Wow

Rating: 9/10 (15 April 2009)

Snyder did a fine job with his adaptation of Watchmen. He captured the essence of the graphic novel within the restraints of a 2 hours or so movie. Watchmen was in 1985 a new take on the superhero genre which by then had really degenarated after Stan lee's successful revival of the genre in the 60s. One could argue that Spiderm,an was the first coming of age of the superhero and Watchmen the second one. Watchmen is a a brilliant take on the nature of men and on the nature of evil. We have the almost existentialist Rorschach who is so much lost in his almost absurd struggle against evil that he has lost all personality behind his mask; the completely evil Comedian who finds his place in society because it needs evil people; Dr Manhattan who becomes so detached from the human race that he views them in complete ataraxia; Night Owl and Silk Spectre who represent the Everyman who tries to find the right way and proto-fascist Ozymandias. Essentially the film revolves around his plot to save the world (set in a parallel universe in which the US won the war in Vietnam and Nixon is still President but superheros are outlawed) from nuclear war by wreaking death and destruction on New York. And here lies the moral question: if men is evil or at least incapable of living peacefully, does anyone have the right to force us into living peacefully? Does the end justify the means? The amoral dr manhattan seems to think so, uncompromising Rorschach doesn't and Silk Spectre and Might Owl are caught in the middle. Everyone is flawed excepr dr Manhattan and that's the point: he is not human anymore. All in all the story is incredibly complex but well told up to the final irony when it turns out it was all in vain and a complete moron is responsible for it. I don't know why Moore had problems with the film as Snyder did a really good job. He captured all that was essential to the story. The use of music was very good in the film and a nice substitute for Moore's quotes in the graphic novel. My only misgivings are the drawn out action sequences which at times make the film something in between and art house movie and an action film. The acting is terrific. Each actor really captures the character brilliantly and the fact that they play the characterts throughout their loives is an impressive proof of their acting abilities.