Watchmen review

  • Breaking
  • 28/02/2009

Reviewed by Kate Rodger

Watchmen is a world of costumed heroes who are not ten foot tall and bullet proof, who do not hail from Krytpon and who most certainly do not bow to the conventions of your usual everyday superheroes.

Watchmen are real, they are human (well, bar one, Dr Manhattan), and they have issues. They're also the best thing that ever happened to the superhero genre.

Director Zack Snyder painted the cinematic Spartan world of 300,  his brush and pallate now bring the very unique and stylised look of Dave Gibbons' Watchmen illustrations to the big screen, and its impressive.

Casting is good, Oscar-nominee Jackie Earle Hayley the highlight, in the pivotal role of Rorschach, and well supported by Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian. Hayley's Little Children co-star Patrick Wilson also brings the perfect amount of tender masculinity to Night Owl II, and I can't imagine any man in his right mind finding fault in Malin Akerman in skin-tight PVC.

On that note - parents beware. This might be a comic book adaptation but this is not a comic book for the kids.

Watchmen is R16, its dark, gritty, and violent, and it's for the grown-ups.

There are two very distinct audiences for this film, those who know and love the story, and those yet to experience it.

The filmmakers have been incredibly faithful to the source material both in look and mostly with content.

I loved this book, and while the movie failed overall to match the enormous impact the original story had on me that was always going to be a big ask.

The world is ready for Watchmen, and I'll certainly be lining up to watch the Watchmen again.

4 stars.

  
  Watchmen

:: Director: Zack Snyder
:: Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino
:: Running Time: 163 mins
:: Rating: R16 - contains violence, nudity and offensive language
:: Release Date: 05 March, 2009
:: Official Site: Click Here

source: newshub archive