"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Rating: 7/10 (6 March 2009)

It is...a most interesting version of 1985. Nixon has been president for FAR too long, the Soviet Union struggles with the West over control of Afghanistan, and crime and social upheaval are at an all time high.
And, oh yeah, superheroes exist.
However, superheroes have problems, just like anyone else. The most notable of super teams, the Minute Men, had long passed their glory days and handed the torch to the next generation, whose problems were so severe that they wound up disbanded.
But now, the murder of a veteran member causes these new Watchmen to unite again, with the purpose of solving said murder, and perhaps, saving the world once again.
As different as the source material upon which this movie was based proved to be, I never really liked it. I knew very little of the mysterious writer Alan Moore at the time that I read it (somewhere between high school and college), but he would go on to write works that I enjoyed much more. I gained an appreciation for the dark themes and the social mirrors he explores. But after two readings, I found this particular story somewhat abrupt and naive.
Now, a movie comes along. Surprise, surprise, it proves effective.
Don't go expecting the typical comic book nonsense (aside from Christopher Nolan's take on Batman, and a scant few other examples, that is) to which we've been exposed up to this point. In fact, it's most effective if you attend with no expectations at all. This prompts me to wave a BIG flag before parents--it's rated R for a reason. In fact, there are many reasons.
Some solid performances abound in a cast of actual character actors rather than stars. In particular, talking head followers should enjoy the fine actors portraying The MacLaughlin Group and Ted Koppel. The musical choices pull you in to the narrative, reflecting the troubled era well. (Who would have thought that a Bob Dylan tune would be such a powerful intro?) The film is faithful to the source material to no grammatical fault.
This is one problem critics have had with the film already. One such critic, whose review I thought was rather good otherwise, put forth that the photo-play is so faithful to the novel, that it lacks any spirit of its own. I don't necessarily argue with that, but I do differ with the idea that the story is irrelevant due to the passage of time. (Since there's no Soviet Union, etc.) It's the reason for my title. Some will recognize the classic Chicago Transit Authority tune: "Does anybody really care? And so I can't imagine why, we've all got time enough to die..." (Kinda surprised they didn't add that one.) If anything, the social and cultural connotations of a story like this are MORE relevant today than ever.
In a world facing problems like economic downturn, increasing social upheaval, and families being ruined by a whole lot more than just war, perhaps it is the right time to revisit The Watchmen.