Watchmen

There are many unexplainable things in the universe; the big bang, dark matter, black holes and the production, distribution and consumption of the film Watchmen (2009).

Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, Watchmen attempts to massage all comic book nerd's brains in a motion picture of a well-loved book. Not being an uber- fan of the series myself, I was unsure of what to expect of the film. I hoped I would be subjected to some light action/adventure super hero fun that would neither demand my entire attention nor bore me to tears. Instead, I got a movie so deprived of any logical plot progression it almost hurt. The first half consists of essentially, talking. Granted the opening title sequence seemed promising, with a decent soundtrack and historical attention to detail, but that quickly deteriorated into people in costumes having a good chat.

The narrative seemed to take a dramatic turn around the time of one particularly repulsive and insulting sex scene, when the Disbelief Train hit Gore Town with a quick stop off at Garish City. Limbs were then severed, blood splattered and the blue guy named Doctor Manhattan seemed to get decidedly more naked. Now, this may have been forgivable (although probably not) if any of the story had actually made sense. But it didn't. The ending was so confusing the characters might as well have started a round of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. At least that would have been entertaining.

All in all, a film that might delight previous graphic novel fans but otherwise remains pointless and juvenile to anyone else. Sorry Zack Snyder, I'm afraid it's 2 Stars from me.

Moon

Moon (2009) is Duncan Jones's directing debut, who decided to write a sci-fi movie solely for actor and friend, Sam Rockwell. The story-line is simple but at the same time intricately complex in the ideas it conjures up. Astronaut, Sam Bell has been working on the moon with the help of computer GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) to mine a new energy resource which he continually sends back to Earth. His three year contract is nearly up but two weeks before he is to be sent home, there is an accident involving a moon buggy and one of the harvesters. After this shake up, strange things begin to happen and Sam finds himself with a confrontation that leaves him to question his own sanity.

The film represents feelings of claustrophobia, confinement, limitation and insanity. Sam is forced to look at himself through different facets of his personality, becoming aware of just what he is capable of. The movie is contained through its use of essentially, one giant set that was constructed to replicate the exact living space of the astronaut. Also, because of the small budget, only a few special effects are used and most of the scenes which are on the surface of the moon were achieved through models. This gives a weightless feel to objects that would usually contain a lot of density; something that is realistic to the lunar atmosphere. The most credit has to go to the acting of Sam Rockwell, who carries the entire film by himself and manages to show audiences that he is capable of displaying shifts in a person's disposition.

Despite the film being a definite salute in the direction of Stanley Kubrick's Space Odyssey, the movie can still be enjoyed by anyone simply interested in psychological thrillers and the human condition. Personally, I believe the film was successful in being a beautiful yet unnerving look at the stability of one's own character and life. I give it 4 Stars for being a moving masterpiece.