It seems to be important to first relay one's personal history with The Watchmen story before reviewing it. I got back from Germany in November 08 and my brother told me to read the book. I didn't read it too closely, but was interested in it and especially thought the characters were really provoking. But I couldn't quite wrap my head around all the stuff that was thrown at me towards the end. Don't worry, no spoilers.

I was still excited for the movie, because the book is really visual and Zach Snyder, director of the Dawn of the Dead remake and 300 was at the helm of the film adaptation. He tends to go more for visual over substance, so I thought the film would be awesome. And it didn't disappoint, it was pretty enthralling. I have heard countless people bitching and moaning about how it's a shot for shot remake and I understand their argument to a point. But when you adapt a comic book, graphic novel, etc., I as a reader of the book, would really like to see it come alive. And that is exactly what Mr. Snyder did. I loved seeing a shot begin with the frame I remembered and then watch how the characters and the camera worked through to the next one.

Plus it wasn't totally shot for shot. There was some freewheeling and also a good amount of changes to the story. Most notable of which is the finale. The book's finale relies on a lot of crazy stuff happening that is pretty far-fetched and outlandish. The movie's ending brings about the same results except with an exponentially increased amount of carnage and logic. Speaking of extra carnage, that is another step away from the novel that the film takes. Bones don't just break, they snap vigorously through flesh and tendons spewing buckets of blood and screams all over the set. Zach Snyder is pretty twisted because he saw a frame where a guy gets kicked in the chest and adapts it to a guy getting his head twisted 180 degress, bent over double and kicked into a dumpster to lie sprawled out in a puddle of rain water.

I had mentioned in my review of 300 that the slow-motion was taken to a whole new extreme. Zach Snyder stays true to his MO with The Watchmen. Yeah, everything that was in slow motion looked pretty sweet, and I can't argue against the point that slow motion fight scenes are bad ass, especially when Snyder directs. But there comes a point when it's too much. Just about everything that packs any kind of emotional punch or even just a little sting was shot in super slo-mo. But that is not a big enough negative to detract my support from this film. Yeah it's long, and yeah Malin Ackerman does a horrendous job with the Silk Spectre character, but you've got to see this film on the big screen for it's eye-popping effects and for the amazing portrayal of Rorschach by Jackie Earle Haley.