Watchmen: Chapter II

Rorschach's journey in Watchmen is a testament to unyielding heroism in a morally complex world. Despite his flaws, he embodies the purest sense of justice, standing firm against corruption and compromise until the very end. His unwavering resolve, commitment to truth, and ultimate sacrifice solidify him as the story's greatest hero.

Rorschach's heroism begins with his refusal to conform. Unlike his peers, who either retire or work within the confines of the law, he continues his vigilantism despite the Keene Act banning masked heroes. For him, justice is non-negotiable, and his actions are guided by a strict moral code. He patrols a decaying society not for fame or power but because he believes it is the right thing to do.

The murder of Edward Blake (The Comedian) sets Rorschach on a path of relentless investigation. Where others see a random crime, he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens millions. His determination to expose the truth, no matter the obstacles or dangers, highlights his greatest quality: an unshakable belief in honesty and justice. Unlike his colleagues, who grow weary or disillusioned, Rorschach never wavers.

In the climax, his moral integrity is tested. Ozymandias reveals his plan to sacrifice millions to unite the world and avert nuclear war. While others, including Dr. Manhattan, accept this as a necessary evil, Rorschach refuses. For him, the ends do not justify the means. He boldly declares, "Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon." This line captures his essence: a man who would rather die than betray his principles.

Rorschach's refusal to stay silent about Ozymandias' crimes ultimately leads to his death. Confronted by Dr. Manhattan, he demands to be killed rather than live knowing the truth will be buried. His death is not a defeat but a final act of defiance, a statement that justice and truth are worth more than life itself.

Though brutal and uncompromising, Rorschach stands as the moral heart of Watchmen. In a world of moral ambiguity, he is a rare figure who holds firm to his ideals. His tragic end serves as a reminder of the cost of integrity in a corrupt world. Rorschach's legacy is not just his actions but his unwavering belief that truth and justice are worth any sacrifice.

So, I just finished watching Watchmen: Chapter II (2024) and it was another excellent Watchmen movie.

Positives for Watchmen: Chapter II (2024): This second movie does a fantastic job at continuing the story from Chapter I (2024). I was still invested in the journey with these characters and their interaction with each other are still fun to watch. The animation style for these two movies still looks amazing. And finally, the ending to this movie was nice and very satisfying.

Mixed for Watchmen: Chapter II (2024): II am still confident that a lot of Watchmen Fans won't be satisfied with this iteration of Watchmen and I understand that, but I had fun with these two movies.

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

The story for Watchmen chapter 2 was not what I expected and very well written.

This was one of the best visual styles in an animated movie this year and an example of this is the comic books scenes. Also, it makes it look like the comic just jumped into movie form

I loved the villain in the movie and I thought he was very menacing.

The scenes on Mars where a little boring.

I found all the characters in the film to be really really intriguing.

I love the way the mystery was ended.

The voice acting in the film was really really good and every character had a standout moment.

Rorschach had some of the best scenes in the film.

The alterations in this variation of the Watchmen graphic novel was more extreme than in Chapter 1 & the 2009 film in some ways , taking some big liberties with the story structure & certain scenes. However it retained the basic story elements of the original source, which the film version altered notably at the end.

For me the structural changes & additions didn't improve the story at all & jarred a bit at first.

Then I began to appreciate the fact that the original source would be impossible to do justice to in such a short space of time, & the changes didn't distract from the momentum of the film.

So, maybe someone who is unfamiliar with the graphic novel may find it easier to 'work out'.

Everything about the production & design of this animation is great. The music is superb , except that it be occasionally overbearing - drowning out the actors voices a bit much for my old ears.

The animation itself is brilliant with many superb moments. Some people have complained about it, tho I imagine the same commentators wouldn't be able to watch any animation pre the CGI if their sensibilities can't appreciate the work on this. Animation is not meant to be solely 'hyper-realistic & ray traced', it is often about a 'broad stroke & impression' than seeing the texture of fabric on a CGI model. The animation should be in the service of the story, & here it does the job superbly.

It should be remembered that the graphic novels 1st animation, that told the story most faithfully to the original, was about 12 hours long , 3x longer than the combined length of these two chapter. So there is no way it could be adapted in a one-for-one manner & it would be unfair to judge it as such.

The changes in this version are noticeable, but it is also refreshing seeing how another writer (J. Michael Straczynsk -of Babylon 5 fame) would approach & handle the story without totally ruining it. Here he does a good job, that in places expands on some 'vaguer' moments in the graphic novel that are only more comprehensible after finishing the story.

The animated Watchmen movies are the epitome of "let's just get it done". They're doing Alan Moore's Watchmen -- just about.

Nothing is egregiously erroneous here (no needless modifications to the plot; no misunderstandings of the characters vis-a-vis how "cool" we're supposed to think they are; none of Snyder's blunders, basically). It's just that everything is rushed through, the voice actors just sort of read the lines, and the cel-shaded animation, while it sometimes resembles Dave Gibbons' art to a T, is so stiff that it makes me miss the presentation of the Snyder film.

And that's mainly with regard to the characters; the backgrounds are often downright terrible (more noticeably so in this film than I can recall in Chapter I). There are moments where the CGI landscapes and models look more like something from Myst than Watchmen.

The MO of these movies is encapsulated in the scene where Dan "Nite Owl II" Dreiberg learns of the original Nite Owl, Hollis Mason's death at the hands of the knot-top gang; we here expect the scene where he has a moment of weakness and beats up a random knot-top in a way that would've previously seemed more befitting of Rorschach.

But when Rorschach says the line that is meant to lead into that sequence, Dreiberg replies "We don't have time". And so the scene is skipped. If only there was a way to experience this story in a way where, much like in the eyes of the mighty Dr. Manhattan, time is no issue.