Overview: Former heroes have seemingly become targets. The Comedian has been murdered, the all-powerful Dr. Manhattan has been exiled to Mars, Ozymandias survived an assassination attempt and the outlaw-vigilante Rorschach has been arrested.

Suspicious of the events ensnaring their former colleagues, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are spurred out of retirement to investigate. As they grapple with personal ethics, inner demons and a society turned against them, they race the clock to uncover a deepening plot that might trigger global nuclear war

Blu-ray Verdict: Telling it like it is from the very off, I am a HUGE Watchmen fan: read the book, watched the 2009 movie, watched the TV series, and so came this two-part movie, which is itself a great example in how to remain faithful to the source material.

I mean, sure, there are some small changes made, such as modifying some scenes either by making cuts or adding some new scenes in, or changing the timeline of the story a little, but these changes are pretty small and do not effect the overall storyline in the slightest.

Personally, I really liked the lavishly colorful, yet not sharp-edged art style here and the way we get to see the varying styles differs, whether it is in the present, the memory, or from a parallel story of the pirate, for example.

And like most adaptations, it doesn’t match the book quality, but it doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching, because I think that this version builds on such a great adaptation in the best way possible.

My only, and small, complaint here is that the animation quality does noticeably drop in some shots, but for the most part not enough to be a noticeable issue overall.

Also for me, the use of sound and score is one of the best I’ve heard any movie use. It is excellent. There’s a real sense of dread and impending doom and it’s built over the 90 mins perfectly.

And as much as I have tried to avoid giving the plot line away, for those not attune to the first part or the series, as is, I will add that the voice acting cannot get much better either. Titus welliver as Rorschach. Rory Baker as Ozzy. Sally and the narrator also put in top tier performances.

Great fight scenes coupled with lots of blood and gore are aplenty also, so come on in, sit down and enjoy this 90 minute adaptation of a classic that I don’t think anyone else has delivered.

Overall, Watchmen: Chapter II (2024) was a great closing chapter to this iteration of Watchmen and I was very satisfied with it and I think you will all be too.

Special Features:
The Art of Adaptation: Building to the Final Act
Dave Gibbons and Watchmen: Chapters 7-12
Designing Watchmen

Watchmen Chapter I and Watchmen Chapter II delve into the gritty and complex world of masked vigilantes in an alternate version of America during the Cold War era. The “Watchmen” saga remains a cornerstone of comic book literature, having garnered numerous awards and accolades over the decades.

The adaptation captures the spirit and style of Moore and Gibbons’ original, groundbreaking vision with stunning animation that pays homage to the comic book’s iconic visual style. The film features a stellar voice cast that includes Matthew Rhys (TV’s “Brothers & Sisters,” “The Americans,” “Perry Mason”) Katee Sackhoff (TV’s “Battlestar Galactica,” “Longmire,” “The Mandalorian”) and Titus Welliver (TV’s “Lost,” “Deadwood,” “Sons of Anarchy”).

The film is produced and directed by Brandon Vietti from an adaptation by J. Michael Straczynski. Jim Krieg and Cindy Rago serve as producers and Dave Gibbons serves as consulting producer. Sam Register, Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin are executive producers.

Based on DC’s acclaimed graphic novel co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, Watchmen Chapter II, the second part of the all-new animated two-part feature film from Warner Bros. Animation and Paramount, will be released on Digital on November 26th, 2024 and on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on December 3rd, 2024.

Watchmen Chapter I is currently available to own on Digital, 4K UHD and Blu-ray.