It’s hard to believe that Zack Snyder’s Watchmen hit theaters a decade ago. Yet, when you reflect on the evolution of superhero films since its release, the gap feels substantial. Marvel’s cinematic universe has dominated the box office, while Snyder went on to direct several films within DC’s expanding universe. Now, HBO’s new Watchmen series, helmed by Damon Lindelof, further underscores the lasting cultural significance of the source material.
The film adaptation of Watchmen continues to inspire passionate debates, with its fans ardently defending it while others criticize its approach. Snyder’s choices, particularly regarding the ending, have been the subject of much scrutiny. However, after ten years, the bold decision to alter Alan Moore’s iconic conclusion stands out as one of the film’s most creative strengths.
Zack Snyder’s Watchmen Ending Explained
Watchmen cast (Image via Getty)
For those unfamiliar with the comic, the original ending is a spectacle of bizarre science fiction. The plot centers around Ozymandias, aka Adrian Veidt, who orchestrates a tragic event in New York City to unite the world in a false peace. His plan involves the deaths of millions, leading to a temporary resolution of the Cold War and averting nuclear Armageddon. However, to further cement global unity, Veidt unleashes a massive squid-like creature on the city. The appearance of this otherworldly entity forces humanity to join forces, averting global destruction.
In the film, Snyder chooses a more streamlined yet still impactful ending. Instead of creating a giant squid monster, Veidt utilizes a more recognizable threat: Doctor Manhattan. The film’s adaptation takes some creative liberties, simplifying the monster plot but retaining the essence of the source material.
Adapting Watchmen : A Shift in Approach
In the movie, Veidt’s scheme remains fundamentally the same. He sets off a series of explosions in major cities, using the energy signature of Doctor Manhattan to frame him for the destruction. This event causes global outrage, and humanity unites in opposition to the presumed threat of Manhattan. Meanwhile, Rorschach and Night Owl, two key members of the Watchmen, uncover Veidt’s plot and attempt to stop him.
After the explosions occur, Rorschach and Night Owl travel to Veidt’s fortress in Antarctica, where they confront him. Veidt, now confident that his plan has worked, reveals that the fuse is already lit. By the time Rorschach and Night Owl arrive, it’s too late to undo the damage. The audience is left to contemplate the morality of their actions, especially as Rorschach struggles with the consequences of their silence.
A Simpler, Yet Powerful Conclusion
Snyder’s choice to remove the squid and replace it with Doctor Manhattan not only streamlined the narrative but also amplified the emotional weight of the story. As the plot unfolds, Sally Jupiter and Doctor Manhattan return to Earth, only to find New York City in ruins. Upon realizing that Veidt’s plan has succeeded, Manhattan transports them to Antarctica, where Veidt’s confession leads to the revelation of peace.
The world is saved, yet the truth about the destruction would tear apart the fragile peace that Veidt’s actions have created. Manhattan, understanding the implications, chooses to leave Earth behind, retreating to another galaxy. The Watchmen return to their lives, but Rorschach, ever committed to revealing the truth, cannot accept the lie. His refusal to compromise leads to a tragic end, as he forces Manhattan to kill him in order to prevent the truth from being exposed. The film concludes with Rorschach’s journal, a dangerous threat to the peace that was forged at such a high cost.
Rorschach (Image via Getty)
The Significance of Rorschach’s Journal
The inclusion of Rorschach’s journal serves as a crucial narrative device, reinforcing the story’s central conflict. While the world has united in the face of catastrophe, Rorschach’s commitment to truth threatens to unravel the fragile peace. The journal’s existence serves as a ticking time bomb, foreshadowing the eventual collapse of the illusion. Although Snyder’s film deviates from the comic’s more convoluted ending, this change still preserves the essence of Moore’s vision.
Critics of the film argue that Doctor Manhattan’s involvement, rather than a cosmic squid, undermines the grandiose scale of the original story. However, this shift in focus allows for a more emotionally resonant ending, one that highlights the tragic elements of betrayal, loss, and the complex nature of heroism. Veidt’s betrayal of his former teammates, particularly framing Manhattan, adds a personal dimension to the narrative that the squid monster simply couldn’t convey.
Why Snyder’s Ending Works for the Film
Snyder’s decision to adapt Watchmen with the cinematic limitations of a film running close to three hours was a strategic one. The director’s cut, which many consider superior, stretches past the three-hour mark, offering a deeper exploration of the material. However, even with such an extensive runtime, the film never loses sight of its core message. By focusing on Doctor Manhattan’s already-established status as a world-altering force, Snyder was able to streamline the plot without sacrificing emotional depth.
The thematic richness of the ending resonates deeply with the film’s exploration of power, responsibility, and morality. At its heart, Watchmen is about flawed heroes trying to navigate a world that is equally broken. The film’s conclusion, where Veidt’s actions create a fragile peace, leaves us questioning the true cost of salvation. The tragic irony of the situation is amplified by the characters’ personal struggles, particularly Rorschach’s unwillingness to compromise.
Doctor Manhattan (Image via Getty)
The Enduring Legacy of Watchmen ‘s Adaptation
Ten years later, Snyder’s Watchmen remains a fascinating and ambitious adaptation of a challenging comic. The ending, in particular, stands out as one of the film’s boldest and most effective creative choices. While some purists may argue that the removal of the giant squid detracts from the source material’s complexity, others see it as a necessary adjustment that makes the story more accessible to a wider audience.
Snyder’s Watchmen may not be perfect, but it remains one of the most thoughtful and daring superhero films of its time. In altering the ending, Snyder not only simplified the narrative but added a layer of personal betrayal that would have been difficult to achieve with the comic’s original conclusion. Ultimately, the changes made to the ending of Watchmen preserve the spirit of the original material while also ensuring the story’s lasting impact on audiences worldwide.
Blade Runner 2049 stands out as a rare sequel that not only honors its predecessor but also expands on its themes with a depth that matches Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic. Set 30 years after the original, the film follows K, a replicant Blade Runner investigating a mystery that could change the future of the human-replicant divide. This leads him on a journey across a dystopian view and toward an unexpected revelation. The film’s ending, much like its plot, is complex and filled with twists, which makes it a worthy sequel to Blade Runner .
Blade Runner 2049 Ending Explained
Joi (Image via Getty)
At the end of the 1982 film, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and the replicant Rachael (Sean Young) flee together, a twist that leaves their future uncertain. While some versions of the original suggest they live happily ever after, Blade Runner 2049 reveals a much darker reality. After escaping, Deckard and Rachael are hunted by those in power, eventually joining an underground group of replicants. Rachael, despite being a replicant, gave birth to a child, a secret that could shift the balance of power. Tragically, Rachael dies during childbirth, and the baby is hidden for safety.
Rachael’s Reproductive Capabilities
The central mystery in Blade Runner 2049 revolves around how Rachael, a replicant, could have had a child. This aspect is not fully explained but hints at the unique design of the Nexus 8 models. Rachael, a prototype, is equipped with a reproductive system, a breakthrough made by Tyrell, the creator of the replicants. This detail sets Rachael apart from other replicants, as it suggests she was capable of biological reproduction, a mystery lost with the events of the Blackout, a global incident that wiped most technological records.
The Child’s Identity: Ana Stelline
The child of Deckard and Rachael is hidden and raised in secret, far from the prying eyes of the world. She is introduced as Ana Stelline, who works in a memory-creation facility. Raised in an orphanage, she experienced moments that hinted at her true origins, including a traumatic encounter involving a wooden horse—a symbol that ties her back to her past. Ana’s journey reflects her complex identity as she is caught between being a human and a replicant, a theme explored throughout the movie.
The film introduces Niander Wallace (Jared Leto), a powerful industrialist with dreams of expanding humanity beyond Earth. After the collapse of the Tyrell Corporation, Wallace took control of the remaining replicant technology and began mass-producing a new generation of replicants. However, Wallace’s true goal is more sinister: to create an army of replicants by unlocking the secret of reproduction. To do so, he needs to find Deckard and Rachael, whose existence would prove that replicants can reproduce. Wallace’s drive for control over the replicant population sets him on a collision course with K, who inadvertently holds the key to the mystery.
Officer K (Image via Getty)
The Resistance’s Role
The Resistance in Blade Runner 2049 is an underground movement fighting for the rights of replicants. This group, which includes members who helped Deckard and Rachael, seeks recognition for replicants as sentient beings. Their primary goal is not only to overthrow Wallace’s oppressive regime but also to create a world where replicants are acknowledged as equal to humans. The group sees the child as a symbol of hope, representing the possibility of replicants being recognized as individuals with rights and not just tools for human use. Their cause is powerful, blending ideals of selflessness with the desire for recognition and equality.
At the heart of the conflict is the pursuit of power. Wallace sees replicants as disposable tools and desires the ability to create an army for his own expansionist ambitions. In contrast, the Resistance fights for the recognition of replicants as individuals with free will. The ideological struggle between these two factions creates a tense backdrop for the film’s events. As Wallace closes in on Deckard to find the child, the Resistance aims to protect her and stop Wallace’s vision from becoming a reality.
K’s Journey: Love and Self-Discovery
K’s story is one of personal evolution. Initially, he’s content in his role as a Blade Runner, performing his duties with efficiency and maintaining a facade of happiness in his artificial life. However, when K begins to suspect that he might be Deckard’s child, his perception of himself changes. K’s quest to uncover the truth about his origins becomes a journey of self-discovery, challenging his understanding of who he is. A significant part of his growth is his relationship with Joi, an AI program. Their deep connection raises questions about the nature of love and consciousness, with K believing that Joi, despite being an artificial construct, truly cares for him.
K’s development echoes the core themes of the Blade Runner franchise as he moves from an obedient servant to a figure who sacrifices himself for a greater cause. His final act, saving Deckard and protecting the child, represents his understanding of what it means to love and be human, making his death poignant and meaningful.
Blade Runner 2049 (Image via Getty)
K and Roy Batty: Parallel Journeys
K’s narrative mirrors that of Roy Batty, the Nexus 6 replicant from the first film. Batty, who was framed as the antagonist, sought to extend his life and, in his final moments, expressed a deep understanding of his existence and mortality. Batty’s death was a moment of reflection, where he accepted his fate and found peace. K’s journey mirrors this arc, as he too comes to terms with his own identity and the fleeting nature of life. The film uses K’s death to underline the universality of the replicant experience: the struggle for meaning, love, and freedom.
The True Meaning of the Ending
The ending of Blade Runner 2049 is about more than just resolving the plot; it’s about the nature of life itself. The film addresses existential questions about what it means to live, the power of love, and the search for identity. K’s journey is one of self-actualization, while Deckard’s story is about redemption and acceptance. The film ends on a hopeful note, underscoring the idea that even in a bleak, dystopian world, love and belief have the power to shape one’s destiny.
