Tell me Doctor...what do you see?

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2009)

Like Rorschach's mask, "Watchmen" is a movie that is open for interpretation. Never have I witnessed such polarizing opinions for a film in my life, and though some are just plain off topic, most whether good or bad can be understood and respected.
I have been an advocate of this work for many years as the greatest piece of literature ever made, and to see it come to life in film was something I never thought was going to possible or feasible. I was proved wrong on both counts.
I viewed the movie from a fan-boy and a movie-goer perspective, and have to say I was blown away on both counts. As a fan-boy, Synder worked so hard to keep the crux of the story true to form, and maintained the "Big Joke" aura throughout the entire film. Though the ending was changed, he still managed to get the same meaning and point across, which whether you hated or liked the movie, you have to tip your hat too. The characters were all well cast, especially Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach who I thought were epic. No one I am convinced could have produced a better adaptation of the graphic novel.
As a movie-goer, this film challenged me to look beyond the traditional superhero genre and focus on a story where real people with real decisions and real problems try to live dual lives. It was a character study not just for those created in the movie, but for myself as well. You as an audience member are forced and challenged to make an active choice on how you feel about the end result, and how each character responds to it. This movie is about so much more than action, sex, violence, and visuals. It is an attempt to deconstruct and depict a different world, one that if it were true, may not be so different from our own.
I urge you to see this film. Not because I love it, or because I want it to do well. Because I think it is important that the mainstream aspects of our entertainment get an alternative view, and "Watchmen" does precisely that. This is a story that needs to be told, and I am convinced will continue to be for many years to come.