everything you need to know cast, crew, story, theme, review muse-en-scene, life connections

Everything You Need To Know Cast, Crew, Story, Theme, ReviewMuse-En-Scene, Life Connections

Set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight.

MPAA Rating: R (for graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language)

WATCHMEN © 2009 Warner Bros. Review © David Bruce

WATCHMENWATCHMEN © 2009 Warner Bros. Review © David Bruce© 2009 Warner Bros. Review © David Bruce

(L-R) (L-R) JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as the Comedian, as the Comedian, MALIN AKERMAN MALIN AKERMAN as Silk as Silk Spectre II, Spectre II, BILLY BILLY CRUDUP as Dr. Manhattan, CRUDUP as Dr. Manhattan, MATTHEW GOODE MATTHEW GOODE as as Ozymandias, Ozymandias, PATRICK WILSON PATRICK WILSON as Nite Owl II and as Nite Owl II and JACKIE EARLE HALEY JACKIE EARLE HALEY as Rorschachas Rorschach


L-R: The Minutemen, the L-R: The Minutemen, the original 1940 heroes: original 1940 heroes: APOLLONIA VANOVAAPOLLONIA VANOVA as as Silhouette, Silhouette, NIALL MATER NIALL MATER as Mothman, as Mothman, DAN PAYNE DAN PAYNE as Dollar Bill, as Dollar Bill, CLINT CLINT CARLETON CARLETON as the original as the original Nite Owl, Nite Owl, DARYL DARYL SCHEELER SCHEELER as Captain as Captain Metropolis, Metropolis, CARLA GUGINO CARLA GUGINO as the original Silk Spectre, as the original Silk Spectre, GLENN ENNIS GLENN ENNIS as Hooded as Hooded Justice and Justice and JEFFREY DEAN JEFFREY DEAN MORGANMORGAN (kneeling) as The (kneeling) as The ComedianComedian

MALIN AKERMAN MALIN AKERMAN (Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre II) (Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre II) Credits include: Credits include: The The Heartbreak Kid, 27 Dresses, The Heartbreak Kid, 27 Dresses, The Proposal, Couples RetreatProposal, Couples Retreat At 17, she won the “Ford At 17, she won the “Ford Supermodel of Canada” Supermodel of Canada” Her breakthrough came in Her breakthrough came in 2005 on the HBO 2005 on the HBO series The series The ComebackComeback


WATCHMENWATCHMEN © 2009 Warner Bros. Review © David Bruce © 2009 Warner Bros. Review © David Bruce

BILLY CRUDUP BILLY CRUDUP (Jon Osterman/Dr Manhattan) (Jon Osterman/Dr Manhattan) Credits include: Credits include: Dedication, The Dedication, The Good Shepherd, Mission: Good Shepherd, Mission: Impossible III Impossible III Graduated from the University of Graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina at Chapel Hill Crudup made his motion picture Crudup made his motion picture debut in the 1996 drama debut in the 1996 drama SleepersSleepers, , with Robert De Nirowith Robert De Niro


MATTHEW GOODE MATTHEW GOODE (Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias) (Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias) Credits include: Credits include: Chasing Chasing Liberty, Brideshead Revisited, Liberty, Brideshead Revisited, The LookoutThe Lookout Raised in the city of Exeter, Raised in the city of Exeter, England, he studied drama at England, he studied drama at the University of Birminghamthe University of Birmingham Made his feature film debut in Made his feature film debut in 2003, as Gerald Brenan in the 2003, as Gerald Brenan in the biopic biopic South from GranadaSouth from Granada


CARLA GUGINO (Sally CARLA GUGINO (Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre) Jupiter/Silk Spectre) Credits include: Credits include: Race to Witch Race to Witch Mountain, American Gangster, Mountain, American Gangster, Night at the Museum Night at the Museum Has Earned an Has Earned an Outer Critics Outer Critics Circle AwardCircle Award nomination and a nomination and a Theatre World Award Theatre World Award Made her film debut in the Made her film debut in the comedy comedy Troop Beverly HillsTroop Beverly Hills while still in her teenswhile still in her teens


JACKIE EARLE HALEY JACKIE EARLE HALEY (Walter Kovacs/Rorschach) (Walter Kovacs/Rorschach) Credits include: Credits include: All the All the King’s Men, Little Children, King’s Men, Little Children, Semi-Pro Semi-Pro He is also a directorHe is also a director He first came to fame in the He first came to fame in the mid-1970s with mid-1970s with The Bad News The Bad News BearsBears


JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN (Edward Blake/The Comedian) (Edward Blake/The Comedian) Credits include four 2009 films: Credits include four 2009 films: Watchmen, All Good Things, Watchmen, All Good Things, Taking Woodstock, Shanghai Taking Woodstock, Shanghai He first gained the attention of He first gained the attention of television audiences with a television audiences with a recurring role in ABC’s smash hit recurring role in ABC’s smash hit series series Grey’s AnatomyGrey’s Anatomy


PATRICK WILSON PATRICK WILSON (Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl II) (Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl II) Credits include: Credits include: Lakeview Lakeview Terrace, Passengers, Little Terrace, Passengers, Little Children Children Received Emmy and Golden Received Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations for his Globe Award nominations for his portrayal of Joe Pitt in the HBO portrayal of Joe Pitt in the HBO miniseries miniseries Angels in AmericaAngels in America


ZACK SNYDER (Director) ZACK SNYDER (Director) The acclaimed director and co-The acclaimed director and co-writer of writer of 300 300 Together with his wife and Together with his wife and producing partner, Deborah producing partner, Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder formed Snyder, Zack Snyder formed Cruel and Unusual Films, of which Cruel and Unusual Films, of which he is co-presidenthe is co-president


DAVE GIBBONS DAVE GIBBONS (co-creator of the graphic novel)(co-creator of the graphic novel) He has been involved in the comic He has been involved in the comic book world for the last 35 years, book world for the last 35 years, beginning in fanzines and beginning in fanzines and underground comics in his native UKunderground comics in his native UK He has both drawn and written many He has both drawn and written many of DC Comics major characters, of DC Comics major characters, including Superman and Batmanincluding Superman and Batman

The first official image from The first official image from director Zack Snyder - a test shot director Zack Snyder - a test shot of Rorshach holding The of Rorshach holding The Comedian's button - was actually Comedian's button - was actually hidden in a trailer for Snyder's hidden in a trailer for Snyder's previous film, 300 (2006). previous film, 300 (2006).


“Watchmen” is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the Doomsday Clock - which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union - moves closer to midnight.


When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the outlawed but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes.


As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a disbanded group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future.


Their mission is to watch over humanity... but who is watching the Watchmen?


The story “explores what the world might be like if people really did dress up in costumes and went into the vigilante business. What are their weaknesses, their morality, the beliefs driving their behavior?”--Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach)


SETS: SETS: Watch for the Watch for the subtle & interesting subtle & interesting 1985 detail in the 200 1985 detail in the 200 non-digital NY sets non-digital NY sets built for the movie.built for the movie.


CLOCKS: CLOCKS: Dr Manhattan’s Glass Palace on Mars is a combination of Dr Manhattan’s Glass Palace on Mars is a combination of quantum physics and a clock. “There are layers and layers of quantum physics and a clock. “There are layers and layers of references to clocks and watches in ‘Watchmen’ - the ticking clock of references to clocks and watches in ‘Watchmen’ - the ticking clock of the nuclear countdown.” --Production designer Alex McDowellthe nuclear countdown.” --Production designer Alex McDowell


CLOTHING: CLOTHING: The story spans The story spans several decades - from 1938 to several decades - from 1938 to 1985 - and with much cutting 1985 - and with much cutting back and forth between eras, back and forth between eras, watch how the clothing for each watch how the clothing for each period makes it clear where in period makes it clear where in the timeline a scene is taking the timeline a scene is taking place.place.


SEEING THROUGH A BLACK SEEING THROUGH A BLACK AND WHITE MASK: AND WHITE MASK: “We live in “We live in a complex world of shades of a complex world of shades of gray, but for Rorschach, the gray, but for Rorschach, the world is black and white. For world is black and white. For him, complexity makes no him, complexity makes no sense. Complexity simply sense. Complexity simply justifies the victimization of justifies the victimization of himself and everybody who is himself and everybody who is made to suffer from someone made to suffer from someone else’s special interest.”else’s special interest.”-- Actor Jackie Earle Haley-- Actor Jackie Earle Haley


63% Positive 63% Positive Consensus voice: Consensus voice: "It is dizzy, crazy and quite sexy - "It is dizzy, crazy and quite sexy - when it's not being self-indulgent and pointless. If it doesn't quite when it's not being self-indulgent and pointless. If it doesn't quite hang together or add up, or stick faithfully to the comic-book original, hang together or add up, or stick faithfully to the comic-book original, these offences aren't major. What a spectacle” these offences aren't major. What a spectacle” --Peter Bradshaw, --Peter Bradshaw, Guardian (UK)Guardian (UK)


Director Zack Snyder:“Who has the right to say what’s right and what’s wrong? And who monitors those who decide what is right and what is wrong?”


THE GOD COMPLEX“Adrian has a bit of a god complex. He has this idea that the world needs to be fixed because humanity seems to be broken. We are constantly warring with each other and he believes that no price is too high to get the world to unite in brotherhood.”--Matthew Goode, who plays the gilded magnate


THE TRINITY? Jon Osterman/Dr Manhattan is the only all powerful one in the story. He is presented as a god-like multi-person.


In the heavens (Mars) Dr Manhattan (the only powerful one) asks the eternal question “Why should I save humanity?”


The answer: Despite the evil that humans do, humans are saved solely out of love (grace).


LOVE IS MORE LOVE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN POWERFUL THAN ANY NUCLEAR BOMB!ANY NUCLEAR BOMB!


MORE HUMAN THAN SUPER:MORE HUMAN THAN SUPER:Why Watchmen Are Popular Why Watchmen Are Popular The story introduced a handful of The story introduced a handful of characters that have been called characters that have been called “more human than super” - real “more human than super” - real people who deal with ethical and people who deal with ethical and personal issues, who struggle personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings and with neuroses and failings and who, aside from Dr Manhattan, are who, aside from Dr Manhattan, are without superpowers.without superpowers.


“How do you reshape humanity and make it peaceful? Can anyone really have that kind of control?”-- Zach Snyder (Director)


everything you need to know cast, crew, story, theme, review muse-en-scene, life connections

Documents

review david brucewatchmen

review museen

original silk spectre

original nite owl

jeffrey dean morgan

acclaimed director

little children

feature film debut