Excellent Adaptation of Moore's Novel

Rating: 9/10 (29 July 2009)

I really don't understand where all the hatred for this movie is originating from. I've read a lot of negativity about Zack Snyder's adaptation of Alan Moore's amazing graphic novel but I completely disagree. Based on his 12-issue series, the film is set in an alternate 1985 where President Nixon is in his third term in office, America won the Vietnam War in less than a week, and the world hangs on the brink of nuclear war between the US and Russia. In a world where masked vigilantism has been outlawed, a former "hero" is murdered and what starts as an investigation into his death leads into a greater world-threatening conspiracy. It's an epic movie rich with interesting characters and a complex story; in other words, not your typical "superhero" movie.
I had first read Moore's novel back in 2007 so I was exposed to his work a bit before the movie came out. I absolutely loved the book and I was not disappointed by the movie at all. A lot of the book-fans have claimed the movie isn't a faithful adaptation but I feel Snyder did a fantastic job of capturing Moore's story and characters and Dave Gibbon's visuals. Seeing as how it's only a 3 hour movie, there were some cuts to the story for time constraints but all of the important aspects were left intact.
The cast did a fantastic job of capturing the characters from the novel, especially Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian and Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Doctor Manhattan looked amazing with the blend of CGI and motion capture. You could tell Snyder used the novel itself as the storyboards, as some scenes seemed ripped right from the pages. What audiences do need to realize is the movie is rated R for a reason; this isn't the normal superhero movie aimed at families and teens. The film has enough mature content, violence, and sexuality that some people may feel the need to avoid the film; I recommend against it because you really would be missing out on one of the best films of 2009. The runtime is a bit much but the movie is fantastic and it's sure to provoke discussion afterwards.