A deeper, more mature comic book film

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2009)

Having read the novel not long before seeing the film for the first time, I approached Watchmen with very high expectations and it certainly didn’t disappoint. While some may get hung up on plot changes or complexity, I think it’s worth remembering what the film needs to do. Plot changes come because some things in the original material just wouldn’t work as a film, and so Director, Zack Snyder, altered it to fit its new medium. Complexity is down to the original writer, Alan Moore, who is renowned for his very complex and unconventional story lines.
Watchmen is set in an alternate history, which disbands from our own around 1940, when in the Watchmen universe, the world saw its first masked heroes. Instead of approaching superheroes in the way we expect where there’s a wide margin between good and evil, where the heroes are praised and the villains get their comeuppance, Watchmen treats its heroes in a way which is more like the real world would.
This film shouldn’t be approached by those who are looking for yet-another-comic-book-film, but by those who are looking for a deeper and more unexpected plot like that of the Matrix or Fight Club – you’re not greeted by scene after scene of action as you would expect, but more by a series of questions given to you as the plot twists almost constantly.
For the most part, brilliant cinematography is accompanied by a spectacular choice of songs; an absolute highlight is a montage towards the beginning of the film which outlines a brief history of what has lead to the present to the tune of “The Times They Are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan. This is, quite frankly, one of the most mind blowing pieces of cinema which I’ve seen to date, it sent a shiver down my spine.
As wonderful as this film is, a huge amount of credit has to go to the original writer, Alan Moore, whose storytelling ability is critically acclaimed, and has been for many years. That said, no superhero film has ever been done in quite such a mature, groundbreaking and fascinating way as Watchmen. While writing this review I’ve had it playing on the TV to my right and it’s taken quite a lot to draw myself from it.