There are two types of people who will see Watchmen; those who are fans of the original graphic novel upon which it's based, and those who are newcomers. I am most definitely in the latter group, having only heard of the name "Watchmen" when the movie adaptation was announced.

The trouble with adapting any material, whether it be book, comic, cartoon, or in this case, graphic novel, into a movie is trying to get the right balance of staying true to the source material (to please original fans) and changing it enough so that any newcomers (who will undoubtedly represent most who will see it) don't feel alienated.

And although here and there 300 director Zack Snyder falls to the temptation (because of his reputed love for the graphic novel) of keeping a bit too close to what was originally on the printed page, there's enough detail (and believe me, there's tons) and skillful moulding of it that it becomes a wholly enjoyable ride with as much gritty substance as there is spectacle.

Based on the revolutionary '80s graphic novel of the same name, Watchmen, set in an alternate 1980s America, tells the story of a group of masked superheroes who are forced to reunite (after previously being stopped by a passed law) when one of their own is murdered. One of the group members, the mysterious Rorschach, is the one to initiate the investigation but in doing so he, and the rest of the group, begin to uncover a deeper, more elaborate plot than they at first realised was at play.

One could be forgiven for thinking that Watchmen is just another comic-book superhero movie about people in costumes trying to save the world. But, like fans of the original graphic novel will so adamantly tell you, this is so much more than that. For a good chunk of this story it's less about costumes and superpowers (which, with the exception of one character, the group doesn't have any) and more about a hard-boiled, noir murder mystery that just happens to have some superhero-esque elements thrown in for good measure. Snyder is clearly a huge fan of the source material (which is one of the film's downfalls as it sticks too close to it some of the time) and his keen eye for spectacle and visually stunning images keeps Watchmen as awe-inspiring as this type of film is likely to get.

Article Author: Ross Miller

I am a film critic and blogger, and have been so for almost three years now, going from starting my own movie review website, Movie World (which is still running), and then moving on to writing for various movie blogs.

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