Tonight, I went to see "Watchmen" with my friend and my son.
Despite warnings that the material might be too mature for kids, I determined that my son could handle it: he's in high school now, and knows enough to process what he saw on-screen.
What he couldn't seem to handle, however, was the running time: about 2 ½ hours overall. I like movies that length (and longer) because I feel like I get my money's worth from them; he seems to get bored after the "normal" 90 minutes, unless the movie is really good.
Was it "really good?" My feelings about it are mixed, and a bit colored by the graphic novel (which I read last week in anticipation of seeing the movie).
Story was kind of incidental to the overall theme of the movie. It takes place in 1985, at a critical juncture of the Cold War (the invasion of Afghanistan). The history of "Watchmen's" world is different: masked vigilantes were commonplace, and embraced up until 1977 (when they were outlawed by Congress); the US won in Vietnam thanks to the intervention of the only "true" superhero, Dr. Manhattan; and Nixon is still president (and in his 4th or 5th term).
The movie starts with the death of the Comedian, the most controversial of the "masks." He's an amoral killer, an attempted rapist, and a some-time assassin for the US government. His past is checkered; his murder alerts the one remaining operating masked vigilante, Rorschach, to a possible plot to kill the last remaining "masks."
Throughout the movie, the pasts of most of the major "heroes" are examined in flashbacks, showing that all is not well in these individual's worlds. All of them have major flaws; none are what we might call "heroes" in the purest sense of the word.
Part of the problem, however, is the movie doesn't go far enough in probing what makes these men and women who they are. Much or Rorschach's past and motivation is left out, for example; the book makes him much clearer.
The characters, which are the focal point of the movie and novel, are fascinating... but not as much as I'd have liked. While the Comedian and Dr. Manhattan are examined relatively thouroughly, they are mostly off-screen and their influence on the plot minimal. The players with the most screen time (Rorschach, Nite Owl, and Slik Spectre) are barely examined at all, and Ozymandias just blurts out his backstory without preamble. It's a borderline-criminal waste of the source material.
However...
The effects make up for it to a certain extent. The action is well-choreographed, the scenes with Archie and Dr. Manhattan (while obviously CGI) are, to-date, the most "real" I've seen in a big-budget film.
Regarding the controversial "full Monty" shots of Dr. Manhattan: I found that you really had to stare hard to make out if he was "anatomically correct." His coloration tended to obscure that part. Anyone who complained about it or obsessed about it has much deeper issues than the Comedian or Rorschach.
Where the movie truly shines, however, is the music. I've never seen music as a story-telling device done as well as it was in "Watchmen." From "Unforgettable" playing in the opening fight scene to "Everybody Wants To Rule the World" playing in the background Muzak during Ozymandius' monologue, the songs help move the story along in ways I'd have never thought of.
Overall I'd give it * * ½. It's not bad, but it could have been much better. I'd recommend picking up the graphic novel instead, which was a thoroughly engrossing read (I couldn't put it down for 10 straight hours).
If you do choose to see the film, be warned: it is very bloody and violent. It's not exploitative like, say, "Jason X," but it does reach that level at times. There is also one very graphic sex scene... nothing on the level of, say, "Basic Instinct," but it is there.