Watchmen (2009)
1/10
I'm not a fan of comic book movies, and Watchmen is another reason why.
14 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Watchmen, which was released earlier this year by Warner Brothers was both a critical and financial disappointment. I understand completely why now. The storyline, which takes place in an "alternate universe" demonstrates how a group of costumed vigilantes must struggle with themselves to see whether or not humanity is worth saving from nuclear war. The characters are flawed in this film. Nite Owl, suffers from impotence, Silk Spectre, comes from a troubled childhood. Dr. Manhattan, a glowing blue nightmare who walks around fully nude, contemplates the value of human life. Rorshach, is a psychopath who walks the streets braking people's bones and dispensing his own form of justice. Oxymandias, feels that humanity must be saved by destroying it, and The Comedian is a full blown idiot, who serves his own agenda.

Many audiences who in years past have enjoyed many critically acclaimed box office comic book hits were severely disappointed with this film and I can understand why. First of all, much of the music is highly questionable, and some of the scenes such as Nite Owl and Silk Spectre getting it on inside of his owl shaped spaceship elicits unintentional laughter from the audience. Second is the unnecessary graphic violence. There is absolutely no reason to show a prisoner getting his arm's sawed off in a jailbreak whatsoever, other than to shock the audience for cheap laughs.

Plus, the storyline goes off in a thousand different directions, with one storyline choosing a philosophical point of view, the next choosing a violent point of view, and the third storyline choosing a humorous point of view. I'm sorry but with a film going in so many different directions it's hard to maintain interest in the storyline, or many of the seriously deranged characters here. All in all this feels like the dysfunctional family syndrome of comic book movies. I was highly disappointed, and I feel this is one of the weakest comic book movies ever adapted for the big screen.

One and a half stars out of four. One of the worst comic book movie ever made.
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