Watchmen

It doesn't have the cool visual poetics of Snyder's opus, of course, nor as many over-the-top cool moments, but it does flesh out the Watchmen universe and its super hero characters in a very sophisticated way, and the depiction of an alternate world past and present is equally worth highlighting. One of the few additions that has fairly deft action, lots of sci-fi cinematography, but still feels quite down-to-earth and compact thanks to a cracking script. (06/27/2021)

One of the most attractive comic book universes is inhabited by only occasionally interesting new characters three decades after its most fundamental story. It is narrated at a more deliberate pace, and the central themes, previously so irresistibly spread across society, merge into the much-criticized but paradoxically genre-transparent racism. I tried for so long to tune into atmosphere of the new guardians, almost until the end. Every time, I was disappointed by an unnecessary, incomprehensible insert that just raised my eyebrow instead of making me interested in what the point would be. I was also bothered by the black and white flashbacks, which could have offered countless editing or directing ideas, but essentially does not answer anything I would like to know and just boldly undermines ancient theories that have always been just theories and never truths. But even despite the audacity, it never quite reaches the level of the original or its polished film adaptation. Or rather, it comes close, in just one episode, specifically the conversation at the bar. It is during that conversation that I first and last felt that chilling sensation in my spine and the anticipation of the possible and impossible, even though I often had to put on a bitter face at the direction in which this old familiar beloved and hated character is heading. On the other hand, Jean Smart is breathtaking and brings layers to you-know-who that I didn't know were hiding in her. But what can you do, after the uninspiring and tediously long finale, it's clear that the main thing I'm left with from this event is disappointment. When a continuation is strongest is in the moments when it recalls or brings back the original characters, while the new ones most of the time distract me from what really interests me, then something is wrong. (12/19/2019)

I wanted to give up after the first two episodes, which didn’t seem to me to have a point and were interesting only because of Reznor’s score, and because of the way in which they hit the uninitiated viewer with their total outlandishness and refusal to pander to expectations. However, as the various storylines began to unfold, they suddenly clicked; the link to Moore’s graphic novel and to Snyder’s film turned out to be slick and logical, the reminiscences of Dr. Manhattan were interesting, and we also finally get to see the Big Blue in all his beauty, doing some of his tricks for us. It all felt beautifully crafted like intricate clockwork. I never thought I’d say this to Lindelof (of whom I am not a fan), but here we go: “Bravo! This is your masterpiece as a screenwriter!” (04/30/2020)

A downright perfect series, and I can't imagine anyone who likes Moore's book not liking this. Watchmen builds on the legendary comic (not Snyder's film) in a seamless, natural, and very clever way, and I'm not exaggerating when I write that I was impressed not only by the ingenious plot and elaborate world, but also by the way they gradually revealed it all. Until about the fifth episode, the questions of "Who, why, how, and what is he doing?" kept coming, and in the second half they gradually started to be answered;and yet there was time for everything, nothing was rushed, and surprise followed surprise until the final episode. Damon Lindelof, who conceived the entire project, has now hopefully risen in value with a lot of people, because even if he’s never managed to write a good script (which is not true, though a certain circle of viewers are convinced otherwise), Watchmen really is a masterpiece. (12/16/2019)

The Watchmen series can probably be divided into two halves. The first half often frustrated me; I didn’t understand many things, and overall, it felt like the series had been stitched together hastily. However, the second half dispelled all my doubts. I would even label the penultimate episode as one of the best I’ve ever seen in television. Over time, I really grew to like the story and appreciated the return of familiar characters. Jeremy Irons, in particular, seemed to relish every moment on screen as Ozymandias, and his participation elevated the quality of the final product significantly. In the final two episodes, we also got to see the famous Dr. Manhattan. While I liked his film version more in many respects (being truer to the source material), he still had a certain charm. Kudos to the screenwriters for managing to steer the series to a satisfactory conclusion and tying up all the subplots. Everything fell into place by the end, creating a perfectly crafted puzzle. And the last five minutes, wow, a fantastic ending all around. I give it 82%. (12/20/2019)