A modern classic.

Rating: 10/10 (21 July 2009)

In an alternate timeline, Nixon is still president and the world is sinking under the pressure of a cold war against Russia. A faded gang of superheroes lay dormant until one of their own is murdered, prompting an investigation that leads to a startling discovery about the future of the world and what the cost of peace and the salvation of mankind may be.
As director Zack Snyder's first film with actual characters in it, "Watchmen" takes its time in building a back-story for its broad range of colorful characters and misfits, and is all the better for it. The narrative bounces back and forth between the past and the present (which, as it turns out, is a fictional 1985) and yet, through the 162 minutes the film takes to reach its point, it never lets up for one minute or becomes a chore to watch. Truly, this is one film where you won't want to miss a minute, with each scene carrying as much weight and relevancy as the next. While the material at hand is very dark and mature, and even though it won't appeal to a younger or more mainstream audience, it is certainly a film that functions on multiple levels.
The film is chockfull of excellent performances from its cast, but it is Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach who stands out from the pack. This brilliant casting choice creates an iconic character that, many years down the line, the film will be remembered primarily for. As for direction, Snyder flexes his cinematic muscle with enough caffeinated action and jarring visual effects to match wits with the dense plot at hand, in turn, making this his finest film to date. Sure, there is a plethora of directors who could have tried their hand at this material, some perhaps more qualified, but Snyder's film is both classy and stylish and, in a nutshell, as close to perfection as it gets. It's an assault on the senses as well as the psyche, and perhaps one of the darkest superhero tales of our time, translated flawlessly to film.
"Watchmen" might not be enough to pacify one of its creators, but the purists and movie-lovers alike will find it a rare treat in film-making where a film based on a graphic novel or comic book can capture its source material so beautifully while simultaneously stimulating and satisfying those who are not already initiated. "Watchmen" is one of those films that, as we look back on this decade in the future, will be talked about and remembered fondly as a definitive film for its era. This is not just one of the finest films of the year, but also one of the best of its kind.