Mediocre cast but still a good film

Rating: 7/10 (13 September 2011)

Being a big fan of Watchmen (the graphic novel) that is i was excited about this film finally being made. Then i looked at the cast list and was like "Who?". I'd heard good things about Jackie Earle Haley and had seen Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Who i personally think looks like a cheap Javier Bardem) in one episode of Greys Anatomy.
Unfortunately when watching the film i wasn't quite as thrilled as i was when reading the book and i think again the cast was a big part of this. While most comic book movies rely on their special effects and eccentric characters, Watchmen had attracted me because of its focus on morality and the deep characters (much more to them than your average comic book hero). Matthew Goode provided just the right amount of arrogance and slight homosexuality throughout but the real scenes where his character has an opportunity for complex emotion he seems rigid and uncompromising (may have been on purpose but i doubt it). Patrick Wilson was neither good or bad just perfectly mediocre and to be fair to Wilson the character doesn't provide much opportunity to flex his acting muscle. Malin Akerman is again mediocre and comes of as rather immature. Billy Crudup is good as the pre-transformation Dr.Manhattan but the coldness and robotic nature of the character don't allow him to act much. Lastly Jackie Earle Haley was amazing as Rorschach. When i first saw pictures of Haley i was worried he wouldn't sport the fiery red hair of Rorschach but he does and in every seen he is perfectly chaotic, psychotic and soulless. The performance itself will see Jackie Earle Haley play many mentally damaged and unstable characters in the future (e.g. Shutter Island) and was truly perfect especially in the scene where we first see him unmasked (trying to avoid spoilers) and he screams "Give me back my face!".
I would also like to add that while i love many of the songs used in this film that the music was poorly placed into scenes and often doesn't add to it e.g the "99 Red Balloons" scene. The opening montage with "The Times they are a changin'" by Bob Dylan is however exquisite and a great prologue to the film.
The special effects were good and were a big part in the massive budget for the film but i think Zach Snyder should have gone down a different route and focused on the acting and casting. I will say however that - like he does in 300 - Snyder immerses you in the Watchmen alternate 1985 world perfectly. The special effects, Snyders Immersion and Haley's performance make the film good but what could of been a great ensemble piece (Jude Law and John Cusack wanted to be in the film) is let down by a lack of stellar performances.