In a dystopian alternate 1985, a government sponsored masked vigilante is murdered, which alerts his outlawed colleagues to a possible conspiracy to kill all of them.
This new animated adaptation of the classic graphic novel from DC Entertainment, Watchmen: Chapter 1, is, as the title suggests the first installment in a two-part adaptation of the Watchmen graphic novel. If anyone has read the original source from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons or watched the film from Zack Snyder or even the motion comic, then you will already be familiar with this story. Set in an alternate reality where Richard Nixon is still President in 1985, the United States won the Vietnam War, and a law has been passed banning masked vigilantes, it begins with the mysterious death of a government contracted masked vigilante known as The Comedian. The unhinged vigilante Rorschach – called such because of the mask he wears – begins investigating and uncovers what he believes is a link to wipe out the old “masks.”
This first chapter plays it fairly close to the graphic novel and the Snyder film, with the added Black Freighter subplot which Snyder left out of his already sprawling and slow-motion laced film. The animation style evokes the 2D, hand drawn page of Dave Gibbons by using a technique where Gibbons original line drawings were placed onto the 3D models and then paper textures were used on backgrounds and “film grain” effects added to the image. This does result in gorgeous, at times 2D-ish animation that has more depth and evokes the graphic novel with a close adherence to the original style, which should please fans of the novels. The voice work from the likes of Adrienne Barbeau, Troy Baker, Matthew Rhys, and others is evocative and riveting.
Chapter 2 is scheduled for release sometime later in 2024 and then perhaps (?) we will get a full length Deluxe Edition of the entire film, the way Warner did with Batman: The Long Halloween.
Watchmen: Chapter 1 comes to 4K Ultra HD in a 2.40:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) HDR10 encodement that has a MaxLL of 1525 nits and MaxFALL of 1107 nits. The 3DCG animation looks brilliant. It is one of the best DC Entertainment/Warner Animation titles I have seen on 4K to date. There is vibrant color, strong ‘pop’ in the highlights, and extended shadows. The 3D does not show any sort of banding or motion artifacts.
The Audio
Watchmen: Chapter 1 gets an excellent English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that really captures the ambience of this moody film, with lots of atmospherics in the surrounds and, when needed, solid effects panned into the surrounds and spread across the front. The dialogue sounds clear but could have been just a bit fuller. This minor complaint does not hinder the effectiveness of this mix.
The Supplements
The two brief featurettes cover the adaptation of the graphic novel and how they tried to stay close to the original artwork.
Movies Anywhere Digital Code
Dave Gibbons and Watchmen: Worldbuilding (1080p; 00:09:02)
The Art of Adaptation: Introducing the Story (1080p; 00:09:50)
The Final Assessment
After this first chapter, I can say this is solid entry for Watchmen. Nothing out of the ordinary as far as the storytelling, but eye-catching animation and 4K visuals with a strong lossless 5.1 audio mix as well.
Watchmen: Chapter 1 is out on 4K Ultra + Digital August 27, 2024 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
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In a dystopian alternate 1985, a government sponsored masked vigilante is murdered, which alerts his outlawed colleagues to a possible conspiracy to kill all of them.Watchmen: Chapter 1 4K Ultra HD -- Stunning Animation and Gripping Storytelling
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