Powerful and complex, definitely not your typical super-hero movie

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2009)

I'm wondering whether I should restrain my enthusiasm for fear of raising expectations too much for potential viewers. Keep in mind that Watchmen got mixed reviews and that it's not for everyone. I'm a huge fan of the original graphic novel, I had my doubts but this movie really impressed me. The director probably did the best adaptation that could have been done and I still wonder how he got away with it, how it did not get more "hollywoodized" in a negative sense. Throughout the projection, I was in awe at the world that was created and any negative aspect I could find here (because no it isn't perfect) would be nitpicking (one of them being the choice of music during the owl ship scene in a soundtrack which I otherwise found quite good). Watchmen is great in so many ways: rich in plot, visually stunning, smart, original, philosophical food for thought, shocking unpredictable twists (for those who didn't read the book), exciting action scenes, very good performances and memorable anti-hero characters (especially Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan) to name a few highlights.
It's far from your typical super-hero movie; it's a bold, dark, complex and magnificent of work that will certainly become a cult film if not the masterpiece of the director Zak Snyder whether or not it's a financial success. The opening montage showing the history of this alternate world where costumed heroes appeared is not only useful but bloody brilliant and deserves special recognition if not an award of some sort. The storyline itself is fascinating and very well told through layers of flashbacks and a personal journal (heard as the narrator) while also being a murder mystery. More interesting though are the characters themselves, portraits of what multi-faceted costumed "heroes" might be like in the "real" world. You might not like them but you'll likely find them interesting. Some might find the film meandering, confusing and too long but to me it's because there's so much good material and there's no way you can catch everything with just one viewing (another incentive to get the DVD). From a cinematography point of view, it's a wonder with amazing camera work, brutal yet graceful action choreography and atmospheric set designs. It's peppered with beautiful visual signatures (the first being the iconic smiley face in the puddle) that often are hommages to comic book panels.
I only hope that this film and Dark Knight (which I also loved) doesn't usher in a tidal wave of super-hero movies that are dark, gritty, violent without the depth, heart and ambiguity that makes them work, especially for characters that should not be as dark (like Superman!). This negative influence happened to the comics after Watchmen and the Dark Knight returns were published in the mid-eighties... (by the way Dark Knight Returns is about Batman but has nothing to do with the movie Dark Knight except perhaps they're both for mature audiences) There are a few warnings to go with my praise though. If you're allergic to graphical violence (there's a few quick gory scenes), expect something similar to Spider-Man or Batman, want something family-friendly, want typical "super-heroes" (notice the quotation marks) or can't get beyond seeing a blue penis (which by the way is faithful to the graphic novel), then you won't like Watchmen. If you want to see an original intelligent dramatic superhero action film and excellent adaptation of a seminal work in the comic book medium (originally published in 1986-87) that was extremely influential and changed the perception of what super-hero stories could achieve, then you might like it. You don't need to read the book to appreciate the movie but you'll appreciate and understand it more if you do read it either before or after (I would suggest after so the movie is more visceral and surprising to you). The movie is self-contained and will not have sequels. It's definitely worth getting but choose your edition carefully so you don't end up buying it twice and encouraging the publisher's money grabbing. There's a 5 disc Ultimate edition coming up before Christmas 2009 Rating: A very strong 9/10