Who Watches the Watchmen?: When America Doesn’t Want a Hero

 

I think it is safe to say that almost everyone has seen a superhero movie at some point in their life, especially with Marvel releasing movies yearly since 2008 and DC Comics almost yearly since 2005. Personally, I love superhero movies and one of my favorites from the genre is Zack Snyder’s Watchmen (2009).

There are several aspects of Watchmen that pay homage to your typical superhero movie, the first being the stellar and dynamic band of characters similar to the Avengers. There’s also the gravelly, low-voiced vigilante, Rorschach, who sounds like eerily similar to Batman, the technological genius and animal-based hero, Night Owl II, who reminds me of Iron Man and Batman, and the science experiment gone wrong, Dr. Manhattan, who resembles a mix of Captain America, the Hulk and Thor with his patriotic, monstrous and God-like reputation. Not to mention, Watchmen’s throwback soundtrack had me immediately thinking of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) during my last viewing.


That being said, Watchmen is anything but your typical “hero saves the day” type of comic book movie. It’s actually quite the opposite. Watchmen is dark, cynical and shows what happens to the heroes when they’re no longer what America wants, even if they’re what we need. In Watchmen, “hero” is a pretty loose term with members of the squad taking part in attempted rapes, murders and taking out entire cities. But it’s all for the greater good right?

My favorite characteristic of Watchmen is that it’s full of irony. America doesn’t want the Watchmen; in fact, they’re outlawed, but still continue to try and help the world. At one point in the movie, Dr. Manhattan states that “the existence of life is a highly overrated phenomenon” but still feels compassion for his friends and continues to try and stop the nuclear war. The Comedian, arguably the most immoral and least empathetic character in the film, is brought to tears when he learns that Ozymandias betrayed Dr. Manhattan and is planning to kill millions of people. Rorschach seems to be the only one who still really cares about society even though he knows how corrupt it is when he says, “Once a man has seen society’s black underbelly, he can never really turn his back on it.” While not all the Watchmen particularly care about humanity, I feel like they think they still have an obligation to humankind, even if they’re not wanted.

The Comedian makes the statement that they’re “society’s only protection from themselves” and this brings me to my last observation. As the film points out, who is watching the Watchmen? They act without consequence. The world doesn’t want them. They’ve been outlawed, and yet, they’re still making life-changing decisions for society, but at what cost? Ozymandias sacrifices the lives of millions of people in order to, in his mind, save billions and end all war. But why is that his, or the Watchmen’s, for that matter decision to make?

Watchmen is different than every other superhero movie because it shows the other side of being a hero. I think it’s important to remember that for the most part, heroes are still human. They have feelings, flaws, egos, superiority complexes, decisions to make and a whole world of weight on their shoulders. They’re flawed and dark and not always wanted. Watchmen shows that society is not all sunshine and rainbows, but a dark, twisted, corrupt place. And sometimes we need saving, whether we want it or not.