Adequate attempt at an unfilmable project. Dumbed down a bit.

Rating: 5/10 (9 March 2009)

I've heard lots of people walked out, so it probably won't be in theaters long even with the blockbuster opening weekend. Friend at work thought it was the worst movie he'd ever seen, just couldn't follow it. But this is a visual film best served in a theater.
Overall, I *would* have given it an 8 (the scene on Mars went beautifully) - except the retarded new ending dragged it down to maybe a 5. Worth seeing. Adequate to the task. Great visuals.
Of course many people will like the new ending. It's been dumbed down for the masses. As soon as I heard the ending was changed last year, I predicted it - so it elicited a big yawn from me at the theater (and I don't blame Alan Moore AT ALL for divorcing himself from this project - the re-write is an insult). I can't explain how self-defeating it is without giving too much away for those that haven't seen the movie (but have read the book).
I thought there was plenty of action (and sex), but another problem is that everyone seems to be a jacked up super-hero who can punch through or get slammed through concrete walls, etc - when the only one with actual super-powers is supposed to be Manhattan. Another basic level corruption of the source material.
They changed Rorschach *slightly* by lessening his hrrrrm vocal tick and streamlining him into kind of a Batman-ish bada@@. He still says it a few times under his breath, as if to substitute it for hmmm. Like "hmmm. that's interesting" or as a non-verbal response to something seen - not a recurring pattern in his speech that adds to the "unpleasantness" of being around Rorschach. But other than that, Jackie Earle Haley did a fantastic job! There are several scenes that seem to have animated themselves straight from the comic page as that is Snyder's strength as a director, not his writing. If the new ending is any indication of his ability as a storyteller, his skills are pedestrian at best.
Overall I did enjoy the film and I am one of those people that was there in September '86 reading Watchmen #1 off the rack. But I can't let that pathetic ending slide, and it brings the quality of the entire film down.