DISCLAIMER: I have NOT read the graphic novel, so please excuse my [almost guaranteed] stupid comments.
Watchmen. Written by Alan Moore in 1985; heralded as one the best graphic novels of our time. A story so deep, so complex, so in-depth and so crazy, some said it couldn’t be filmed. Were they right? Is Watchmen TRULY ‘un-filmable’?
Walking into the movie, I had only a brief understanding of the movie. Character names, setting, mild plot, etc. So, everything was rather fresh to me. Let me tell you, it was nothing short of fantastic. I’m sure you all know the plot, so I won’t bother going into that. Instead, I’ll go into what I liked and didn’t like.
Likes: Rorshach is, as you know, amazing. Jackie Earle Haley pulled him off amazingly, and I don’t even need the book to say that. Nite Owl was wonderful, and as far as I can tell, faithful to the book. Dr. Manhattan was also one of my favorites, but a lot of fans of the book beg to differ, so I digress. Silk Spectre was, in my opinion, decent. Nothing great, nothing bad, just in the middle. Ozymandias was the same. I couldn’t really get into him, though. The opening sequence was fantastic, to say the least.
Dislikes: Nixon was portrayed rather bad. The guy had the impression and voice down, but the make-up and facial features were extremely flawed. The jail riot scene was good, but it had its problems. Why, if supposedly ‘50’ people wanna kill Rorshach, are only three at his cell during a riot?! Nonetheless, an amazing scene.
Another hotly debated topic was the slow-mo, did it work? Was it over-used? Personally, I think it was over-used in the opening sequence with The Comedian, but other than that, it was spaced nicely and worked rather well. The violence was a tad over the top at times, but I understand the book was as well, so I’m not complaining.
Overall, Watchmen is a highly complex and thought-engaging movie. Those walking in to watch a mindless action movie will walk out sorely disappointed. This movie requires your attention constantly, regardless of whether of not you’ve read the graphic novel.
Final Rating: 8.5/10