Watchmen

“Rorschach’s Journal: October 12th, 1985. Tonight, a comedian died in New York.”

Watchmen is set in a 1985 America, where costumed superheros kept the streets safe and were a part of American fabric.  Rorschach, played by Jackie Earle Haley (a guy), is a determined masked vigilante whose mission is to discover why one of his former super hero colleagues was brutally murdered and  to uncover a plot to destroy past and present heroes.  As he brings the retired gang back together, the team uncovers a conspiracy that links to the past and future that no one saw coming.

Watchmen is a visually stimulating film that captures the culture of superhero life.  It not only displays the glory days of masked heros, but also gives insight to societal pressures and the ugly truth behind the mask.  Director, Zack Snyder, does a faithful job of shooting frames that are literally drawn out in the actual graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.  The scene selections and shots were ingeniously crafted and well drawn out.

A note to viewers:  this is not your typical comic book film where the girl gets captured by the bad guy and the superhero saves the day.  Also, there are no big wig super stars featured in this film, either (which I believe is a good thing).  Although this movie was visually stimulating, it’s thick dialogue may be a turn off for those who are not familiar with the actual graphic novel.  From someone who actually read the novel, I loved this movie and would rate it a 5.  I enjoyed the poetic dialogue, gripping images, and I appreciated Snyder’s detail to create a believable superhero culture, both the glorious and the dejected.