Review of Watchmen

I'm really glad I waited to view Watchmen on a big screen HD TV and on blue-ray. Visually Watchmen is one of the top films I've ever seen. However, it is not the impressive digital effects that make the film worth viewing but its the superior character development, creative story, and unique message that the film presents. I absolutely love films that explore the question "what would the world be like if this happened?" Watchmen takes place in a world in which a superior being named Dr. Manhattan helped the United States win the Vietnam War, which in turn caused Richard Nixon to be elected to a third term. Also, throughout the cities groups of ordinary men and women dress up as superheros in an attempt to fulfill their own empty lives. Through their costumed charades they question whether or not they are actually doing any good until a government act outlaws the presence of the masked heroes. The movie is primarily about the reactions of the former "superheroes" and how they cope with losing the identities they once felt so comfortable with. Some of the watchmen cannot let go of their former lives as superheroes, yet others are relieved to no longer have the responsibility to fight crime. The best thing about Watchmen is the interesting characters, in which each superhero's past is presented in flashback form. In fact, the best parts of the film are events that occur out of chronological order. Zack Snyder, who failed with 300, really impressed me. He stayed faithful to the graphic novel, yet made enough changes to be able to effectively make the transfer from the book to the big screen.

RATING: 3.8/5