The "Citizen Kane" of Super Hero movies

Rating: 6/10 (26 March 2009)

I don't read graphic novels or the like, so my only history with seeing comic book characters are those on the big screen. Superman, Spiderman, Batman, X Men, and so on. Of all the these that I have seen, Watchmen is the "Citizen Kane" of super hero movies. Honestly, this movie broke barriers the same way Orson Welles did. Seeing super heroes naked, committing crimes, doing the dirty work for the government, rape, and showing very graphic scenes of gore. On the flipside, this very dense movie lacks the momentum expected in these kind of crackerjack movies. But once again, this is not that kind of movie, and deserves to be in a different category than big budget tent pole films. It deserves accolades for being probably the most expensive niche film ever made. Not everybody will get excited over the story of a retired, very mediocre looking guy reacquainting himself with crime fighting. There are long epic passages of storytelling, which I'm sure are gratifying to the fans of the original story. This film is supposed to cause you to think about the complexities about having super abilities and the difficulty of staying true to your morals. If one is prepared to watch this kind of film, especially after more than one viewing, one can truly appreciate what has been achieved here. The downside is, being the first of it's kind, there are probably now going to be other filmmakers who will draw inspiration from this genre busting movie and refine it in films yet to be. Meaning that the new formula will be tinkered with, and no doubt ending up being more popular than this one. The same thing happened with "Citizen Kane". Welle's film did not get a warm response upon it's initial release. It was only years later when it got the attention it deserved.
This film, the next film by the director of "300", shows a competent hand with a distinct vision. I feel we the audience are not as advanced as he is in presenting us with a new look and feel. There is a state of mind in the film industry that films like "Watchmen" are not what people want to see. It will take a movie producer with foresight to see that it is ultimately an appropriate new avenue to explore if one wants to present audiences with something new in the now overcrowded comic book movie genre. "Watchmen" certainly fulfills the eye candy quotient, but it's different pace and sentimentality probably will test the patience of younger audiences. So yes, you might as well make the film for adult audiences and make it R-rated. The amount of positive elements that push the envelope will cause subsequent films to have no choice but acknowledge these new aspects to the super hero genre, and we are all the better for it.
"Watchmen" follows a group of people who are troubled human beings first, and super heroes second. The comedian character represents all that is ugly about America, from JFK to Viet Nam. The scientist character similarly represents the abuse of America's military might. No one is truly innocent, and "Watchmen" first threads then unravels these problematic positions they take when dealing with the real world. I am giving this film a 7 out of 10, but I might find it worth a better rating over time. Right now, the only reason I don't give it a better rating is my own aversion to the dated period details: Nixon, Eighties music, excessive night-time Noir production design, and mostly the lack of momentum that made "300" so exciting to watch.