Watchmen - the movie

I finally got around to seeing Watchmen last night. I read the book a while back and loved it. It was only the 2nd graphic novel I have ever read, so I am not heavily into superheroes or anything. Overall I enjoyed the movie. It stayed very true to the book. I would think that reading the book beforehand would give one a much better understanding of what was going on and would allow you to enjoy the film despite it's excesses. I can definitely see how someone that goes in cold would see it as a flat and bloated movie. This is because the of the way it's built; instead of telling a linear story, there are constant flashbacks. While this is also how the book was, it sort of deadens any sense of momentum that the movie should really be building. At 2 hours and 40 minutes it is quite long and without that momentum, it seems like some moderate trimming would help. I thought there was one false ending too many, for example. Some of the big denouements in the book came off a little flat and lifeless in the movie. But the ending, while not quite the same as the book, delivered fully. I should note that my brother, who has not read the book, said he thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Jackie Earle Haley makes a great Rorschach. I also really liked Jeffery Dean Morgan as The Comedian and thought that Patrick Wilson gave a fine, reserved performance as Night Owl II. Matthew Goode, who played Ozymandias, seemed awfully slight for that role; he needed some freaking muscles. The film was beautifully shot; I saw it on a new digital screen and it was most impressive. If I was handing out grades, I'd give Watchmen a B-/C+. I'll be checking it out again on DVD when it is released.