Watchmen (2009)

The first thing i want to do before i get to critical of this film i would like to note that, yes, i did read the graphic novel and yes, it was not only the greatest graphic novel I've ever read, but one of the greatest books I've ever taken the time to finish. In most cases, one would say they didn't like the movie nearly as much because the book was so much better. However, for Watchmen, this is not the case. In fact, i would suggest reading the book first in order to truly understand the overall point the movie is trying to make. Watchmen, the novel written by Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, From Hell), is a beautifully painted story about masked vigilantes and how their decisions affected the rest of their lives and the lives of other over a span of 4 decades. This includes a back story for almost every character. It shows why they did what they did, who they are, and if they regret or miss doing it. It shows comic book hero's in a very real and human way. We learn to sympathize for them, and we fight with ourselves wondering if we should respect their decision to stay retired from crime fighting or if the world really would be better if we had those people. This is where the movie misses the mark. If you haven't read the novel, then the movie will be 3 hours of not really being able to understand why Silk Specter hated doing it all these years. Why night owl is so repressed. Veidt continues to sell his fame. We don't really care for the feelings and emotions of the characters and why, when you get to the end of the movie, the twist is such a big deal to the overall meaning of the story. The movie seems more like a superhero bio-pic of something that cannot happen. However, Rorschach and Dr Manhattan's stories are told almost spot on like the book. The problem is, it takes so long for you to relate with those two characters that the viewer could end up missing the point entirely. That is where the book comes in. If you have read the novel, you can automatically feel for the characters. You already know the point the movie is trying to make and you will really appreciate what was presented. For example; the first 15 minutes of the film contains a opening credit montage that shows us the ENTIRE back story of the original "watchmen" and the formation of the character's you will be following. If you have read the book, you understand this and can appreciate how Snyder was trying to stay as loyal as possible; if you have not read the book, you may get lost and bored and lose interest all together. Don't get me wrong the movie was directed very well. Zack Snyder has shown us with his small resume (that consists of a great remake of a horror masterpiece and a very good Frank Miller adaptation) that he has the potential to be one of the next great directors. So, it's not surprising to see (if you have read the book) how loyal this film is to the art (casting is perfect) and story line (about 90% of the dialogue comes directly from the novel). My overall review is this; if you haven't read the book, i wouldn't recommend watching it without knowing the general idea of the film before hand because you may find yourself bored or uninterested. To the readers, you will enjoy it if not just to see your favorite scene's and beautiful soundtrack in action (you might also like the ending in the film slightly better. I know i did).

7.3/10

-Zack Tinsley