Watchmen

Finally made it out to see Watchmen. I'd been eagerly awaiting this one, as a fan of the original graphic novel and of super hero flicks in general. I entered with a little trepidation as I wasn't sure how well the book would translate to the screen. That said, I have a great appreciation for Zack Snyder's visual style (having worked with him on Dawn of the Dead and appreciated the look of 300), and I think his aesthetics apply especially well to this type of material. I went with a bunch of people who had never read the book, so I was also interested to see if they could follow the plot.

In general, I was quite pleased. The movie was a little long, but it had to be to squeeze the whole book in. There weren't really any parts that I would have removed completely- maybe there was some trimming here and there, but despite the length nothing felt overly slow. Another fear I had was that the material would appear dated- its a very Reagan-era-80s themed story, and I wasn't sure how it would translate to a modern audience. I think its a testament to the power of the story that the themes still have some resonance. Even if we're not on the brink of nuclear war (at least not at the same level as during the Cold War), the world is more divided than ever in some ways.

As anticipated, the visual were stunning. Maybe a slight overreliance on overcranked shots and speed ramps, but all in all quite a spectacle. I'd also like to give a shout out to the costumes, which my brother worked on, and which are awesome. I was a little confused/disappointed by the soundtrack. The pop music didn't work for me. I suppose it was intended as a way to place the action historically and link the sci-fi plot to historical reality. But for me, it was jarring and slightly out of place.

Even though I knew the plot, the revelations, twists and turns all worked well. I didn't even mind the change to the ending. In fact, it kind of makes more sense in a lot of ways than the original ending in the book. Most surprisingly, everyone I was with both followed and enjoyed the movie. Even those that might not be comic movie fans normally. That's probably the best indication that the movie is pretty good.