View source for Watchmen (2024 film)

{{Short description|Two-part animated superhero film}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| image       = Watchmen Chapter 1 poster.jpg
| caption     = Release poster for "Chapter 1"
| director    = [[Brandon Vietti]]
| writer      = [[J. Michael Straczynski]]
| producer    = {{Plainlist|
* Jim Krieg
* Cindy Rago
* Brandon Vietti
}}
| based_on    = {{based on|''[[Watchmen]]''|[[Dave Gibbons]]}}
| starring    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Matthew Rhys]]
* [[Katee Sackhoff]]
* [[Titus Welliver]]
}}
| music       = Tim Kelly
| animator    = 
| editing     = Cris Mertens
| studio      = {{plainlist|
* [[Warner Bros. Animation]]
* [[Paramount Pictures]]
* [[DC Entertainment]]
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[Warner Bros. Home Entertainment]] (USA/Canada)
* [[Paramount Home Entertainment]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Watchmen: Chapter I (2024)|website=[[BBFC]]|access-date=December 5, 2024|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/watchmen-chapter-i-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdi1mte4}}</ref> (International)
}}
| released    = {{Film date|2024|08|13|Chapter I|2024|11|26|Chapter II}}
| runtime     = {{Plainlist|
* 84 minutes (Chapter I)
* 89 minutes (Chapter II)
}}
| country     = United States
| language    = English
}}
'''''Watchmen''''' is a 2024 American [[adult animation|adult animated]] two-part [[superhero film]] directed by [[Brandon Vietti]] and written by [[J. Michael Straczynski]]. It stars an [[ensemble cast]] including [[Matthew Rhys]], [[Katee Sackhoff]], [[Titus Welliver]], [[Troy Baker]], [[Adrienne Barbeau]], and [[Michael Cerveris]]. Produced by [[Warner Bros. Animation]], [[Paramount Pictures]], and [[DC Entertainment]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watchmen Chapter I: Company credits |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32627540/companycredits/ |date=October 24, 2024 |access-date=October 24, 2024 |website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref> and distributed by [[Warner Bros. Home Entertainment]] in North America and [[Paramount Home Entertainment]] elsewhere, the film is based on the [[DC Comics]] [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] ''[[Watchmen]]'' co-created and illustrated by [[Dave Gibbons]] with co-creator and author [[Alan Moore]] choosing to remain uncredited.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2022 |title=Watchmen Creator Alan Moore Has Surprising Advice For Writers |url=https://screenrant.com/watchmen-creator-alan-moore-surprising-advice-for-writers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706153125/https://screenrant.com/watchmen-creator-alan-moore-surprising-advice-for-writers/ |archive-date=July 6, 2022 |access-date=July 6, 2022 |website=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref> Set in an alternate 1985, the film follows a group of outlawed and retired superheroes who investigate a conspiracy following the murder of one of their own. Gibbons served as a consulting producer on the film. Animation for the film was provided by [[Studio Mir]]. The first part (titled '''''Watchmen Chapter I''''') was released on August 13, 2024, while the second part ('''''Watchmen Chapter II''''') was released on November 26, 2024.

==Plot==
===Chapter I===
{{expand section|date=September 2024}}
In an alternate 1985, veteran superhero known as [[Comedian (character)|the Comedian]] is killed by an unknown individual, as the policemen try to investigate the crime, but fail to find any clues or sources. [[Rorschach (character)|Rorschach]], who is investigating the Comedian's murder, suspects that someone is hunting and killing superheroes, after which he decides to warn his comrades to be careful, despite being dismissed.

At the same time, he tries to investigate who the killer is and interrogates one of the former superheroes, torturing him and investigating whether he was the killer. As Rorschach investigates, the viewer sees flashbacks from the other individuals' pasts, how each of them became a superhero, what they experienced after the ban on superheroes, and what their future fate is.

[[Doctor Manhattan|Dr. Manhattan]] is suspected of causing cancer in all people, after which he exiles himself in [[Mars]]. Dan Dreiberg (formerly known as the second [[Nite Owl]]) and Laurie Juspeczyk (the second [[Silk Spectre]] after her mother Sally "Jupiter" Juspeczyk) are trying to start a romantic relationship at this time. Meanwhile, Roschach seeks to interrogate one of the killer's personal informants, only to find him dead, as the killer frames Rorschach by calling the police on him, after which he is arrested and unmasked for the public as Walter Kovacs. During the end credits, the viewer hears radio recordings of old superheroes from the 1940s.

===Chapter II===
In prison, Kovacs is consulted by psychiatrist Malcolm Long, to whom he reveals his dark, disturbing past, which led to his transformation into Roschach; from the abuse of his mother, to the investigation of a disappeared and murderered child. Kovacs is also threatened by other inmates, including Big Figure, a mob boss he and Nite Owl apprehended in the past. Meanwhile, Dreiberg begins believing Roschach's theory after being haunted by nightmares of what is yet to come, for which he decides to don the mantle of Nite Owl again, with Juspeczyk joining him as Silk Spectre, eventually drawing public attention after saving a group of citizens from a fire in a building.

After one last visit from Hollis Mason (the original Nite Owl) and evading the police, Dreiberg and Juspexzyk head on to break Roschach out, just as Big Figure orchestrates a riot in an attempt to kill him, only to be executed himself.

{{expand section|date=December 2024}}

==Voice cast==
{{main|List of Watchmen characters}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Voice actor<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watchmen Chapter 1 (2024) – Behind The Voice Actors |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Watchmen-Chapter-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821021605/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Watchmen-Chapter-1/ |archive-date=August 21, 2024 |access-date=August 20, 2024 |website=Behind The Voice Actors}}</ref>
! Character
|-
! colspan="2" | Appearing in both parts
|-
| [[Matthew Rhys]]
| [[Nite Owl|Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II / Sam Hollis]]
|-
| [[Katee Sackhoff]]
| [[Silk Spectre|Laurie Juspeczyk / Silk Spectre II / Sandra Hollis]]
|-
| [[Titus Welliver]]
| [[Rorschach (character)|Walter Kovacs / Rorschach]]
|-
| [[Troy Baker]]
| [[Adrian Veidt|Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias]]
|-
| [[Rick D. Wasserman]]
| [[Comedian (character)|Edward Blake / Comedian]]
|-
| [[Adrienne Barbeau]]
| [[Silk Spectre|Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre I]]
|-
| [[Michael Cerveris]]
| [[Doctor Manhattan|Jonathan Osterman / Dr. Manhattan]]
|-
| [[Geoff Pierson]]
| [[Nite Owl|Hollis Mason / Nite Owl I]]
|-
| [[Kari Wahlgren]]
| Female Knot Top
|-
|[[Yuri Lowenthal]]
|Knot Top #2
|-
| [[Phil LaMarr]]
| Comic Book Narrator, Bernie
|-
| [[Jason Spisak]]
| [[List of Watchmen characters#Doug Roth|Doug Roth]]
|-
| [[John Marshall Jones]]
| General #1,
|-
| Max Koch
| [[List of Watchmen characters#Bernard|Bernard]], [[President Nixon]]
|-
! colspan="2" | ''Part One''
|-
|Matthew Rhys
|Photographer #3
|-
| Troy Baker
|Minister, Benny Anger
|-
|Rick D. Wasserman
|Male Citizen #1, Photographer #2
|-
|Adrienne Barbeau
|TV Broadcaster
|-
|Michael Cerveris
|Father
|-
| [[Corey Burton]]
| [[Captain Metropolis]], Forbes, American Newscaster
|-
| Yuri Lowenthal
| [[List of Watchmen characters#Wally Weaver|Wally Weaver]], Criminal #1
|-
| [[Jeffrey Combs]]
| [[List of Watchmen characters#Moloch the Mystic|Edgar Jacobi / Moloch the Mystic]], British Newscaster, Photographer #1
|-
| Phil LaMarr
| Security Guard
|-
| John Marshall Jones
| [[Hooded Justice]], Criminal #2
|-
| Kari Wahlgren
| [[List of Watchmen characters#Janey Slater|Janey Slater]],  Female Citizen #1
|-
| Jason Spisak
| [[John F. Kennedy|President John F. Kennedy]], Restaurant Cook
|-
| Max Koch
| Detective Joe Bourquin
|-
| [[Kelly Hu]]
| Yvonne, Vietnamese Woman
|-
| [[Grey DeLisle|Grey Griffin]]
| Spanish Newscaster, Female Citizen #2
|-
| [[Dwight Schultz]]
| [[List of Watchmen characters#Detective Steven Fine|Detective Steve Fine]], Happy Harry
|-
! colspan="2" | ''Part Two''
|-
|Matthew Rhys
|Max Shea, Michael Stephens, Prisoner #1
|-
| Troy Baker
|Derf, Laurence Schexnayder, Gerald Grice, News Announcer
|-
| Adrienne Barbeau
|Police Dispatcher
|-
| Michael Cerveris
| Police Guard #2
|-
| Geoff Pierson
| Prison Guard #1
|-
| John Marshall Jones
| Otis, [[Malcolm Long]],
|-
| [[Zehra Fazal]]
| Hira Manish, Newscaster
|-
| Yuri Lowenthal
| [[List of Watchmen characters#Seymour David|Seymour David]], Bully #1
|-
| Phil LaMarr
| Male Citizen #1
|-
| Kari Wahlgren
| Sylvia Kovacs
|-
| [[Phil Fondacaro]]
| [[List of Watchmen characters#Big Figure|Tom Ryan / Big Figure]]
|-
| Max Koch
| Lawrence Andrews
|-
| Grey Griffin
| Female Citizen #1, Advisor #1
|-
| Long Nguyen
| Attendant #1
|-
| Jason Spisak
| Hector Godfrey, Bully #2
|}

==Production==
It was reported in April 2017 that Warner Bros. would develop an [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system|R-rated]] animated film based on the comic book series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gerding |first=Stephen |date=April 13, 2017 |title=Watchmen Is Getting an R-Rated Animated Adaptation |url=http://www.cbr.com/watchmen-r-rated-animated-movie/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609191709/http://www.cbr.com/watchmen-r-rated-animated-movie/ |archive-date=June 9, 2017 |access-date=June 9, 2017 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref> It was officially confirmed in 2023 that an animated film adaptation was in development and would be released in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schedeen |first=Jesse |date=July 22, 2023 |title=Comic-Con 2023: DC Announces Crisis on Infinite Earths and Watchmen Animated Movies |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/comic-con-2023-crisis-on-infinite-earths-watchmen-animated-movies-dc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613215206/https://www.ign.com/articles/comic-con-2023-crisis-on-infinite-earths-watchmen-animated-movies-dc |archive-date=June 13, 2024 |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> A teaser trailer was released on June 13, 2024, with it being revealed to be a two-film adaptation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cripe |first=Michael |date=June 13, 2024 |title=We Just Got a Surprise First Look at the Upcoming Watchmen Animated Films |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/we-just-got-a-surprise-first-look-at-the-upcoming-watchmen-animated-films |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903150903/https://www.ign.com/articles/we-just-got-a-surprise-first-look-at-the-upcoming-watchmen-animated-films |archive-date=September 3, 2024 |access-date=June 14, 2024 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Perine |first=Aaron |date=July 22, 2023 |title=New Watchmen Movie Announced |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/dc-studios-watchmen-animated-movie-announced/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722154315/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/dc-studios-watchmen-animated-movie-announced/ |archive-date=July 22, 2023 |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=[[ComicBook.com]]}}</ref> Director [[Brandon Vietti]] praised the animation work done by [[Studio Mir]], stating in an interview that "It was a kind of material and filmmaking that I don't think the studio had approached before, but we had a lot of great discussions about it and they really rose to the challenge."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zahed |first=Ramin |date=August 13, 2024 |title='Watchmen: Chapter 1' Director Brandon Vietti Unmasks the Animated Antiheroes |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/08/watchmen-chapter-1-director-brandon-vietti-unmasks-the-animated-antiheroes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822070030/https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/08/watchmen-chapter-1-director-brandon-vietti-unmasks-the-animated-antiheroes/ |archive-date=August 22, 2024 |access-date=August 25, 2024 |website=[[Animation Magazine]]}}</ref>

==Release and reception==
''Watchmen Chapter I'' received a digital release on August 13, 2024.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Vejvoda |first=Jim |date=July 10, 2024 |title=Watchmen Chapter I: Exclusive Trailer, Voice Cast, Boxart and Release Date |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/watchmen-chapter-1-animated-film-trailer-cast-release-date-plot-boxart |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240711025650/https://www.ign.com/articles/watchmen-chapter-1-animated-film-trailer-cast-release-date-plot-boxart |archive-date=July 11, 2024 |access-date=July 10, 2024 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] and 4K Ultra HD on August 27, 2024.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=WarnerBros.com {{!}} Watchmen Chapter I {{!}} Movies |url=https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/watchmen-chapter-i |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823184523/https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/watchmen-chapter-i |archive-date=August 23, 2024 |access-date=August 23, 2024 |website=[[WarnerBros.com]]}}</ref>

On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10.<ref name="tomatoes">{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes |id=watchmen_chapter_i |type=movie |title=Watchmen Chapter I |access-date=August 20, 2024}}</ref> William Bibbiani of [[TheWrap]] felt that the film respectfully adapted the story, but struggled to properly convey its complexity and described the visual aesthetic as "serviceable but not entirely effective".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bibbiani |first=William |date=August 13, 2024 |title=Watchmen: Chapter 1 Review |url=https://www.thewrap.com/watchmen-chapter-1-review-animated-movie-adaptation/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821021605/https://www.thewrap.com/watchmen-chapter-1-review-animated-movie-adaptation/ |archive-date=August 21, 2024 |access-date=August 20, 2024 |website=[[TheWrap]]}}</ref> Brad Cook of ''Flickering Myth'' agreed, calling the film a "very faithful adaptation" with a visual style that "hews closely to artist Dave Gibbons' well-regarded depictions of the characters and the alternate 1985 timeline they inhabit".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cook |first=Brad |date=August 13, 2024 |title=Watchmen: Chapter 1 (2024) – Movie Review |url=https://www.flickeringmyth.com/movie-review-watchmen-chapter-1-2024/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240903150744/https://www.flickeringmyth.com/movie-review-watchmen-chapter-1-2024/ |archive-date=September 3, 2024 |access-date=August 23, 2024 |website=Flickering Myth}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}

{{Watchmen}}
{{DC Comics animated films}}
{{Warner Bros. animation and comics}}
{{Portal bar|2020s|Film|Animation|United States|Speculative fiction|Comics}}

[[Category:2020s American animated films]]
[[Category:2020s direct-to-video animated superhero films]]
[[Category:2020s English-language films]]
[[Category:2024 animated films]]
[[Category:2024 direct-to-video films]]
[[Category:2024 films]]
[[Category:American adult animated films]]
[[Category:American superhero films]]
[[Category:DC Universe Animated Original Movies]]
[[Category:English-language action films]]
[[Category:Films released in separate parts]]
[[Category:Paramount Pictures animated films]]
[[Category:Paramount Pictures direct-to-video films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. Animation animated films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. direct-to-video animated films]]
[[Category:Watchmen]]