WATCHMEN: THE ULTIMATE CUT – 4K / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: ZACK SNYDER / SCREENPLAY: DAVID HAYTER, ALEX TSE / STARRING: JACKIE EARLE HALEY, BILLY CRUDUP, MALIN AKERMAN, PATRICK WILSON, JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN, MATTHEW GOODE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Special Features: Three featurettes / ‘Making of’ webisodes / Music video
Zack Snyder’s Watchmen received a slightly mixed reaction upon its initial cinema release back in 2009, yet the movie has thankfully been more fondly reflected back on in subsequent years. Now, Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut has received a 4K remaster as part of a new release.
Set in 1985 and adapted from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ iconic graphic novel, Watchmen centres around a group of former superheroes – one of which has been mysteriously murdered. With the unrelenting, brutal Rorschach (Haley) on a mission to unravel this mystery, secrets will be uncovered and stark, shocking truths will be revealed. But, chances are, you’re already well aware of this.
Watchmen has had several releases over the years, complete with three different cuts of the movie, and this new release is the Ultimate Cut of the picture that clocks in at a whopping 215 minutes. Yes, that’s just over three-and-a-half hours. It’s a long ol’ watch, for sure, yet it’s one that never really feels as long as it really is. And that’s down to the quality and richness of the story, which sees the 186-minute Director’s Cut extended on by intercutting the animated The Tales of the Black Freighter which further fleshes out elements of the comic book. But again, if you’re a Watchmen fan, you’re likely well aware of what’s contained within the Ultimate Cut of the movie.
The star attraction of this new release – at least in terms of what makes this a worthy purchase for fans who already own the film – is clearly the 4K sheen given to Snyder’s movie. On previous releases, we’ve already seen the special features included here, and even the Ultimate Cut of the film has been seen before, so the target audience for this new release are 4K enthusiasts and Watchmen fans. And if you fall into either of those groups, you’ll absolutely adore this offering.
Even in its original DVD and Blu-ray released, Watchmen was a movie that masterfully popped from the screen and felt very much like a prime example of a comic book truly brought to life. In glorious 4K, the film is just utterly jaw-dropping in its beauty. Even more than ever, this fully feels like seeing a comic book play out before you very eyes – with the bright lights and bloodstains shining strong, and the darker and grimy corners of this world being as bleak as you’d expect.
Away from the 4K remaster of Watchmen, this new release also includes the standard Blu-ray edition of the Ultimate Cut and the special features that have been seen on previous releases. Still, the bonus content makes for some fascinating viewing that helps to round out this release as a stunning one.
If you’re not fussed about 4K, there’s clearly nothing to grab your attention here, but for 4K fans, Watchmen die-hards, or those looking to check out the movie for the first time, this really is a beautiful release that should be added to your collection ASAP.
