I am amused at how Hollywood producers think and move sometimes. With an abundance of great stories available, they still insist on recycling concepts. Sure, money is likely a driving force, but when it comes to something as creatively rich as animation, profit shouldn't always be the priority.
Take the recent release of Warner Brothers' DC animated adaptation of Watchmen Chapter 1. As a fan of animation, I enjoyed it, but I can't help but question why we needed another adaptation. We've already have Zack Snyder's much more superior 2009 live-action film, not to mention the 2019 drama series.
This new animation closely follows the structure of the original graphic novel, more so than Snyder's adaptation. But why? Yes, the animation offers a few visually distinct elements, but the story is already well-known. Instead of retreading familiar overdone story, why not explore other graphic novels, like the Before Watchmen series? Before Watchmen: Rorschach, written by Brian Azzarello and beautifully illustrated by Lee Bermejo, is a perfect example of a story that was made for the screen. They can even adopt Lee Bermejos artstyle just to make it more interesting.
Another issue I have with the animation is its overly "clean" look. Don't get me wrong, there are some stunning frames and composition that are clearly inspired by the graphic novel but the general look is just off possibly due to the use of cel-shaded 3D animation. Dave Gibbons' artwork in the original graphic novel had deep shadows that gave the world a gritty, immersive feel. The animation, by contrast, feels like a downgrade—you can hardly make out the shadows at all.
Given that we're now in a post-Into the Spider-Verse era, studios should be experimenting with different animation styles, not playing it safe especially when it comes to animation. While I didn't hate this first chapter, I wish Warner Brothers DC would stop recycling familiar stories and tap into the wealth of untapped material they have at their disposal.
