When Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons pitched Guardian in the 1980s as Who killed the peacemaker?Originally, Charlton Comics characters such as Blue Beetle, The Question, Peacemaker and Captain Atom were to be used. These characters then became the inspiration for Nite Owl, Rorschach, The Comedian and Dr. Manhattan when DC Comics publisher Dick Giordano accepted the offer – but as an original story with original characters. This gave Moore and Gibbons the creative freedom to tell the story they wanted, without the constraints of the mainstream DC Universe.
Guardian became more than a dark take on superheroes. Instead, it satirized the various notions of power that superheroes embodied, effectively (though perhaps unintentionally) challenging readers’ understanding of superhero literature. This made Guardian an unprecedented success for DC Comics. The comic was not only reprinted over the next four decades, but also led to three adaptations: Watchmen: Motion ComicZack Snyder’s Guardianand the TV sequel from HBO Guardian. Warner Bros. Animation Guardian Chapter 1 is the fourth adaptation of the comic, but gives the work its own stamp and is not just the latest version.
Watchmen Chapter 1 adapts the comic faithfully
The animated film does not follow Zack Snyder’s film
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Guardian Chapter 1 will inevitably be compared to Zack Snyder’s live-action film from 2009. While the theatrical version did not contain everything from the comic that Snyder wanted to include – like Stories from the black freighter — later DVD and Blu-ray versions did this, namely Watchmen: The Director’s Cut And Watchmen: The Ultimate CutThe latter spliced the Stories from the black freighter Animated film with live action.
While Snyder’s film alone Guardian Chapter 1 The animated film is a great challenge and does not aim to copy Snyder’s interpretation of the work. Instead, the story of Moore and Gibbons will be told as they originally intended.. This means that the animated film abandons Snyder’s blue filter in favor of the comic’s brighter colors. This creative decision effectively recaptures the ’80s vibe of the original story and succeeds in capturing the comic’s alternate history version. The brighter color palette also helps to make the sci-fi elements stand out even more, especially the retro-futuristic cars – something that was noticeably missing from Snyder’s film.
Something else Guardian Chapter 1 The difference is that it maintains the more grounded tone of the comic by not using slow motion and stylized choreography for the action sequences. Just as Moore and Gibbons shot the fight scenes in the comic on the street and without any significant details about injuries, the animated film follows suit.. This is especially evident in the scene where the Knot Tops attempt to rob Daniel Dreiberg and Laurie Juspeczyk in an alley – unaware that they are Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II. No complicated bone fractures or bloodshed are shown, demonstrating that while the titular heroes are highly skilled fighters, they do not possess superhuman abilities.
Guardians: Chapter I adapts the first five issues of the comic, but also does not replicate 100 percent of Gibbons’ comic panels. While the film replicates the perspectives used in the comic’s nine panel layouts, it does not present the comic’s events in the same order. In the original comic, flashbacks of the Comedian during his funeral in Guardian #2, “Absent Friends.” In the cartoon, the flashbacks are shown when the characters first learn of his death.
Another way Guardians: Chapter I the source material is cleverly adapted, is the way in which it Stories from the black freighter Comic that Bernie reads. While the original comic often used panels from the Black Freighter Comic with corresponding panels from the main part Guardian History, the animated film raises the Black Freighter Comic narrative boxes about scenes depicting the main characters Guardian story. These sequences are accompanied by spoken commentary to make it clear how these parallel stories are connected. In scenes that focus exclusively on Bernie, who Black Freighter Comic, the film chooses to depict the comic itself rather than making a separate animated sequence. This effectively creates the “comic within a comic” sequence that the original Guardian Last but not least, the animated film succeeds in portraying Hollis Mason’s Under the hood Narration as part of the credits.
The vocals of Watchmen Chapter 1 capture the heroes succinctly
The cast offers their unique interpretations of most of the characters
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Another part of what contributes Guardian Chapter 1 are the singing performances. The actors manage to breathe life into the characters in their own unique way. Most of the stars give their own interpretations to the characters rather than trying in vain to repeat what Zack Snyder’s 2009 cast had already done. The only exception to this is Bosch: Legacy Star Titus Welliver, whose portrayal of Rorschach is almost identical to Jackie Earle Haley’s portrayal of the character in Snyder’s live-action film.
Welliver’s decision to keep the same voice benefits the story. Rorschach’s most striking character trait is his cynical worldview coupled with right-wing prejudices. Although he is portrayed as an uncompromising and passionate crime fighter, he also despises his former colleagues – including Daniel Dreiberg, who frequently worked with him before the Keene Act of 1977. When he is not wearing his “face,” Rorschach is portrayed with an unkempt appearance and dirty apartment. Welliver perfectly captures these character traits through his vocal performance. The roughness with which he speaks illustrates both the character’s penchant for intimidation and his unkempt nature.
As Laurie Juspeczyk, Katee Sackhoff succinctly expresses the second Silk Spectre’s frustration with the lack of meaningful progress in her life. Sackhoff also captures Laurie’s emotional vulnerability and her need for human connection. The latter pushes Laurie away from her partner Dr. Manhattan and into the arms of her colleague Daniel Dreiberg. The latter is played by Matthew Rhys, who does an excellent job of portraying Dan as a laid-back person who is compassionate towards others – especially Laurie – by giving Dan a soft voice. Likewise, Michael Cerveris gives distinct voices to Jon Osterman and Dr. Manhattan. Before his transformation into Dr. Manhattan, Jon is more expressive and even agitated; after his transformation, Dr. Manhattan has a more robotic diction to indicate his loss of touch with humanity.
The biggest farewell comes from Rick D. Wasserman as Edward Blake AKA The Comedian. Fans of Zack Snyder’s Guardian will be more used to Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s portrayal of the comedian, who has a slightly drawling voice. Wasserman plays the comedian with a rougher side, which is reflected in a deeper, rougher voice. Although this helps capture the violent nature of the character, it may also confuse some viewers. Although it is not prominently featured in Guardian Chapter 1Troy Baker and Adrienne Barbeau also bring their best. Baker shines as the calm and composed Adrian Veidt, while Barbeau masterfully portrays the aging Sally Jupiter, who reflects on her days as a Golden Age superhero.
However, despite the outstanding performances, the voice acting is not without its flaws. There are scenes where an emotional aspect is not captured well – apparently because the voice actor is reading his lines quickly. In other cases, the voice actor fails to capture the right emotion that a scene requires, causing the animation and voice performance to seem out of sync with each other.
Watchmen Chapter 1 would have benefited from 2D animation
The 3D approach has a negative impact on the film
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As for the animation, Guardian Chapter 1 is presented with beautiful imagery and backgrounds, enhanced by the bright color palette. The downside of this, however, is that the characters could have benefited from 2D animation. They are designed in the style of Dave Gibbons’ original artwork. The bright colors also reinforce the comic book look that the animated film aims to emulate. Therefore, the appearance and movements of many of the characters would look much more natural and fluid in the 2D format.
As 3D animated characters with 2D features, the characters look like they have been rotoscoped in a style similar to that of Richard Linklater’s 2006 film. A Scanner Darkly. While the combination of 3D and 2D isn’t necessarily a bad stylistic choice, it doesn’t really benefit the film and is a bit distracting. Even if the characters were presented entirely in 3D with no 2D elements, it still wouldn’t fit the aesthetic of the original comic. 2D animation would have done a much better job of preserving the original look of the characters from the comics while also making them look sharp as animated figures.
While Guardian Chapter 1 is not a perfect adaptation of the comic that redefined superhero stories at the end of the 20th century, It is the closest thing fans have to a fully adapted version of Guardian. The animated film takes few liberties with the source material and strives for the greatest possible authenticity, but at the same time finds ways to differentiate itself from previous adaptations.
Watchmen Chapter 1 is now available digitally, with the Blu-ray release scheduled for August 27, 2024.
Watchmen: Chapter 1 (2024)
When a former vigilante is found dead in the 1980s, a complex web of secrets begins to unravel, revealing the fragile peace between the superpowers in this modern animated adaptation of Alan Moore’s classic series. Former heroes, now outsiders, are drawn back into the shadows to uncover a sinister conspiracy that could threaten global stability, forcing them to question their own moral compass.
- director
- Brandon Vietti
- Release date
- 13 August 2024
- Pour
- Matthew Rhys, Katee Sackhoff, Titus Welliver, Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau, Corey Burton, Michael Cerveris, Jeffrey Combs
- Authors
- J. Michael Straczynski
- Duration
- 83 minutes
- The animated film is a faithful adaptation of the comic with unique images.
- The animated film’s soundtrack and color palette preserve the 80s atmosphere of the story.
- The singing performances in the cartoon are varied.
- The animated film would have looked better in 2D animation.
