Why did I watch the Watchmen?

Rating: 2/10 (24 March 2009)

First let me say I have read the graphic novel of this story, and fairly recently (in relation to seeing the movie) and I will relate my comments to this a bit too. I had heard that there were various bad reviews of the movie before seeing it, but I avoid actually reading such comments until after watching for myself...
This movie was visually very impressive, and it was apparent that quite a lot of effort had gone in to keeping close to the mood and the storyline of the comics. There was some success in keeping to the mood, but without explaining anything in any depth and barely grazing at the back-stories provided in the comics due to time constraints, the overall effect was to show a very long sequence of vaguely connected events in a tremendously violent manner which left an incredibly unsatisfactory feeling in the entire cinema.
Again, the effects were beautifully done, and for fans of the comics this surely is important, especially where Dr Manhatton is involved. Unfotunately, more effort seemed to be put into showing our fluorescent nudist than making the characters appear to think with any depth. I accept that even at 160 minutes, there wasn't exactly enough time to do every character justice, but it seemed that in the end, no character was quite filled out.
Rorschach was by far the movie's saving grace, though even he was ruined by a poor back-story and what felt like total character-failure in his final scene. For example, the scene where he is explaining to the psychiatrist the night Rorschach took over ended very abruptly, and with psychotic flailings taking the place of furious, flaming indifference... The result was this character, who should have been incredible, was reduced to being merely great.
Also, the attempts at showing any of the flashback scenes was also pretty confusing, as there was no indication that they even -were- flashbacks (it seemed that only someone who had read the comics would be aware of these plot-points as they happened). Jumping between 1985 and the '50s like that might work in the comics, but it was just... annoying... in a movie.
Of course, as bad as this movie was, I -do- want to see it again at some point. After all, this is the Watchmen we're talking about! I didn't enjoy it the first time, but I am willing to give it another go... Just not at cinema prices next time :P