A long movie and a worthy ride

Rating: 10/10 (8 March 2009)

This new adaptation of Watchmen exceeded my expectations. I loved it after the first 30 minutes.
For those who haven't read the novel or even heard of Watchmen, the movie is set in a alternative 1985 time-line, where thanks to a successful Vietnam War, Richard Nixon is re-elected for a third presidential term. The "Doomsday Clock" is set five minutes to midnight as tensions rise between the Soviet Union and the USA. In the middle of this all, a superhero vigilante, Rorschach, discovers a plot to kill and discredit all superheroes, past and present.
Thanks to the Keene Act, super-heroism is now illegal. Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II have given it up to lead normal lives. Ozymandias has revealed his identity, and is now brandished "The smartest person in the world". The Comedian, an aging superhero past his prime, has been hired by the government, and his murder sets the film in motion. Finally, Doctor Manhattan, the only Watchman with real superpowers after a nuclear accident in 1959.
This film develops a sense of morality to the common man, as it shows that some people, especially Rorschach, is willing to do the wrong thing occasionally to do good. Jackie Earle Haley's performance as Rorschach left me gasping as his magnificent portrayal of the superhero. Rorschach is portrayed as a man who has grown distant from society and believes the corrupt ways of life people live on will eventually destroy them. He continues superhero work, despite it now being illegal, and even goes beyond the boundaries to discover the truth.
Billy Crudup's performance as Doctor Manhattan also left me nodding in appreciation. Doctor Manhattan is portrayed as somewhat of a nihilist, whose seemingly god-like powers is the catalyst for the start of tensions between the USSR and the USA. He is also dating Silk Spectre II, but as he grows detached from humanity, this frequently causes him to neglect her and she promptly leaves him. Doctor Manhattan also believes humanity deserves to be consumed and destroy by the evil, greed and corruption that has put them in their current predicament. When he learns of Ozymandias' treachery, he finally realizes that humanity is worth saving, but decides to keep Ozymandias' horrific actions a secret in order to remain global peace. He even goes as far as killing Rorschach to keep peace. In the end, it seems he is willing to accept the fact he is now the enemy of the world and exiles himself to create new life, not destroy it.
All in all, the movie deserves 9/10 for its brilliant plot, actors and of course just the movie itself!