It's not an action flick - but it is a very watchable hybrid of SF and film noir with actual character development!

Rating: 8/10 (10 August 2009)

I never read the original graphic novel, but I lived through the period covered by the film as a child and then a young adult. They have the seventies and eighties, and an alternate believable history, down very well. They look at the impact that have a living a breathing Superman level superhero might have had on the world of that time, and they do it very well.
Don't expect and action flick, nor your typical "superhero" movie. If you do, you are going to be disappointed. Most of the characters are "Batman" level superheroes, not the Fantastic Four or the Hulk. This is more a cross between film noir, alternate history with a touch of Science Fiction, and a film on the human condition. It is incredibly violent at times, and it feels like a couple of the scenes were added just for the action. Sort of like comic relief, they keep the film from feeling totally claustrophobic. They avoid the utter hopelessness of Blade Runner. Then again, that is one of my favorite films.
The movie is more about personalities, and both about being human and the extremes. Two of the main characters represent the extremes of the human condition, and it is interested to see how the film develops both. Even though the "happy" ending scene may serve to hide it, the film is very much a classic tragedy. The ending begs for a sequel, along the lines of "be careful what you wish for." If there is sequel by the same writing/directing team, I'll go to see that one at the theater.