4.5 stars
Who watches Watchmen? I hope everyone does.
As a first-time viewer of this movie and having never read the graphic novel, this has to be one of the greatest comic book films of all time.
The first time I heard of Watchmen, I was in the theatre about to watch The Dark Knight. The preview looked very vague and intriguing but I had no idea there was this much of a following to the movie. In all the theatres it was playing in there were lines leading into the theatre — something I have never, ever seen before.
Once inside, the magic happened. Really everything that I was somewhat wary about turned out great — the special effects were utterly amazing, excelling in its special effects from flying ships to fiery explosions.
One word: Wow.
Also another great feature of this film was the fighting sequences, never since Sin City or 300 were there so much blood and gore that was spectacular to watch. This movie shows how vulnerable the human body is and I did not expect this at all.
Another strong point was the unbelievable soundtrack I was shocked to hear in a movie such as this. Usually in comic book movies, there is a score instead of a popular soundtrack but Watchmen took it to a new level with songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin to name a few.
The actors in this film were less known, unlike past comic book heroes Tobey Maguire and Edward Norton. But Billy Crudup and Jackie Earle did a fantastic job with the roles, making the movie that much better. Even though it was a two-and-a-half hour movie, it really lived up to the billing and I was entranced with the movie – not bored for an instant.
One would not think that a movie such as Watchmen could be a drama as well but they pulled that off mixing the genres of science fiction, drama and action into an already explosive movie. Director Zach Snyder did a wonderful job directing this movie because it even enticed the non-diehard fans to it — I think this movie is better than 300.
The final honour this movie receives is the plot and the message it leaves for the audience. This movie makes you think about world conflicts and keep you wondering even after the movie is over. I have not seen such a dark plot and message in a comic book film in such a long time, and this time I even understood it.