Superb... but only for certain sensibilities.

Rating: 10/10 (11 March 2009)

It is true that what you take with you into a cinema is more often than not what you take out. This is absolutely the case for Watchmen. Not since perhaps Bladerunner or even The Matrix has a film bisected audiences so cleanly. The spectrum of opinion on Zack Snyder's Watchmen seems incomprehensively wide and weighted at both ends, even among Science Fantasy lovers and casual viewers. I first read what they now call the graphic novel in 2004. Since that time I have revisited it possibly 3 or 4 times. It remains among the top 5 of my favourite works of literature ever and certainly the best comic. After obsessively reading dozens of reviews I thought I knew what to expect but I was not prepared for what I was about to see and hear. Watchmen is a superb piece of film, lovingly realized and faithfully translated to the screen by people who care deeply not only for the written and drawn material, but for the emotion that it has evoked over the last 24 years. I had read some reviews that suggested the dialogue, visuals and storytelling overall deviated considerably from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's work, but the truth is the film could not be a more faithful adaptation if the actors were dripping with ink from a printing press. Yes, costumes have been changed, but the overhaul was necessary, as with Batman in Nolan's films or Iron Man. Yes there were changes to dialogue and minor details omitted and added, but they served to streamline Alan Moore's multi layered narrative into the linear structure of film. Pacing and dialogue mirrored the comic to over 90 percent. As far as making you feel you were in the Watchmen universe, the film did not miss a beat. The look, feel and sound of the 80s was palpable to the point of smelling the era. The acting ranged from more than adequate performances to flashes of brilliance. Case in point, Jack Earle Haley who turns in a performance nobody could deny is at least as strong as Heath Ledger in that Batman movie people seem to be partial to. He inhabits Rorschach so completely, that you walk out just a little more cynical about life than you were when you sat down. I enjoyed Patrick Wilson's measured performance as Nite Owl, and Malin Ackerman who certainly looked the part as Laurie did a good job. The negative comments about her performance in reviews are not warranted. Visually there is no faulting the film. From the rain soaked angel statue at the Comedian's funeral to the pan out of his badge on the street, it's a feast served up straight from the pages by Gibbons. The score and soundtrack to the film are for me a gamble that paid off. It goes a long way to establishing that the story is a decade transcending piece, and often juxtaposes what we are seeing, a clever choice. I can never hear Unforgettable by Nat King Cole again and not think of The Comedian and that window. Now lets discuss that changed ending which has so polarised filmgoers. It works, not as a substitution but as a remedy. Ponder it afterwards and you may just conclude it's an improvement. So far I have been discussing this as a Watchmen fan but let's talk about the artistry of the film. Like the aforementioned Blade Runner the film has it's own unique signature, certainly the first two thirds of the film. It has a foreboding noir edge I have not seen in a while which will win over some not intimate with comics. However the uncompromising violence which does not occur as often as you might guess will turn some off, as will the unrestrained sexuality. I also believe the opening montage, which encompasses Watchmen's end issue extras and delves deep into backstory, will throw those unfamiliar from the start, although it's beautifully executed. It was a bold endeavor to put to film but ultimately, it is a triumph that will be misunderstood and hated for the wrong reasons by many, and for perfectly valid reasons by the more astute, yet one cannot deny it is a masterpiece of modern film craft technically and visually. Superb. The wait for the extended cut later in the year will be very gruelling indeed.