Great...for a comic book movie (and NOT a family-friendly action flick)

Rating: Null/10 (4 August 2009)

Not a great "film", per se, but a very good comic book movie. Not fun and exciting, but dark and bada**. WATCHMEN explores the darker side of superheroes. Who they are, why they do what they do. Their histories, their faults, their inner demons.
Rated R, there's bloody violence, sexual conduct, nudity, explicit language, disturbing imagery, and everything else. Definitely not for kids.
Having read the source material, I can say that this is a very faithful adaptation, as adaptations go. They took the story right out of the graphic novel and did their best to shape it into a movie. Some details were tweaked, but the big picture remains intact and some very specific details and images are preserved for the fans.
The movie is a nice escape, taking viewers into a self-contained universe of costumed heroes and exotic settings. People unfamiliar with the comic may be hesitant to see a film with such "unknown" characters, but I think it would be fun immersing oneself into this very unique universe.
The action tends to be a bit too stylized and graphic for my tastes, and the soundtrack is curious. Though carefully selected from the book, the songs often seem like an odd hodgepodge of retro tunes, feeling weird on top of the gritty visuals.
But WATCHMEN takes comic book action movies to a place they've never gone before. And though the film will never win any awards, it is an intriguing new take on the cape-and-cowl crowd and a great ride.
EDIT:
I think the overwhelming backlash to this movie stems from misplaced expectations. This is NOT a superhero action movie like SPIDER-MAN or IRON MAN or X-MEN, and it was not ever meant to be. Maybe the marketing is to blame.
WATCHMEN is based on a cynical and philosophical comic series for adults. No children should see this film. It's not that kind of movie. And the brutal scenes are taken right from the comic.
I can understand complaints about the length (nearly 3 hours) and I can understand the plot being confusing to people who left the theater after 1 hour, but I think there's enough in the film to make it make a certain amount of sense. Reading the book should help people who wouldn't otherwise understand the movie. Repeated viewings might also help.
This type of movie might not be your cup of tea, and that's fine. But you should be aware of what kind of movie WATCHMEN is. Do not expect a fun superhero/sci-fi action flick. Don't let the costumes fool you. And don't sit down on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn for Family Movie Night. This is a film for adults only. It's rated-R, after all.
Just know what you're getting into before you pop in this movie.