Watchmen

Release Date: March 6th, 2009

Click here for the Watchmen Trailer.

"Who Watches The Watchmen?"

Another movie by director Zack Snyder(300) that was derived from a graphic novel. Watchmen is a mystery story set in an alternate 1985 America. Nixon is President, we win Vietnam, and masked superheroes are a part of every day life. Although these superheroes do not actually have real powers, they are all kind of like Batman, no powers but they all fight really good.

It is 1985 and superheroes have been a part of society for many many years. But now, they are all normal people in society since Nixon made wearing a mask illegal. But when a hero is brutally murdered, an outlawed but determined fellow superhero named Rorschach sets out to find the truth, a deeper plot slowly begins to unravel. Rorschach begins to see a plot to eliminate any all masked superheroes, past and present, and discredit all of them. The group of heroes, known as The Watchmen, one and only job was to protect humanity, but while they watch over humanity, who watches the Watchmen?

Since this movie is directed by Zack Snyder, who is the visionary director of 300, another graphic novel turned into a big screen sensation, you know that the visual direction will be stunning, and that is exactly what it is, stunning. Since it is a superhero movie, the feel also has to be above normal. The way the movie is shot has a very gritty feel. A lot of the scenes in the movie take place on the streets of the city at night. So scenes are made to look really dirty and real. The acting was also good. Each of the characters played each part differently. One one side you have the typical cliche hero in Night Owl(Patrick Wilson) who just wants everything to be good and and try's to handle every situation calmly and without harm. Then you have the Comedian(Jeffery Dean Morgan). The Comedian definitley blurs the line between hero and villain. Although the comedian works as a Watchmen, he continually does horrible things, like murdering a Vietnamese woman carrying his illegitimate child or the beating and attempted rape of a fellow superhero. The Comedian actually takes pleasure in others people's suffering. The main character you follow through most of the movie, Rorschach(Jackie Earle Haley), is one of the most interesting characters I've seen in a superhero movie. Even though wearing a mask is against the law, Rorschach still wears a potato sack-like mask with moving ink blots on them that resemble the ink cards of psychiatrist. Rorschach is another hero that blurs the line between hero and vigilante. He will do whatever is necessary to get the job done and his character is definitley my favorite. There is also the mysterious Dr. Manhattan(Billy Crudup). Once a normal physicist, a tragic accident transformed a man into Dr. Manhattan, a glowing blue, interstellar being with the power to make things do whatever he wants. The only problem with Dr. Manhattan's character is that he likes to walk around naked. Now, this isn't such a bad thing if it is kept in moderation. However, Dr, Manhattan likes to flash his, shall we say, "downstairs friend", a lot. In any scene where he is not out in public, you get a good look at Dr. Manhattan's package. Other than that, I have no real flaw with this movie. Visually it is beautiful and it has major action. The fight scenes in this movie are incredible. Since the superheros have no super powers, they need extreme fighting skills, and that is exactly what they have. The combat in this movie is some of the best and brawliest I have seen in a superhero movie and rivals the extreme combat found in movies like The Matrix

Overall this is by far my favorite movie of the new year. It has everything you could ask for in a superhero movie. I give Watchmen 10 incredible crime fighters out of 10.