This is one of the greatest of all superhero movies

Rating: 10/10 (9 April 2014)

A few weeks ago, this movie happened to cross my mind and I decided to watch it. It turns out that nothing could make me regret this decision.
The first thing that struck me was how the movie began. The comedian is thrown out of his high rise apartment by an unseen assailant. The scene that follows traces through time to show an alternate time line and was incredibly well done. Later, we see the origin of Dr. Manhattan in flashback, and we see his relationship with Janie Slater before he becomes the energy being he is in the movie's present. There is an emotional energy here rarely seen in most other movies, and the cinematography is perfect for the film.
Another thing that really stood out to me was the realism of the story and how it played seriously all the threats that the US faced in the time line of the story. The vigilantes play an important part revolving around this part of the story, investigating the Comedian's death and discovering the conspiracy.
This movie stands out most, however, because of the story and how it handles several heavy moral issues. The characters are smart and competent, but rarely heroic and often flawed, selfish human beings. The villain isn't clear until the end, and even works with one of the heroes. In the movie, Ozymandias works with Dr. Manhattan to create a sort of machine that would solve the world's energy problems and supposedly eliminate the threat of nuclear war. However, Ozymandias realizes that a source of energy is too little, too late to stop full blown nuclear war, given that the doomsday clock is four minutes to midnight and ticking. He knows that Dr. Manhattan sees his own time line simultaneously through the past, present and future, so he uses the machine as a weapon to create particles that travel backwards in time and disrupt his unusual perception of time.
When Manhattan finds out,he is too late. This conveniently allows Ozymandias to pin the blame on Manhattan to unite the world against the perceived threat of Dr. Manhattan. He succeeds in averting nuclear war, but at the cost of millions of lives. Manhattan is also forced to incinerate Rorshach, who threatens to reveal the conspiracy, which would negate the aversion of the war because of his stance: "Even in the face of Armageddon, never compromise." The end shows cities being rebuilt and humanity having a better hope for the future.
This movie is undoubtedly dark, with no completely clear right and wrong. The violence is brutal and sometimes disturbing. But there is so much more than what I just described here. It is also a detailed character study and a much more realistic take on the superhero genre. The characters and their personalities are diverse and contrast well. The plot involves all characters at some point and you are likely to get more out of this with every view. In conclusion, this movie does something rare for superhero movies and works as an incredible addition to the genre. Being visually striking, having great music, performances by a talented cast and incredible action are only the tip of the iceberg here.
Also, you may hear that this movie is "just a needlessly violent, sexual and depressing knock off of The Incredibles." First, this is based on a graphic novel that was released long before Pixar was formed. Second, this actually takes an unflinching look at tough moral and ethical questions without providing the answers. Third, the kind of people who say that kind of stuff just glanced at the movie but refused to acknowledge any deeper meaning while priding themselves as supposed authorities on what the superhero genre can and can't be. But in reality, the superhero genre, other than having superheroes, can be anything the writer and director wants as long as it is done well. Watchmen not only does it well, but does it in a way that is unforgettable.