Movie review: "Watchmen"

Zach Snyder's recent film "Watchmen" has attracted both praise and criticism from movie reviewers. The media can't seem to decide if "Watchmen" is a classic or a bomb--some reviewers denounced it as senseless, while others lauded it, calling it "visionary." Personally, I loved the film, but I can see why other people did not like it. Today I will break down a few aspects of the movie, and you can decide for yourself if you want to go see it. 

The first thing you notice about Watchmen is that it is brutally violent. This isn't a criticism, just a statement of fact. If you are looking for an action movie, look no further--Watchmen is packed full of with intense and realistic fight scenes, which is mostly why it earns its 'R' rating. If you aren't looking for that kind of movie, though, it may be hard to sit through the whole thing. 

Secondly, Watchmen has a very involved plot and very complex characters. Though the opening credits provide some background for the unfamiliar viewer, it helps to get a general idea of what the movie is about before seeing it. Here is a basic background to the setting and characters (don't read the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to read it): The film is set in 1985 in a alternate history--the US has won the Vietnam war, but the Cold War is worse than ever. Nixon is in his fifth President, and the threat of nuclear war is ever-present. The "watchmen" of the title are a group of retired superheroes, most of whom have no superpowers whatsoever. Each character has his/her own radical viewpoint, which will become apparent very early as the characters are introduced. 

Next, the movie is not very linear, and it has a postmodern tone. The first half consists mostly of flashbacks, and is very fragmented. (It is still very captivating, but not too straightforward.) The overall tone is very dark and gloomy, which may affect your opinion of it. I find the gritty, postmodern style to be very fitting and necessary, but if you don't like dark movies you may have a hard time getting into Watchmen. The camerawork helps to create this postmodern effect, making the film appear very much like a graphic novel. However, the CGI is flawless, and Watchmen is not lacking as far as special effects goes.  

Also, like many other Alan Moore creations, Watchmen is steeped in philosophy, which is subtly woven into the plot. The characters' philosophical viewpoints range from nihilist to utilitarian to existentialist, and Moore (and Snyder) are clearly commenting on the implications of these beliefs. Watchmen also offers glaring social criticisms, commenting on Reaganism, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence, and American imperialism. Sadly, most people don't notice these subtle messages in the film, but in my opinion this is what makes it so darn interesting. 

The last thing to note about Watchmen is that it is LONG. At almost three hours, the film can be a bit difficult to sit through. Though it is captivating, if you don't like long movies Watchmen probably isn't for you. The length mostly serves to amplify the aspects I discussed above. 

I'm not going to give it an overall grade, since it is very hard to pin down an unusual film like this. My recommendation is to go see it, unless you are against all of the things I listed above. Like "Fight Club" and "2001," Watchmen will continue to be talked about,  so I suggest seeing simply to form your own opinion of it.