Movie Summary and Review By Michael The Moviegoer.
WATCHMEN: “Watch This!
Rating ***
After all the hoopla surrounding the legal fights between the studios has died down. After you get past the fact that Alan Moore didn’t ever want to see his landmark graphic novel made into a movie. After you’re done hearing about how unfilmable the novel is, you might be surprised to find that Zack Snyder’s film of “Watchmen” is, if nothing else, extremely watchable.
Not ever having read the graphic novel myself, I was completely unfamiliar with the characters and stories. True, that made it difficult at times to follow the plot, if there was one. But I found myself caught up in the stunning visuals to a point where plot became irrelevant. You could have switched the sound off and my eyes still would have been glued to the screen for the entire 2 hours and 40-plus minutes (nearly the same length as “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button”).
Here’s an adjective not normally associated with comic book superhero movies. “Watchmen” is SEXY. The lone WatchWoman in the group, Silk Spectre, is brilliantly played by Malin Akerman with enough sensuality to make Catwoman blush. Indeed, this may be the first superhero movie to contain nudity… female AND male. “Watchmen” is rated R for a reason. It may be far too “adult” for young children.
Despite working in masks that make these actors unrecognizable, Billy Crudup (as Dr. Manhattan) and Jackie Earle Haley (as Rorschach) give outstanding performances. But it’s Malin Akerman who steals the film. If there were ever to be a spin-off from “Watchmen”, I’d love to see a whole movie dedicated to Malin’s Silk Spectre.
“Watchmen” is not going to be for everybody. But Snyder’s film is obviously a labor of love. So for those who are already fans, you will probably love it. For the uninitiated, just enjoy the visuals if you can’t follow the plot. This film is awesome to look at.
DVD Watch: A rather silly, yet fun comparison is Damon Wayans’ 1994 superhero comedy “Blankman”. It’s about an average man who “pretends” he’s a superhero and runs around in a homemade costume trying to help the people of his community.
Michael The Moviegoer
