A long ride into the intelligent world of the Watchmen

Rating: Null/10 (25 March 2009)

Zack Snyder is an exciting filmmaker to watch. Bursting onto the scene in 2004 with an updated version of the classic Dawn of the Dead, Snyder then went on to create one of the most astonishing comic book films ever created, and one of the best films of the past ten years, 300. With a financial backing and a realized artistic potential, we get Snyder's first all out effort on another beloved classic story, (in the comic book world), Alan Moore's Watchmen. Moore is also noted for creating the graphic novels V for Vendetta, the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell.
Watchmen revolves around a group of masked vigilantes in an alternate 1985, (they are not superheroes, only one has actual powers from a research accident), and their investigation into the murder of one of their group of "Watchmen" All the while a symbolic doomsday clock moves to five minutes to midnight as the threat of nuclear war between USA and the USSR approaches. The murder of The Comedian, (Jackie Earle Haley), in a beautifully constructed scene of brutality, is the main plot point, and a colorful, well-developed cast investigate the murder and whatever else follows.
What follows besides the revealing of the murderer of the Comedian late in the film is very compelling. Watchmen asks, "does the end justify the means?" in a beautiful way. All 163 minutes of the film are well used to hammer home the finality of the last act of the film, and the homicide is ultimately not what the film is about. The characters are also well explored. We see the dark motivations of the sadistic and wholly unfunny Comedian, the grotesque past of Rorschach among others and the horrible throes of participating in vigilante justice.
As always, Snyder has a keen eye for the beauty in horror. Like 300, Snyder uses his unique aesthetic vision here, (the slow motion), only when necessary, like when we see the murder of the Comedian. The most astonishing scene in Watchmen may be the opening credits, which are 5 minutes long. Not only do they introduce the characters, but their history, motivation and personality. We see that the hero "Dr. Manhattan," (Billy Crudup), is a hero who is great enough to shake hands with JFK, and the Comedian is a hero who is soulless enough to later assassinate him and get away with it. All in all, Snyder finds a near perfect balance between style and substance in this cinematic adventure.
Overall the only thing wrong with Watchmen is its complex narrative and its unconventional structure, which make the running time extended, although this will only bother some. It is a very intelligent film and demands your attention to every detail. This is no Dark Knight, although if the latest entry in the Batman series were the "Godfather" of comic book films, Watchmen would be the "Goodfellas" except with Stanley Kubrick directing instead of Scorsese.
In closing, Watchmen is a phenomenal film, and the acting of Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach deserves an Oscar come next February. It isn't for everyone  it deserves an R rating; there is gratuitous gore, swearing, nudity, and other nonprintable acts, but they only exist to drive the story forward. The film is also too long for many at just under 3 hours, but all of the time is well spent. Lastly, don't expect to get Spiderman 4 or another Batman film. Watchmen is very unique, very intelligent and the ensemble cast of characters requires your attention. Watchmen is a film that enlightens first, (or more so just makes you think and question), and entertains later.