Review: A story starts strong with Watchmen: Chapter I

As I imagine is the case for a many people, I discovered Watchmen when I was in high school. At that point, I hadn't read many graphic novels, or comic books, so I was pretty taken aback at how mature, how dense, and how epic the scope of the book was. I think I probably had a sort of attitude about or understanding of graphic novels that's similar to how a lot of people think about animated movies. Something akin to dismissal, kind of looking down one's nose. I was young. I know better now.

Watchmen has loomed large in culture since its inception, and has had some high-profile adaptations before. Zack Snyder adapted in in 2009, and applied his usual flair to it. It stuck to the story in some respects, but also took some big swings. I wasn't particularly a fan, even though I think it had a lot to admire. I'm not really a Snyder fan in general, so it's not surprising that didn't vibe with me. The HBO show that came out a few years ago was more of a sequel series/companion piece, and in my estimation, is one of the best shows in TV history.

Watchmen: Chapter I, this year's animated take on the classic story, is a much more straightforward adaptation, and a really solid one, at that. It's been years since I read the book, but this feels like it's following the story beats pretty faithfully, and the look of the film feels like a comic book come to life. The characters have bold lining, and move a bit woodenly, giving the proceedings a feeling of panels in motion. It's a pretty striking look, very effective and evocative, especially when combined with some gorgeous lighting (especially in the frequent nighttime scenes) and the strong voice cast.

This being a Chapter I, the story obviously just kind of ends, but I think it does so well (and we're offered a teaser of the next part a la Horizon after the credits roll). It doesn't feel like we're being ripped off as much as some other recent higher-profile cliffhangers. Even at a measly 84 minutes, this thing packs in a lot of story, a lot of strong character beats. The editing is superb, especially in the opening scene of the Comedian's murder, cross-cut with the investigators surveying the scene of the crime. My favorite sequence, though, is when Doctor Manhattan flees to Mars and delivers his origin story in his specific way, unmoored from time and space, detached from it all but present in every moment. It's done beautifully, and I honestly wondered if that's where the movie was going to end, but it goes on a bit after that.

Even if you're new to Watchmen, I think this is pretty legible. It's a lot to take in, with the frequent flashbacks and baked-in alternate history, but I think it's paced and written well enough that it's easy to follow. 

Also, as a faithful adaptation, this doesn't shy away from the darker and more mature elements of the story. This can be a really tough watch at times. But it's all handled well, contextualized well.

I'm not sure when we're getting the next chapter, but hopefully it won't take too long. Based on this strong beginning, I have a feeling that they're going to pull of the landing, too. I do hope that Chapter II is a bit longer, just because I really enjoyed spending time in this version of this world, and I selfishly want as much of it as I can get. Seeing what it looks like when the American Dream comes true may not be pretty, but I do like watching it.

Watchmen: Chapter I is available to buy/rent digitally, or can be bought on Blu-ray.