Friday Movie Review - Watchmen

I blame this movie review on my mommy and Almost Dad's nerdiness. Well, really, this movie was pretty much entirely Almost Dad's nerdiness . . . but my mommy went with him to see it (and I pulled the "kitty in the purse" trick again.)

Watchmen (2009)
Directed By: Zack Snyder
Written By: Alan Moore (Comic)
David Hayter and Alex Tse (Screenplay)

A lot of people who don't know the backstory of "Watchmen" just assume that this is another typical superhero story. Well, it isn't. All of the heroes in "Watchmen" are really just costumed crime fighters . . . none of them have super powers, except for Dr. Manhattan, who pretty much seems to have come back from the dead as a super-powered blue manbean after a nuclear accident in a lab. So, instead of a lot of Green Lanterns and Supermen, you have more of a Batman vibe going on . . . and the bad guys aren't colorful and crazy characters like The Joker or The Riddler . . . they are the type of average criminals you hear about on the news every night.

The story begins with the death of this manbean, The Comedian, which mommy found a shame since he was the one who interested her the most.

"Watchmen" takes place in an alternate history where costumed heroes emerged in the 1940s as an effective crime fighting force. Their role broadened as the years went on, until they were also instrumental in winning the Vietnam War and aiding the United States government in the escalating Cold War. This is especially so with Dr. Manhattan, who the United States uses as a threat against the Soviet Union, keeping them in check. Their usefulness aside, costumed crimefighters become increasingly unpopular with the public, leading to legislation in the late 1970s to outlaw them entirely. However, Dr. Manahattan and The Comedian continue working for the government, while the rest either stop crime fighting entirely or go underground.

The movie opens with the murder of The Comedian in 1985, and the investigation of his death by Rorschach, a costumed crimefighter who has gone rogue and continued his work even while it is against the law. Rorschach believes that all of the former crimefighters are being targeted, and contacts his old comrades. At first met with skepticism, the others soon come to believe him as other attacks are made and the evidence piles up. The tension mounts as not only the mystery behind The Comedian's murder deepens, but the Doomsday Clock toward a disastrous nuclear war also ticks away as the United States and the Soviet Union come to a stalemate. Who is targeting them, and why? Will anyone be able to save the world from the impending nuclear crisis? Just who can save the world now?


There is ONE kitty in this movie, and you only get to see him near the end. He looks pretty cool. I think the movie would have been much better if they had let us see him more.


Now, I have to warn all of you beans and kitties . . . this is DEFINITELY not a movie for smallbeans or kittens. It is violent and graphic and has themes and language that you are not going to want to show little ones. Also, it helps if you have either read the graphic novel or are familiar with the storyline, otherwise you will probably sit hopelessly confused through the entire movie. On the other paw, if you share the same nerdy interests as my mommy and Almost Dad, you will probably enjoy this movie. It does have incredible use of photography, color, and lighting. The special effects are amazing to watch . . . and I did enjoy how they pointed out that anyone who was drawn to the life of a costumed crimefighter probably wasn't all that sane anyway, as illustrated very well by both The Comedian and Rorschach, who were both very complex and pretty much sociopathic characters - who happened to be fighting on the side of "good." I give this movie two paws up for being well executed, and for being a pretty faithful adaptation of the graphic novel. Oh, and the soundtrack was fun, too!

In case anykitty or bean is interested, here is a trailer for you to watch.