The second fine film of '09

Rating: 8/10 (7 March 2009)

While I was pretty excited going into Watchmen, one of my biggest fears was that the film would only cater to fans of the graphic novel. However, as one of the uninitiated, I can safely say that Zack Snyder's latest does not disappoint. First of all, I found the action/combat sequences in Watchmen to be some of the best that I've seen in any comic book movie. Many have complained about the film's use of slow-motion, but it really never bothered me here. As I've said before, it's definitely preferable to the fast, close-up quick cuts used in many action sequences nowadays (most notably those found in Batman Begins). Now, it did get on my nerves a bit when it was used in 300, but somehow, it manages to work perfectly in Watchmen. Beautiful in both choreography and shooting, the film gives the audience clear shots of every bit of the action.
As far as the acting is concerned, Watchmen delivers for the most part. However, one of the cast members that's been receiving a lot of negativity already has been Malin Akerman as Silk Specter II. While I didn't think that she did a great job, she certainly wasn't horrible; her performance was what I'd call decent.
Now, Jackie Earle Haley, on the other hand, does an absolutely incredible job as Rorschach, creating what I think is one of the coolest comic book film characters ever. His desire to enforce justice grounds his loose grip on sanity, and has his past is explored throughout the film, we begin to understand how and why he snapped. Two other performances that I really enjoyed were those of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian, and Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan, whose character is no less complex than Rorschach's. His observations of the crumbling world help set the context of the film's beautifully executed story. Patrick Wilson also does a fine job as Nite Owl II, although Matthew Goode felt a bit miscast as Ozymandias.
When you get down to it, Watchmen is about the mystery behind who is killing off the heroes. The movie got me caught up in this whole pursuit, and it was one of those few times when, throughout almost the entire duration of the film, I was literally on the edge of my seat.
Overall, Watchmen is a thoroughly entertaining film with complex characters, a compelling story, and some of the best action sequences that I've seen from any comic book movie. There are a couple of issues that I have in terms of casting, but nothing too major. Go out and see it.