A superhero soap opera well deserving of its hype

Rating: 10/10 (23 March 2009)

Hype can be a powerful thing. It can propel a movie to greatness and expose it to a larger audience (See also: Fight Club), or it can cause viewers to expect far too much and then become inevitably disappointed with the movie's inability to live up to the word on the street. Such was the case with 2008's summer blockbuster/alleged masterpiece of modern cinema, The Dark Knight. While Watchmen may be compared to The Dark Knight due to both films dealing with costumed vigilantes fabricated by the DC Comics company, the comparisons end there. Watchmen is far more deserving of its hype. This film is in no way an average ordinary superhero movie. (And yes, I did just make a Smash Mouth reference, thanks.) Watchmen is set is a decaying alternate reality of 1985 New York City. In the film, Richard Nixon has been elected for a third term (this takes the setting from "dystopian" to "Post Apocalyptic") and because of this the US and the USSR are incredibly close to destroying each other with all out nuclear war. Meanwhile, the murder of a friend causes a dysfunctional group of retired superheroes, The Watchmen to slowly come out of retirement for an investigation. These two plot points mesh to form a highly interesting, gripping story with good pacing.
One of the best things about this film is the characterization. Each member of the Watchmen has an interesting and unique back story. None of the characters are without flaws either, which makes them all the more interesting to watch and learn about. Among the most interesting characters are Rorschach, a sociopathic man who narrates the film through his diary composed of misanthropic, cynical commentary on life in The Big Apple; Dr. Manhattan, a Blue-Man Group reject / nudist who takes out his frustration at rejection by accidentally gaining godlike powers in freak physics accident and as such has lost touch with humanity; and The Comedian a "hero" with highly questionable morals. A back story is told via flashback for each character that provides clues as to their motives.
The directing was also very well done. I personally do not find Zack Snyder to be a great director and find his style to be aptly described with the phrase "all fluff and little substance", but Watchmen proves this wrong. Indeed, this film has far more substance than the average movie. This is due to the multilayered story presented in the comic (excuse me, I mean "Graphic Novel") that provides source material. The film explores themes of morality being relative as well as the power of the media. Nothing in this movie happens like you'd expect it to in a traditional superhero film.
However, this isn't to say the film is without its flaws. Some of the story is hard to follow at certain points, particularly the main conflict that leads to the final showdown of the film. This seems highly rushed and almost tacked on. Nothing truly indicates the twist and there is little foreshadowing. Another thing, like any action movie in this post-Matrix world, Watchmen utilizes slow motion far more than is necessary. This could be a lot worse, however. I mean, come on, we're talking about the director of 300 here. Finally, the large length of the film may bore some of the more ADD afflicted members of the internet generation, but the length could please viewers who like films with a lot of aspects.
The film also contains graphic violence and large quantities of sex and nudity that probably shouldn't be viewed by younger audiences. Watchmen is very much a superhero soap opera designed for adults and mature teenagers. Do not imagine it to be as clean as the Spiderman movies. Take your kids to see The Incredibles or something, they probably won't know the difference. Regardless, this film is highly recommended. You should go watch the Watchmen.