Watch something else

Rating: 4/10 (6 March 2009)

Many fans are going to this mess of a film and probably enjoying it. Me and my wife went and after about 90 minutes began to play "Mystery Science Theatre 3000". My other reviews mention the costume dramas she drags me to. This movie was a payback.
Please understand that I have not read the graphic novel yet.
My comments will be brief on behalf of a movie that may have been true to the graphic novel, but seemed to have lost a sense of a strong narrative somewhere around 90 minutes. That first 90 minutes featured some strong direction with plenty of movie references from Wellesian shots, to several Kubrick influences (Clockwork Orange and Dr. Strangelove).
I will put a turning point during the flashback when Dr. Manhattan reveals his past. This section was perhaps my major motivation for seeing the movie. It uses Philip Glass' Koyanisquatsi as its scoring. It is a good series of scenes. But how it contributes to the narrative is unclear to me. it goes on and on. And at some point a choir was added over Glass' music. Did Glass know his music was being altered?
The film has issues with stupid sex scenes, stupid music during stupid sex scenes, violence that seems put in the movie for the sake of violence, and some characters that become as enjoyable to watch as Malcolm MacDonald's Caligula.
My major criticism is that more skill wasn't used to craft a narrative, similar to how Jackson adapted the Lord of the Rings. At 2:40 in length, I hope for either a payoff in the story similar to The Dark Knight, or at least a great cast that keeps the movie enjoyable, like POTC: At World's End. Neither is to be had.
But my major "what were are you thinking?" comes from the soundtrack choices. Dylan's The Times They Are A'Changin. Simon and Garfunkel's Sounds Of Silence, Hendrix's Watchtower (maybe that one should slide). Boy, it's nice to see the film uses music from the 80's. And such original choices. Uhhhg.
That goes as well for the high brow stuff, like Glass' Koyanisquatsi from, uh, Koyanisquatsi. Or Wagner's Ride of Valkeries for the Watchmen's fighting in Vietnam (too close a reference to Apocalypse Now's use of it). But the worst was at the end, when Mozart's Requiem pops in for 30 seconds. Oh, come on. If Snyder wanted to really pay homage to Kubrick, maybe he should have studied Clockwork Orange, 2001, and The Shining better for their use of preexisting classical music.
In the end, if the viewer ignores the poorly directed violence, poor music, corny music, and tangential story lines, there is a compelling story of heroes who more closely resemble villains, and the conflict of good and evil within a person.
If you don't want to ignore these choices, just watch "The Dark Knight" again.