"Mad Men": Season 2

(Now available)

Even after a stellar first season, viewers wouldn't have been crazy to ask: will "Mad Men" be as absorbing and entertaining this year or will the novelty have worn off? It turns out we had nothing to worry about. The second season of "Mad Men" is not only every bit as good, it's considerably better. The already well-developed characters are explored more fully with a combination of powerful writing and acting that no one else on television comes close to.

As the first season came to a close, we learned that Don Draper (the brilliant Jon Hamm) wasn't who he claimed to be. This year we see him struggling to keep the life he's carved out for himself and ultimately, almost walking away from it. His wife Betty (January Jones) has become wiser, more independent, and less blind to Don's deceit and indiscretions. Meanwhile, the rest of the Sterling Cooper agency has plenty of their own problems to deal with, between closing deals in the morning and taking six-hour lunches.

Season 1 brought us into the world of the early 1960s and showed us just what it meant for these characters to be living in it. Season 2 explores that world and those in it to the fullest. As we learn more about Don, more questions are raised. He's simply the most intriguing character on television today. The revelation of season 2, however, is Betty. January Jones is given far more to do this time around and she is fantastic as the long-suffering Mrs. Draper.

The supporting cast is also second to none, with the likes of Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth Moss and, best of all, John Slattery as Roger Sterling, a character worthy of his own series.

Treat yourself right with your next DVD or Blu-Ray purchase. Pick up the second season of television's finest current series. You can be done just in time for season 3 on AMC, beginning Sunday, August 16.

Watchmen

(R, Avail. 7/21)

(Please note that both the theatrical and director's cuts are being released. This is a review of the theatrical version.)

Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore (who refused to have his name attached) and Dave Gibbons, "Watchmen" tells the story of a costumed league of heroes who long ago disbanded. When one of their own, the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), is murdered, the former heroes reluctantly find each other once more.

Set in 1985 (when the graphic novel was written), "Watchmen" presupposes a world in which President Nixon (Robert Wisden) called these crime fighters into service to win the Vietnam War in 1971. Thanks mainly to the Comedian and the only Watchman with powers, Dr. Manhattan (a giant blue man who looks a lot like Billy Crudup from "Almost Famous"), the war was brought to a quick finish. With presidential term limits abolished, Nixon is early into his fifth term by '85. Costumed heroes have been outlawed, but tensions still run high with the Soviet Union.

So high, in fact, that it seems that only Dr. Manhattan can prevent an all-out nuclear war. His ability to control matter, time, and space is almost godlike, but his inability to connect with humanity makes him question whether or not he even wants to try to save the world from destruction.

Meanwhile, the outcast former Watchmen are all trying to make the best of their existences. Adrian Veidt, or Ozymandias (Matthew Goode, "Brideshead Revisited"), revealed his identity to the world, and he is currently a multi-billionaire with his own vision of the future. Dan "Nite Owl II" Dreiberg ("Hard Candy's" Patrick Wilson) and Laurie "Silk Spectre II" Jupiter (Malin Akerman) haven't seen each other since the old days, both having attempted to live normal lives. With a potential superhero-killer on the loose, however, they're brought back together, and there are definitely some unresolved feelings. Then there is Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), the most hardened member of the group and the only one who has never stopped fighting injustice at every turn, whether the world wanted him to or not.

With many characters, flashbacks, and pieces to a number of puzzles, the graphic novel was considered unfilmable by many, even directors who have been attached to the project over the past 24 years. Zack Snyder has tackled this project with gusto, but with mixed results. I have not read "Watchmen," but I got the same feeling I did while watching Snyder's "300," as though I'd just read an abridged version. Snyder seems to care so much about remaining faithful to the source material that he is often unable to translate it well to film. Still, it works a bit better than "300" did. Atmospherically he pulls the job off nicely, and the story and characters are developed well for the most part. Some sequences just produce cringes, however. Can we please put a moratorium on any and all versions of "Hallelujah" in films for the next twenty years? Snyder should have spent more time employing the score by Tyler Bates, which sounds right at home for a sci-fi film set in the mid-eighties.

The film's biggest problem is the dialogue. Adapted by David Hayter and Alex Tse, "Watchmen" is full of lines that might work written inside of a bubble but just hit the ears like fingernails on a chalkboard. The actors do their best, with Haley's Rorschach coming off particularly well. The suspect dialogue, however, often took me out of the movie and made a potentially great movie merely an interesting one that is hit and miss.

As someone who hasn't read the source material, "Watchmen" is a bloated film at 2 hours and 43 minutes, yet I still felt like there were some key elements missing. It's well-produced and occasionally stunning, but it's also something of a mess. 6.5/10.

To contact Bob Connally with questions or suggestions, e-mail [email protected].

Also Coming to DVD and Blu-Ray

7/14

The State: The Complete Series

The Edge of Love (NR)

The Haunting in Connecticut (PG-13)

7/21

Psych: Season 3 (James Roday is a comic genius)

Coraline (PG)

Pushing Daisies: Season 2

Monk: Season 7

The Mighty Boosh: Seasons 1, 2, and 3