Watch these Men

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2010)

Movies based on books usually suck. But Zack Snyder has pulled off what many people have considered impossible in bringing Watchmen to the big screen. Changes almost always have to be made in order to fit the story to the medium. Most of time, the changes ruin the source material. But Watchmen maybe an exception to the precedent set by earlier movies based on comic books. The changes made for the movie make it easier for non-comic fans to appreciate.
The story of Watchmen is about a group of costumed vigilantes who are trying to save the world from nuclear annihilation. None of them have super powers except for Dr. Manhattan who is played by Billy Crudup. There are a slew of people in this movie and all of them are tremendous. There is The Comedian played by Jeff Morgan who is killed in the first scene and his murder is what begins the mystery that needs to be solved. Rorschach played by Jackie Earle Haley starts off the investigation into who killed The Comedian. He concludes that someone is killing off "masks" and he goes to tell his former teammates of his findings. They include Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre played by Malin Akerman, and Night Owl played by Patrick Wilson. I don't to spoil the movie, but it plays out much like a classic detective noir.
Even though this is a superhero movie, it's not all about mindless action. It examines several thought provoking subjects. Such as human nature, good and evil, and what motivates people to act the way they do. Because it focuses on these universal subjects, it can be enjoyed by lots of different people. Much the way The Dark Knight was.
Zack Snyder used the graphic novel as the storyboard for his movie. Many of the scenes are taken directly from the book. Everything from the colors, lighting, camera angles, and even dialogue is faithful to the source material. This is a good thing because the creators of the comic took a great deal of time in creating a cohesive world.
One aspect from the book that wasn't included in the theatrical release was the story within story called The Black Freighter. The Black Freighter is a comic book that a kid reads throughout the story. It is about a victim of pirates and his descent into madness while seeking revenge. The story parallels the main story. The director did film these sequences though and they were edited back into the movie for an ultimate cut that was released on Blu-ray. Their inclusion creates a mini movie within a movie, and for fans of the comic it is much appreciated.
Watchmen may perhaps be one of the best comic to movie adaptations ever. It is very faithful to the book concerning its look and feeling. Though some things were changed. They were all done for the betterment of the film. The changes help the movie appeal to a more mainstream audience, and if people enjoy the movie enough to read the comic book, then it can only help to show them that comics are not just for kids. I can't recommend this movie enough for anyone who might be interested to see it.