Watchmen

Dir. Zack Snyder, Wr. Davis Hayter & Alex Tse

2009

10/10

I went to see watchmen knowing almost nothing about it; all I had was a vague notion of a comic book connection. It was refreshing to walk into a theater without knowing exactly what was going to happen. We got there early, claimed the best seats in the house, and waited for the ads to start; chatting about modern communication with the masses, intimacy and substance in the various media, and the relative experiences of going to the movie theater and staying home with the radio. As the previews started, I suddenly realized I didn't know if the film was animated or live-action. What was it about? Who's in it? Why aren't there any people here? My dad my equally clueless. It was like opening an unmarked package: mysterious present or explosive suprise? We sat nervously, watching and forgetting previews for more movies than I've seen in a year. Then it started.

Thirty seconds later, whatwver restervations I had were gone. In ten minutes, I was completely sold. By the credits, I was a walking, talking advertisement.

The story follows two generations of costumed heroes living in an alternate history with Nixon serving additional terms into the eighties. Their vigilante activities have been outlawed and the cold war society must do without. Each paladin adjusts to the the new life differently, until events conspire to pull them all back into the fray.

I'm impressed how much back story, character development, narrative, and detail the filmmakers were able to squeeze into 162 minutes of cinematic glory. The subplots are complex, the charters intriguing, and the effects mesmerizing.

A warning, though: This film is intense. In every way I know. In true graphic novel tradition, it takes everything to the extreme. But if you can handle violence, “adult situations”, and realistic terror, Watchmen is well worth the $8.50 admission.

Go see Watchmen before it leaves the theaters.