I am glad that this short film exists. I am also glad that it was not crosscut into Watchmen - it would have further fragmented a narrative already suffering from flashback fatigue. What worked on the page, where you got go back and re-read, does not necessarily work on screen.
Taken on its own merits, Tales Of The Black Freighter works well as a macabre horror pirate story. The story, though slight, is solid, the animation is fine, and the voicework - primarily Gerard (SPARTAAAAA!!!!) Butler - is very good.
However, I can't conceive of a 25 minute animated pirate horror movie ever being commissioned if it wasn't for the Watchmen connection.
Does this matter? I don't think so.
Taken on its own merits, Tales Of The Black Freighter works well as a macabre horror pirate story. The story, though slight, is solid, the animation is fine, and the voicework - primarily Gerard (SPARTAAAAA!!!!) Butler - is very good.
However, I can't conceive of a 25 minute animated pirate horror movie ever being commissioned if it wasn't for the Watchmen connection.
Does this matter? I don't think so.