Watchmen Chapter 1 - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Comic books have been adapted for the big and small screens for decades. One of the most celebrated comics ever is the Watchmen by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore, which is one of the most influential books in recent memory. The 12-part issue miniseries inspired a cavalcade of new writers and artists which are now household names in the comic book world. Watchmen is no stranger to adaptations either, even if Alan Moore would love nothing more than to take each adaptation and send it to Mars. There was a motion comic of the book, a 2009 big-budget feature film directed by Zack Snyder, and an HBO 2019 sequel TV series for starters. Now, Warner Bros. has released Chapter 1 of the comic with the same title, only this time around it has a CGI animated format to resemble a 2D old-school animation style.

This first segment is only 84 minutes and is rated R for violent content and some graphic nudity. No matter if anyone is a fan of Snyder's feature film, the HBO series, or even the comic book, one thing is for sure, this story has tons of bloody carnage and some worthwhile nudity for good measure, even if it's of a giant blue Eiffel Tower with balls. But in this animated feature, the R rating is not earned with barely any foul language, and any real animated gore besides a few splashes of blood here and there. As for the nudity element, if one were to blink, then they'd miss any of the nudity, making this more of a PG-13 affair than anything that resembles the Snyder version or the HBO show.

The animation style is also a bit odd, bringing this strange CGI animation that looks hand-drawn in 2D. It's smooth at every angle and not in a good way. It's almost like it has gone through a digital carwash of sorts, void of any texture or depth. When characters are walking down the street, it's so monotone as if everyone is a zombie without any beats or motion. Some moments work better than others with the visuals but they don't happen that often. Rorschach's ever-changing mask is the highlight of the animation where it looks fluid and wonderful. However, the wide gamut of colors utilized in the city gives this animated film more similarities to the excellent color work from the original comic book rather than the muted tones from the show or Snyder film.

But this animated Watchmen is the same story as the comic and Snyder cut with more faithful adaption from the comic book this time around. But one couldn't help but miss the needle drops from the Snyder cut or the amount of fun from the excellent performances from the live-action version that is all missing here. This animated film is as serious as a film can get and slows the 84-minute film to a crawl. Even the voice acting feels canned and not performed well which coincides with the strange CGI animation that almost shows no emotion. Chapter 1 ends with the unmasking of Rorschach but with a trailer of clips from the upcoming chapter 2. For those looking for a straight-and-narrow adaptation of the comic book that is missing the fun and high-octane action of the live-action adaptations, then this movie will satisfy that Watchmen urge.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Watchmen Chapter 1 watches its way to 4K + Digital Code via DC, Paramount, and Warner Bros. The sole disc is housed inside a hard black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The artwork features the Watchmen in their poses looking over the city. 

Watchmen Chapter 1 comes with a 2160p UHD 4K transfer that looks great in its animated form. The DC animated universe usually has a consistent 2D hand-drawn aesthetic, however, for Watchmen, there is a CG element that is so smooth, that it looks odd and monotone without any depth or detail. People walking in the background of the city or even the main characters fighting in action sequence look like they are on a conveyor belt without any motion of walking. It's a bit distracting. There's not a lot of detail or textures to the renderings as well making everything fairly flat. The color palette is darker and muted for a lot of the movie but when neon signs of the food balloon or billboards light up the city, the colors showcase a robust amount of brightness. Purples, pinks, reds, and yellows look amazing here. The bright blue glow of Dr. Manhattan is a welcome color change to everything in the story. The shots of comic book pages also stand out nicely with their pos of color. Black levels are inky enough as well.

This release comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 audio track that sounds good for what it needs to be. There wasn't an abundance of sound in the heavier action scenes though that pounded the walls or speakers, which would have been nice to be immersed inside the action. The score is soft and brooding without many crescendos to help with suspense. Sound effects are on the lighter side but are utilized in the surround speakers. There is a small low-end noise with the bass, however, it doesn't come into play that often. The dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow along with, even with Rorschach's hilarious raspy voice.

There are about 19 minutes worth of extras here from some great comic creators that talk about Watchmen and the animation style of the film.

• Dave Gibbons and Watchmen: Worldbuilding (HD, 9 Mins.) - Big comic creators such as Gibbons, Jim Lee, and more talk about the comic book and how it's been adapted over the years. This particular film is discussed in regard to the coloring elements and other aspects of the comic.
• The Art of Adaptation (HD, 10 Mins.) - A similar featurette to the one above that focuses more on the different animation styles with tons of storyboards and more. 

Watchmen Chapter 1 doesn't do anything new to the story and takes out some of the fun action beats and music from the Snyder version and the HBO show. For hardcore psychotic purists of the comic book, this animated version should satisfy those years of torment from the other adaptations. For the rest, this is an all-too-serious account of the story for any real fun. The 4K animation is solid and the DTS-HD 5.1 audio track sounds decent enough. For Fans Only.