Saw it at midnight when it opened and saw it again recently. Best superhero movie I've ever seen. I've tried and failed to write a proper review a couple times. But I still want to.

A+

No reason to fail at writing a review, it doesn't have to be the greatest thing ever, just write one

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.......oh fuck I can't! (crash and burn)

Agreed. The only other thing I'll add is that I thought the visual style was great. I'm not sure if that too came directly from the graphic novel since I've never read it, but it's the one thing that I thought was near perfect. I also liked Dr. Manhattan's flashback and I thought Rorschach was great. I guess that's why I thought that Crudup and Haley were on a completely different level than Akerman, Wilson and Goode were. Akerman and Wilson weren't as horrible (the sex scene is although that wasn't their fault) as I thought they were going to be, but I ultimately felt indifferent towards their characters. Goode pretty much amounted to nothing.

But like you said it doesn't add up. Pieces of the film are great and the ideas are there (I hate to simplify down to this, but really anything that was violent I enjoyed), but the film doesn't work.

**

I'm curious about something. I only read the comic once but I didn't get the impression that anyone aside from Dr. Manhattan and--vaguely--Adrian had any superpowers/advanced abilities (the strength and bullet catching for Adrian) but in the movie it seemed like all of them had super strength and then some.

What's going on with that whole thing? I thought one of the points of the Minutemen/Watchmen was that they were just people and didn't have any special abilities, only experience/skills/etc.

Just because they can fight doesn't mean they have super strength.

In that alley scene they were bending people's elbows backwards and doing all kinds of stuff that required some serious enhanced strength, especially Laurie, and the Adrian/Comedian fight also had some more-than-human strength going on there. Also, the prison break scene had Laurie again demonstrating more strength than she would have as a regular, normal woman of her stature.

I don't mean it in a "Ha, Watchmen sucks!!" way I just thought that they were regular, human people in the comic and was wondering if I just missed something or if they were actually dialed up for the movie.

No, they're just supposed to be really well-trained.

Well I'm assuming that since they are trained fighters and aren't just "normal" people then I guess they have "more" strength than the average person. But not superhuman. And the movie didn't portray their strength as superhuman.

Though no training in the world allows you to catch a bullet.

Yeah, that's where the story segways into "impossible" territory right alongside the climax which is of course the other big piece of fantasy. Before those two pieces, doc manhattan is the sole link to supernatural occurrences.

6/10 -> C

I saw it yesterday afternoon and been thinking about it ever since then. Unfortunately the bad kinda outweighs the good.

(I haven't read the graphic novel.)
I loved the opening. It perfectly summed up how the Watchmen came into being, with good introductions to most of the characters. As for the characters themselves, at first they looked ridiculous and I couldn't get into them at all, but after the movie ended I liked/loved all of them. Their general idea that is. The Comedian being my favorite one, followed closely by Rorschach.

I liked the look of the movie, but there were a lot of dubious choices (slow motion, sudden slowing down, weird cuts, etc) throughout. It's not really directed well at all.

The music is superb though. I think the songs blended perfectly with what was going on on screen. I didn't find the Hallelujah sex scene awkward either.

The story is my main problem. I like what it tries to accomplish, but it doesn't pull it off and in the end it collapses. I read here that the ending is different in the novel. Might go and Google that later, but the ending was lame here. First of all, the actor playing Ozymandias wasn't very convincing in his monologue and it felt cheap and unsatisfying resolution to an already mediocre mystery part. I was never keen on finding who and why. I was more amused by Rorschah's character and his psyche.

Then Dr. Manhattan's monologue on Mars has no sense in his final acts. He talks about being a bit perplexed and intrigued in how the smallest possibilities can come true. If I understood correctly, it was that realization that triggered his renewed interest in humanity. And then he just flows with Ozy in his diabolical plan. This way it was easy to set up global peace. If they went with the smallest chances (Dr. Manhattan going back in time and stoping Adrian, then tried to peace together US and USSR which seemed as an almost impossible task) maybe it wouldn't have worked, but Dr. Manhattan came back just because of that - so I don't get his reasoning at all in the end. But still the resolution as a whole is not really good.

The acting is, besides Comedian and Ror, pretty mediocre too.

It's not a glorious failure. But it's not a glorious movie either.

We may still see a limited theatrical run for the director's cut this summer

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/04/03/zac ... more-23949

I would love it!

Most fans of the film would as well. Doesn't sound like a money grab (how could be it anyway).

WATCHMEN - 6/10 (C+ or B-)

I wish I could have loved this movie. It's very stylish and dark and I like that. But as much as I admired it and found it "interesting," it just didn't work for me as a whole. I wouldn't say I disliked it, and am closer to liking it than not, but overall it was just alright for me. It pains me to say that too. But it was just too flawed. The story is incoherent and the third act really goes downhill. I kind of stopped caring during the third act. Everything before it showed such promise.

Also, the music... A soundtrack is supposed to compliment a movie and not feel intrusive. But, while the music used in the movie is great by itself, it's a distraction here. I'm not sure what they were thinking. I had heard that about the music, but didn't expect it to fit THIS awkwardly into the film. I'm torn though, because it's good music, it just doesn't work here.

Anyway, it is worth watching, but it's ultimately a disappointment. Despite the fact that it's plenty long already and I found myself wanting it to be over soon during the finale, I still feel like it could have benefited from more fleshing out of the characters. I've never read the graphic novel, but you shouldn't have to in order to fully comprehend the movie. It should be able to stand on its own. But with the movie it felt like there were pieces missing.

V FOR VENDETTA was much better, in my opinion.

Maybe the source material just didn't translate well or maybe this movie was over my head, but I found it incredibly boring and uninspiring. I probably would have liked it more if they would have had more screen time with the Nuclear all powerful Dr. but the other characters just seems there with no purpose. We are given an opening in which I intially had some interest in the "Comedian" but just as quick as you cared you cheered because of the prick he was and he deserved to die.

D

Is it just me or does it feel like this movie came out five years ago?

It was a visual tapestry with of all of its substance depending on its source material. It was a solid film, but very very forgettable

I don't find it forgettable. I was just wondering when this came out on dvd and wanted to remind myself of the awesome parts in it.
I'd argue that huge segments are undoubtedly easy to forget, and that it certainly isn't as haunting and memorable as the GN, but there are a good number of scenes and action sequences I remember clearly and can't wait to review.

I finally watched this, it was great. Really fresh for a superhero film, I loved the visual look and the ending was fantastic.

A

Totally holds up on repeat viewing, much more than 300.

B+

I Actually liked it, but it felt too long.

Watched it again, loved it again. Best movie of the year so far. A

Anyone already seen the Director's Cut?