countless comic book/graphic novel readers, couldn't deny its timeless pull. And it is timeless despite all of its plot-oriented anachronisms. Zack Snyder has given us his take but I can say with no hesitation that this presentation is miles above.
You are reading the graphic novel all over again. In its purest form this is each panel from the graphic novel cut out and placed on the screen. However instead of reading from panel to panel we're treated to a story without white bars separating each developing plot point, where the scenes have been fused together with flash animation cohesion. On one hand, it's damned impressive as it means the animators went through the book and either scanned all of the images in and then cut them to pieces or recreated them piece by piece. The amount of moving elements they created for this incarnation actually makes it incredibly cool to watch. However, the coolness of it all is somewhat outweighed by the fact that you can now safely shut off your brain. Sure graphic novels are typically lumped in with their lesser sophisticated comic book brethren - but they usually require a level of attention higher than just "oooh look at the pretty pictures". Not so anymore.
Now, you no longer even have to read. Sure you could, they gave you that option by leaving in the dialogue bubbles - but the narrator voices every piece of text found in Watchmen. Watchmen has genuinely been converted to a quasi-book on tape. The only difference is you still need to pay a slight bit of attention to watch whose speaking. The narrator, Tom Stechschulte, voices all of the characters. All of them. Now, I know that for a book on tape that's usually how it goes as well. But for a book on tape you don't have the visual images of a busty Silk Spectre II staring you in the face. You could imagine those things on a Watchmen book on tape (and who wouldn't want to) but the difference between seeing it in your mind's eye and on a screen with a male voice accompaniment is slightly unnerving. Either Watchmen's fictional history is populated entirely by men and shemales or the narrator could've done a better job on the voices. Or hell, they could've hired voice actors. There's a concept.
Overall, Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic might be truer to Alan Moore's consensual vision - as it still is his vision. It still captures all of the brilliance of the character development and the subtleties of plot and animation styles. I find it odd that Warner Brothers would release a piece more in line with Alan Moore's intentions for home entertainment than what they've spent enormous amounts of effort putting on the screen. I understand the concepts of profit - but why create a piece so in sync with Moore's vision only to couple it with one he's completely disavowed.
I still think Watchmen fans will prefer the solid, cold graphic novel over this hybrid of classic and new - but it's an interesting experiment to be sure. Most fans will want to at least take a look to see what could've been instead of what now is by Snyder's hand. For non-fans, I'd insist on reading the actual graphic novel or - if you must have the motion - put it on mute. Jesus, I just now thought of that. Dammit, I'm going to rewatch it on mute and just read. You might want to do the same.
There are those who have asked lately, if high-definition matters on animated materials. Yes, oh god, yes it does. The colors are sharper in every example I've seen. It matters.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
There's not much to offer on the disc as we only have the "Watchmen Production diaries #4: Dave Gibbons" and a "Special Sneak Peek at DC Universe's Animated Wonder Woman DVD". While the former is only two minutes long and gives us very little to work with, the latter is the same extra feature you DC enthusiasts would have found on the disc for the Wonder Woman animated movie. The cross-pollination of extras isn't all that odd considering Warner Brothers is starting to build a high quality collection of direct-to-DVD comic book movies.
The extras really aren't what you're buying this disc for though, it's to see the comic book like you've never seen it before. Obviously, the question you now have to answer is: "do I want to see my comic books move?"
"Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic" is on sale March 3, 2009 and is rated NR. Animation, Comic Book. Directed by Jake Strider Hughes. Written by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons. Starring Tom Stechschulte.
