Movie Review: Watchmen
I must admit, I’m a bit surprised by some of the bad reviews I’ve read and heard about “Watchmen”. Mind you, I’ve only read a couple of things about it and talked to one person who saw it and everyone said they weren’t crazy about it. I went into this movie knowing absolutely nothing about the movie. I’ve never read the graphic novel. I think I only saw one trailer for the movie many months ago. Even after seeing the trailer and hearing some of the hype surrounding the movie, I really had very little interest in seeing it. In fact, I came very close to skipping the screening that I was able to attend on Wednesday night because I had a hockey game to play, and if I went to the screening there was a chance I would be late for the game. Well, I have to say, I’m very happy I ended up going. I loved “Watchmen”. It’s far from a perfect movie but it’s absolutely entertaining and one of the best comic book movies I’ve ever seen. In fact, it might rank behind only “The Dark Knight”. It’s got great characters. The story moves along at an excellent pace, considering the movie runs somewhere around 2 hours and 45 minutes. Malin Akerman is naked. And Jackie Earle Haley owns the movie. He is simply outstanding as Rorschach. His performance might even rank up there with Heath Ledger’s Joker – he’s that good.
The bad in the movie? Well, if you want to get picky, it is a long movie. If I didn’t have to leave for a hockey game, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have cared as much but the ending seemed to drag a lot and ended up being one of those conclusions where the bad guy seems to walk you step-by-step through his devious plot. I also found some of the make-up to be pretty amateur, especially on some of the aging actors and actresses and particularly on Richard Nixon. Not sure if this was supposed to be like that but it was kind of distracting. I also could have done without seeing Dr. Manhattan’s three foot long blue hog in almost every scene of the movie. It almost made me feel bad for Nite Owl II, who was in the process of courting Manhattan’s ex-girlfriend, Silk Spectre II. Can you imagine? Here you are, in the process of wooing this beautful young woman and everytime you turn around, there’s her ex-boyfriend standing there naked with a big baseball bat hanging between his legs? Poor guy…
Besides these few minor gripes, I have to admit too that there was about a 20-minute stretch in the movie where I was kind of confused – right around when Nite Owl II and Rorschach were figuring out who was behind the evil plot. I’m still not exactly sure how they figured it out, but I suppose on a second viewing I’ll get it. And that second viewing will come. I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie twice in a theatre but I’m pretty sure “Watchmen” will be one of those movies. I liked it that much. As I said, it’s got some great action. It’s funny at times. I loved most of the characters (wasn’t really a big fan of Ozymandias, unfortunately). And there’s at least one, maybe two, scenes that will make you jump in your seat. That I can almost guarantee. The one scene I’m thinking about, and I won’t reveal it, made me yelp out in the theatre. It was that painful to watch. I guess that’s all I really have to say about “Watchmen”. It’s definitely one for the ages and I’m certain it’s going to set all kinds of Hollywood records. I have a feeling the general public are going to eat this one up. (8.5/10)
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10 Comments on Movie Review: Watchmen
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Liam on
Fri, 6th Mar 2009 8:05 am
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Brendan on
Fri, 6th Mar 2009 9:59 am
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chemicalRed on
Fri, 6th Mar 2009 2:04 pm
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espaceman on
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coolio on
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coolio on
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Cory Blaze on
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Mak Of Red on
Thu, 19th Mar 2009 7:19 am
Good review!
thanks
Im sure its not as bad as some say Otis. I can’t wait to see it.
why you callin me otis?
Nice review! Don’t feel bad for not understanding the uncovering of the “evil plot”. Even when I read the book the first time, I had to flip back a couple of times to retrace the connections.
i love the movie… … too long but very funny
Watchmen the movie is an instant classic cult movie
this site has comments now? BALLIN
and i have agreed with almost every review on this site except for the golden compass 
in other words. im gunna go see watchmen.
and im not sure why : x makes a face.
: [
I found this movie dissapointing. I would of them rather just change the entire story just as they did with the movie Wanted. Trying to adapt the Watchmen comic isn’t possible in my mind without splitting it between two movies. If you haven’t read the comic, your going to be confused to all hell with what’s going on. I understand the reason for the change in the ending but the way they figure out the plot is dummied down in explaination as if your were watching the original Transformers cartoon. I would have rathered they put more details into the character development instead of how cool they could make the fight scenes.
Most people that will watch this movie will never read the comic and they’ll love it because of the pretty effects without really caring about the storyline. Overall I thought it was a well put together movie, unfortunatly leaving out complex plot elements makes the story confusing. Even though it was 2 hours and 45min it still managed to miss most of the story. For reasons unknown they decided to put in little things from the book just to please they fans, that weren’t really nescarry. Also they negated to mention or even other characters that were important to the storyline. As I said less pointlessness and more character develpoment. Other than that it was very well done, and the actors looked great in the costumes.
Excellent review
Myself, I was 75% satisfied with this film. The opening was astonishing.
The Comedian, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre I, and especially Rorschach, were very well realised.
The visuals were spectacular. The music was just right. The flashbacks were interesting.
The pacing was, overall, good but there was a section in the middle that had be shifting in my seat and looking about the theatre. Not a good sign.
It was the (leery) sex and romance bit. I thought it was given too much time, especially considering the doomsday clock was counting down!
I was itching to shout at the screen “stop shagging and get on with saving the world!”.
Only ever reliable Rorschach never lost focus. The bits guided and narrated by him were the best.
I found Laurie a dull character. She seemed to be there largely to moon over Dr Manhatten (and his looming… member), to have kinky sex and beat some people up. I never felt any life in the characters and she looked bloody uncomfortable in her exploitative costume (and rightly so).
Mr Dr Manhatten annoyed me. I wanted to smack or strangle him a lot. The CGI was also rather dodgie on a number of occasions which definately suspended belief that the character is solid. And this is AFTER Lord of the Rings’ Gollum.
Ozymandias, once costumed, was basically 1980s camp sci-fi personified. I was expecting Queen to start singing at any minute. Only the powerful death scene worked in that whole camp, Antarctic, sequence (once they got to Ozy anyway). It was cat stroking villainy at it’s most Saturday morning serialesque.
It won’t do for Watchmen what Dark Knight did for Batman but, then, the book doesn’t need that.
It’s not the flawless masterpiece some people are sentamentalising it as but it’s a bloody good film.
It just could have been better with some editing. It was almost amazing.
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