In the case of Watchmen, the soundtrack is far superior to the film itself. While Watchmen had a great concept that translated poorly, the eclectic and mostly brilliant musical choices seemed to fill the gaps of the boring film.
Watchmen‘s soundtrack is reminiscent of Children of Men, in which Donovan and the Rolling Stones cover were paired with songs by the Libertines and John Lennon. Here, KC & the Sunshine Band stands alongside songs by Nat King Cole and Nina Simone.
The best-utilized songs are Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” and Janis Joplin’s “Me & Bobby McGee.” Bob Dylan’s “The Times, They Are A-Changin'” is part of the most outstanding opening sequence in recent memory. While not heard in the movie itself, Massive Attack’s stunning “Angel” was featured in television advertisements, which, sadly, were one of the best things about Watchmen. Unfortunately, the movie is forever tainted by awkwardly using Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” as background music while Nite Owl II and the Silk Spectre get it on.
The Watchmen soundtrack also loses serious points for including My Chemical Romance’s abysmal cover of “Desolation Row,” a song that sounds so utterly out of place in the company of Dylan, Joplin and Simone. Perhaps it was a play for the younger age bracket that did not grow up obsessing over the original graphic novel, but it was simply a poor choice for the coveted spot of the last song of the film.