Hurm! What you see is what you get...

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2009)

...as seems typical with Zack "300" Snyder projects. Visuals compelling, story not so much. Screenplay reveals limitations of source material. What was hip in mid-80s not so interesting today. Implications of superheroism sophomorically explored. Literate veneer of graphic novel stripped away. Major plot developments anachronistic. Characters even flatter than in graphic novel. Performances acceptable but mostly workmanlike, except mine. Little genuine humanity for audiences to connect with. Just not people we care about to any significant extent. Alternate timeline distancing, irrelevant to current socio-political situation. Needs updating badly.
Source material comic book deconstruction of comic book superheroes. Intriguing in its day, far from top-rank literature despite accolades from Time Magazine. Film version would have worked better as deconstruction of film superheroes. Has nothing new or terribly interesting to say about human condition, most of which conforms to simplistic black/white dualistic thinking, not nearly as visionary or groundbreaking as maintained. All flash, next to no substance.
Will forever be known as the "blue weenie" movie.
Post DVD viewing edit: Still stand by above comments. Tolerable adaptation of now-outdated storyline. One can ony hope there will never be a sequel, as it would undoubtedly be tediously bad.
And will still forever be known as the "blue weenie" movie.