Worthy Effort But Doesn't Quite Work

Rating: 6/10 (20 March 2009)

I was really looking forward to this movie having read the graphic novel. To be honest, I've always felt that the book had its own flaws. There's a LOT of filler in the book that really slowed the story down. Unfortunately, Zack Snyder's insistence on staying true to the book meant these flaws were translated onto the screen. The movie could have used some good editing. Various ideas and scenes could have been condensed. Unfortunately, the final product was a rather slow paced movie with a rather muddled storyline and ideas. Snyder also dropped much of the dark humor elements in the book. On the good side: The acting was well-done. The art direction stunning. The changed ending I felt worked better. Bottom line: a Graphic Novel is NOT a film. The director shouldn't have looked at the book like it was the Holy Bible.