After almost 25 years, the “unadaptable” comic masterpiece hit the screen in March riding an avalanche of hype. Now Zack Snyder‘s two-disc Director’s Cut comes to DVD with more of what made this Watchmen his — which, depending on how you felt about the theatrical version, can be good or bad.

Watchmen unfolds in an alternate 1986 in a world where superheroes are real and, now, illegal. When a sadistic crime-fighter turned CIA killer called the Comedian is murdered, the vigilante Rorschach sets out to find out who’s hunting down the old heroes. As he sifts through the old histories he crosses paths with his former partners — a millionaire entrepreneur, a man-god who sees the future, a repressed inventor, a latex-clad pinup — and uncovers an epic conspiracy.

When Watchmen was released, it got something of a bad rap. There were some good reviews but more bad, with complaints that it was too faithful to the source, not faithful enough, too long, too violent, too dark, not dark enough … But it was still a thought-provoking look at power, and omnipotence, and security over freedom, a study of seriously flawed superheroes that treated them like real people.

Looking at it again a few months later, the flaws are still apparent, like Snyder’s unfortunate penchant for slow-mo action scenes, the ridiculous Nixon caricature, and the blatant reliance on played-out ’60s Dylan ‘n’ Hendrix chestnuts. But there are some great performances (particularly Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian and Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach), and the complex backstory and intricate plot were, to me, worth the ride.

But if you hated it the first time around, this version certainly won’t win you over. The most significant change is the addition of 24 minutes of new footage. Some scenes are extended to add dialogue and context, but there are brand-new ones too. Many add depth to characters that benefit from it, like more of Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl, whose beat-down by a gang of knot-tops is intercut with flashes of his past triumphs.

A scene of Laurie Jupiter arguing with her government controllers shows her frustration at being reduced to Dr. Manhattan’s babysitter, and extra moments of Rorschach’s alter ego wandering the streets with a “The End Is Nigh” placard add context to what is, in the end, the central character of the story. (There are also some new scenes of the local newsstand, a nod to the graphic novel.) As Snyder has boasted, there is some added gore, mostly unnecessary, like the scene in which an assassin aiming for Adrian Veidt shoots off his assistant’s fingers.

Also included are the 30-minute documentary The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics about the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons source material, 11 video journals about the production of the film (already available online), and the music video for My Chemical Romance’s questionable punk-o-matic cover of Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row.”

People who hated Watchmen won’t like a longer version any better, but it’s worth renting for people who were on the fence. Separated from the foghorn of hype, it might hit you a little differently. And people who like the theatrical version will only find more depth in the snippets of character and context that the extended version adds.

Of course, for true fans a five-disc “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” lands in December, including a version that intercuts the animated Tales of the Black Freighter, new commentary by Snyder and original artist Dave Gibbons, two hours of bonus content, and the complete Watchmen motion comics. Only a serious completist would need that kind of overkill, but the Director’s Cut is well worth a look.

Tags: dvd reviews, jackie earle haley, watchmen, zack snyder