Watchmen: Chapter 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Watchmen: Chapter 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Fearless symmetry.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 29, 2024

Based on the celebrated comic series by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, Watchmen has been adapted in various formats several times during the last decade or two; for starters, there's the 2019 HBO limited series, Zack Snyder's well-known 2009 theatrical film, and even an ambitious 2008 "motion comic". (Before that, several films were pitched but eventually abandoned, with names attached ranging from Terry Gilliam to Darren Aronofsky.) Fast-forward to 2024, and we've got yet another adaptation: a fully CG-animated two-part film scripted by J. Michael Straczynski, directed by Brandon Vietti, and supported by the close consultation of Dave Gibbons himself. Hurm.

For a synopsis of the main feature as well as its printed source material and its legacy, please see my recent review of the separate 4K edition. Bottom line: it's surprisingly good. Warner Bros. also offers this stand-alone Blu-ray edition that features a proportionately solid A/V presentation as well as two short but enjoyable bonus features.

Watchmen: Chapter 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As usual, please see my recent review of Warner Bros.' separate 4K edition for a general overview of Watchmen visual aesthetic, which I discussed in both the film synopsis and video section of that coverage. Bottom line: it's an ambitious-looking effort with production values that punch above WB Animation's usual weight class for DCAU material, offering a very atmospheric and technically faithful update to consulting producer Dave Gibbons' invaluable visual contributions to the original comic book series. Not surprisingly, Warner Bros.' Blu-ray can't help but come in second to its linked UHD counterpart due to the fact that Watchmen is a native 4K production, but this 1080p/SDR transfer doesn't trail all that far behind in some respects. Format limitations all but dictate that a few speed bumps can be seen on the road -- less refined black levels and shadow detail, broader color reproduction, and of course a few almost unavoidable compression artifacts here and there -- but as-is on this decently-encoded dual-layer (50GB) disc, Watchmen holds its own on Blu-ray and should look quite respectable on small to mid-sized displays. I'll still recommend the 4K edition by a decent margin if you're set up for it, but this disc is hardly a major sacrifice in the grand scheme of things.

Watchmen: Chapter 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For details about the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, please see my recent review of the separate 4K edition. Also note that, like that disc, this one features optional subtitles for the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

Watchmen: Chapter 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with cover artwork that's thematically similar to the 4K edition but entirely different; a Digital Copy is included, but no slipcover. The included extras are identical to that linked UHD edition and are listed below in name only; for more details, click away.

• Dave Gibbons and Watchmen: Worldbuilding (9:02)

• The Art of Adaptation: Introducing the Story (9:50)

Watchmen: Chapter 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

WB Animation's new two-part adaptation of Watchman has big shoes to fill but gets off to a good start, thanks to the general faithfulness of its story as well as an ambitious visual approach to Dave Gibbon's iconic visuals. It's supported well on either Blu-ray or the preferred 4K package, with both versions offering proportionately solid A/V presentations and two short but very enjoyable bonus features. My only slight reservation here is that it'll probably be released again as a seamless deluxe edition or at least a space-saving two-part package... but based on the surprising strength of its main feature, I wouldn't blame interested fans for jumping on board right now. Recommended.