Watchmen? Watch people.

Rating: 8/10 (9 July 2009)

First thing I want to say is that I usually cut movies made from comic books a lot of slack. That's usually because the source material is pretty thin and filled with archetypes and lazy writing. I'd also like to point out that the last comic book I'd seriously read was when I was eleven so the genre may have changed (although recent peeks into ones I've found in barber shops haven't really supported this). So I have never read Watchmen and likely won't in the future.
When I started watching the film, though, I was impressed. The characters were fleshed out, the alternate past was thoughtfully developed and the story kept me guessing exactly who the villain was. Not being a fan of the comic book also left me the joy of learning who the heroes were, as well. I found their motivations to be intriguing and their super-powers, thankfully, understated.
The film has, at it's core, a murder mystery which launches the characters into action towards a climax that is both unexpected and satisfying. You find yourself caring about the characters because they are flawed and, in many cases, middle-aged and struck with adult problems. This isn't a story about a teen hero learning the complexities of adult life - like the Spiderman series, nor is it a story filled with artificial darkness and unrealistic angst like the current Batman revival (yes, Bruce, your parents were murdered. get some counseling already, you can afford it), instead it's a story where adults are dealing with the decisions and actions of their lives.
Watchmen is surprisingly complex and well thought out. I can only hope it attracts a mature audience because only they would truly appreciate the subtleties in the story. That being said, on to the special effects.
In one word, beautiful. They're not overstated because they don't need to be. You're delivered rich colour palettes and a chance to actually enjoy them. Unlike the Transformer series, which prefers to sacrifice a good view of the action for meaningless close-ups of dust and machine parts, Watchmen lets you savour the scene. You get to see everything in stunning detail.
The most visually striking characters are the tormented Rorschach and the god-like Dr. Manhattan. In many ways, the characters are foils of each other. Rorschach, always masked, dark and simmering and Manhattan glowing cold blue and often naked. They provide two contrasting points of view. One wrapped in grit seeing only the worst around him while the other seemingly exposing everything about himself in a selfless drive to better the planet. But, like nearly everything in this film, this is an illusion. Manhattan and Rorschach prove to be the most complex characters in the film.
I won't say anything more about Watchmen other than I hope no one ever tries to make a sequel, it's too much of a joy to experience on it's own. There really is only one champagne - a sequel would just be another sparkling white wine. Instead, I'll just say if you're going to watch one superhero comic book adaptation this year then make it Watchmen.