Who Watches the Watchmen? .... We do!

Rating: 10/10 (8 March 2009)

I'll go ahead and admit it: I have never read the original 'Watchmen' graphic novel (always wanted to, never really got the chance), and when my husband and I saw the first couple teaser trailers, we agreed on one thing: "OK, so this is a superhero movie... but what the heck is it about?!?" Still, we knew just how big the graphic novel was, so after reading up a little on the backstory, we went to see it on the opening weekend.
When I went in, I wasn't sure what to expect: the reviews had been pretty split, and a few of my friends had even gone on to say that this was the worst 3 hours of their lives. Still, I was determined to see it, and for once, I was glad I didn't listen to my friends... 'Watchmen' is a dazzling tour-de-force that grabs the viewer's attention and refuses to let go.
There is little that I can find to hate about 'Watchmen': the casting was great (the actors truly blend into their characters, none more-so than Jackie Earle Haley, who completely disappears into the role of Rorschach), the visual effects are great, and no matter how many subplots are going on (and trust me, there are a few), you still can't look away.
The most important aspect, however, is that this is NOT a movie for fanboys. Zach Snyder was determined to stay as close to his source material as possible, so much that many people were worried that they only ones who would like this movie would be those die-hard fans who actually dress up as Nite Owl & Dr. Manhattan for the midnight showings (you know who you are). However, the movie is great, and does not just play out to those who already read the novel. As I stated before, I have yet to read it, and I was able to follow what was going on clearly.
Alan Moore, the genius who gave us the original graphic novel, has apparently sworn to never watch this movie; that's his prerogative. He evidently doesn't trust Hollywood to do justice to his work, and I'm sorry he has such little faith, because Snyder does not disappoint. I highly recommend 'Watchmen' to anyone, young and old alike, this is one of those rare movies that you can easily see over and over again.