I have to respectfully disagree with someone's assessment below regarding the movies "gratuitous sexual scenes and nudity". The Dr. Manhattan "penis" shots were not gratuitous by any means, they were simply shots of him walking around. Hardly sexual, merely biologically natural. Secondly, the sex scenes involving Silk Spectre were far from gratuitous, they were side shot intercourse scenes with limited nudity, and nothing more than stylized sexual thrusting. Finally, I'm much more disturbed by the fact that this bothered you more than the excessive gory violence that occurred throughout this movie. I mean, limbs getting cut off, heads getting impaled. I would much rather that my child saw a little nudity and some sex scenes (which are natural human qualities and biological functions), than disgusting nihilistic violence (which is not a natural human function, and only breads hate and desensitization to the movie-watching crowd). The American public has it all wrong. While we should make sure that our children are indeed protected from adult sexual material, we should be much more concerned with the graphic violence that has permeated our culture and allowed people to grow sadly tolerant of it. That being said, the movie was indeed a faithful, wonderful adaptation of the novel, with only a few points lacking (i.e., the depth of some of the characters was never realized). I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning montage as well, it was quite a spectacle to behold!… Expand

A fantastic film. The story, the setting, the characters, everything works perfectly to create this dark alternate reality. Zach Snyder has done it again, creating another beautiful world for another great film.

This is the best movie based on a comic book/graphic novel I have ever seen. The acting is spectacular, and every detail that had to be included is, without feeling watered down. The movie transitions between past and present well, not causing confusion about what is taking place.

Definitely one of the best comic book movies to date. It admittedly falls apart once it starts rushing things after the prison break scene, but the first two hours are so beautifully done, it makes up for it. Best viewed as an homage to the book. Voted 10 to balance out this ridiculous 56.

I have seen some bad movies in my life, and this is now in top of them. This movie just lacks composition and many scenes are just unnecessary, including some of the characters. If this was not an age of large high-definition TVs, where even the dumbest movie looks great on the screen, most people would realize the shortage of anything good about it.

This movie is like watching high quality, very expensive paint dry. How anyone could make it through the Director's cut is beyond me. I thought the original release was slow as molasses.

It's crazy how this movie turned out average for me. The graphic novel is great, thought-provoking, and artistic. The movie adaptation, however, feels like a wax replica of the novel. With the actors/actresses looking uninspired and dull.

Pants, stat! The glowing blue man with the transluscent appendage needs a pair of pants, like the lemur from "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" needs pants. Adrian(Matthew Goode) probably doesn't mind that the homoeroticism of "300" escaped its reels and found a new home, in which Dr. Manhattan's nudism probably throws the other Watchmen into a homosexual panic. Quite pointedly, Adrian seems to know Dr. Manhattan(Billy Crudup) better than Laurie(Malin Akerman). While the girlfriend claims that the ultramarine entity is devoid of any compassion towards mankind, Adrian's alter-ego, Ozymanidas, notices the worry creases in the former Jon Osterman's face whenever he's vexed. The Alexander-wannabe watches men, closely. But Laurie should be one to talk, the daring rescue of some people trapped in a burning high-rise that she and Dan a.k.a. Night Owl(Patrick Wilson) attend to, seems more about correcting her new beau's impotence and gettin' their middle-aged ya-yas out, than being selfless and valiant in a derring-do mission in the night air of this alternative New York. It's mere foreplay: the superhero suits they run around in are nothing more than provocative get-ups to get them in the mood. There's something faintly "Seinfeld"-esque about Night Owl and Silk Spectre, and "Watchmen", in general. Like the characters in the Larry David-created sitcom, these superheroes are more interested in saving their own skins- Rorschach(James Earl Haley) warns the other Watchmen about an assassination plot- than saving the skins of others. How apropos that there's a Comedian(Jeffrey Dean Morgan) present. During the interim years of Allan Moore and David Gibbons' breakthrough graphic novel being stuck in developmental hell, Terry Zwigoff's adaptation of Daniel Clowes' "Ghost World" had already lured a portion of the literati into accepting the long-form comic book as a viable art form. "Watchmen" won't convert the holdover naysayers(who pooh-pooh the thought of the comic book as literature, although Allison Bechdel's "Fun Home" and Adrian Tomine's "Shortcomings" are changing more minds), which is a crying shame, since in most fanboy circles, this is the standard-bearer. While it falls short on vision, "Watchmen", more or less, holds your interest for over two hours-plus, and that's no small feat. But still, the bloated thing lacks true transcendence(for instance, the Saul Bellow army won't lay down their dog-eared copies of "The Adventures of Augie March" for this); it's just a comic book movie, albeit a reasonably smart one(not smarter than "Ironman"). And it bears repeating: pants, stat!… Expand

One hour into the movie I was still asking myself: who the fuck are these people and why should I care about them? If you want to waste your time, go watch G.I. Joe instead, it's crap, but it's many times more entertaining than this piece of sh*t.

This was indeed the worst movie I have ever seen. It made no sense - and has so many loose ends that after two weeks Im still trying to piece this movie together.

As camp as the George Clooney's Batman films (or even Roger Moore's Bond films) and not even close to the class of "The Dark Knight." It is a great production indeed, but it is never as good as its opening credit sequence.

There must be something like a manual for making movies. Plot, character development, pace, etc. Since apparently there isn't, abysmally awful flicks like this will continue to be made. What is the standard ? And what is the purpose of submitting this to a paying audience ?

This movie was awful. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but you don't have to take my word for it.

Alternative take on superhero movies with plenty of darkness in the characters and good use of the heroes interacting with moments in history. In fact some of their actions would cause you to question if they are even the good guys which added more of a human element to them. A good sci-fi movie which rises above the usual run of the mill plots.

Interesting CGI; terrible prosthetics. That having been said, devotees of the comic will applaud the meticulous duplication in script and cinematography, smile at the costumes and casting choices, and cringe at the ending. Newcomers to the franchise will merely scratch their heads. Your girlfriend will probably fall asleep. Watchmen suffocates under the weight of its own fidelity, choosing safety over audacity in an attempt to lull basement-dwellers into shelling out cash for an overblown directors-cut Blu Ray of a film that should have stayed unmade. This adaptation suffers the fate of any facsimile of greatness: the failure to exceed its own predecessor, instead basking rigidly in its roomy shadow. This movie is brilliance decaffeinated. Read the comic and rent Dark Knight instead.… Expand

Good movie. Had some really great parts in it but had some parts that seemed like they didn't belong as well. Didn't pull you into the story and make you feel what was going on. Really enjoyed the Dr. Manhattan backstory narrative though. I wouldn't put it anywhere near the far superior TDK though.

Great movie i really loved the comic book and i think that they did a wonderful job making it into a movie. would i go see it again? yes it was like the dark knight all over again i liked it that much. it did have its problems but it was still a masterful movie

By sticking so closely to the original text, the film-makers have pickled, rather than adapted, Watchmen and delivered a film that could bore a tractor.

The best super hero movie ever made, and one of the best films ever made. Each character is distinct, all of their own unique perspective on the human condition, and all are terrible and terrific, just like us.

I absolutely loved this movie! Best superhero movie so far to be made, in my opinion. The special effects were amazing!

Loved it. Ignore Mainstream critics, unless you consider yourself mainstream, aka average and uninteresting. Movie is for those that don't grovel at Madagascar and Benjamin Button.

Saw the midnight release and thought it was awesome! Great directing, acting, writing, and soundtrack. If you have read the comic go see it and if your new to watchmen then I think you'll find this to be a great movie on it's own merit.

Snyder has done the impossible.

Unrelentingly bad. It drags on in a way only acceptable in a book. Instead of choosing to retain all aspects of the original or conversely create an original take on the book, it chose to sat squarely in the middle, awkwardly swaying from one side to the other and completely alienating the unfamiliar audience.

An outstanding achievement. Zach Snyder may not be an original, but he understands what makes his source material great and brings it brilliantly to life on the big screen. The film is wonderfully cast, especially Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach.

I give the benefit of the doubt to those who read the graphic novel. I haven't, and so I really was looking forward to see this on the big screen because it seemed interesting. The movie is a total bore, pointless, overlong, and no action whatsoever except for 2-3 fights which we have seen already in dozens of films. There were times when scenes were so boring and long that I was falling asleep. Maybe for those who read the graphic novel this was an amazing movie, perhaps if I read it in the first place and discovered that Watchmen is this load of crap I wouldn't have seen the movie. The only thing interesting in the whole film was the character Rorschach since I love anti-heroes in movies, and of coarse the visual effects. I can't believe the good ratings I'm seeing from users for such a pointless and boring film.… Expand

I never read the book, but I really enjoyed this movie. It was visually stunning and the characters were very well developed. It was nice to have superheroes who's motivations fall into a sort of a moral gray area.

Pretty good, except for the fighting scenes, which were way below par.

Anyone that gives the movie a 0 needs to be ignored. This was an astoundingly good piece of filmmaking and this is coming from someone who absolutely love's Alan Moore and was so cynical about Hollywood adaptations of his work that I avoided watching this until tonight. I vaguely remembered some of the some of the New Yorker, Village Voice, and NYTimes bashing of the film, and since I have a lot of respect for those critics (scott, hoberman, etc.) I avoided the movie. What a mistake. The movie is genuinely gorgeous at times, and the cynicism and projection that was at the heart of the original story are so well preserved. Only the dullest Axe Spray huffing idiot would think the movie is not worth seeing. Please watch and enjoy.… Expand

I can appreciate the generally mixed critic reviews, but happen to side with those who liked the film immensely. For the record, I did not read the graphic novel, and I think I understood enough from the film in one viewing not to need to read it. Had I read it, I would've been too busy nitpicking about what was changed or missing to actually enjoy the film (I also saw the first Harry Potter film before reading the books, and enjoyed the film a lot more as a result.) So in this case, ignorance is bliss. This was a long movie, but I didn't leave my seat, because every moment was exciting. I also found it was more entertaining and less plodding than "The Dark Knight," a film many are comparing it too. In some regards, "Knight" even feels blander in my memory, although I loved it. But perhaps that's why Dark Knight was so much less polarizing. It wasn't as risky.… Expand

As a person that did not read the graphic novel before watching this movie, I had no idea what to expect. I read up on the the story and was quite hyped for the movie. Well, my expectations were blown away. This movie is epic and is one of my favorite superhero movies ever. The story apparently translates really well to a movie and I feel that I could understand all the plot elements that many like me that hadn't read the novel could not understand. If you have not read the book, I suggest that you at least read up a little about the characters to understand the deep stories behind them. The characters are what tmakes the movie shine. Most of the characters are well acted, most of all by Jackie Earle Haley as Rorshach. He was incredible and played one of the most impressive roles I've seen in years. The violence is quite over-the-top and is pretty awesome if you like that kind of stuff. This movie is definitely not for children; along with the obscene amounts of violence there is also a lot of nudity and some language as well. The script is well written and Zack Snyder does a great job of directing everything. Everything fits in well. The movie is pretty long at 2 hours and 43 minutes, but it is well worth the ticket price and I highly suggest. If you consider yourself a nerd or a fan of superhero movies at all, this is a must-see.… Expand

I ranked it a three for the fight scenes, and that's it - what a waist of movie. Also, this movie is not for the non-comic book audience at all. This movie makes me wanna cuss...

I couldn't get the hype behind Snyder's "300" even after seeing it a few times, but this, I understand. "Watchmen" is the glossiest form of grit you could ever imagine; think "Taxi Driver" and "The Warriors" with the sensibilities of Stanley Kubrick. It isn't a masterpiece, but it's absolutely in the same league of "The Dark Knight" as far as truly great, gritty popcorn entertainment.… Expand

Just watched this for the second time, and enjoyed it vastly more the 2nd time. It's so true to the spirit of the graphic novel, it's a totally immersive experience. I really liked it the first viewing, but really loved it the second. Can't wait for the blu-ray with all the additional scenes!

It was almost like the novel and i get that nowadays american public cannot sit or like a movie that makes you think that is what the american cinema once was in its hayday.

Glad to see this movie. It was awesome. It should please the fans of the comic. To me the movie matched exactly the comic. I can understand the hate, this ideas in this story are a bit complicated but the movie kept its form compared to the comic. The movie itself is a historic and visual restoration of the comic. For that am greatly thankful. That's all i wanted and i got it. I';m glad it was done this way. I didn't want watchmen story to change. It was the best!… Expand

I had never heard of watchmen until the trailer appeared on xbox live, I was glad i saw the film! It was very enjoyable if a little graphic and you did not need to know any background info to find the film enjoyable at all!

I thought this movie was truly great in nearly every respect. The acting was good, the plot was (obviously) comic book-esque, but still good. The acting clicked very well, and overall the movie feels like an adult super-hero epic. For not having experienced the graphic novel, I'm stunned, and very impressed with what Zack Snyder's done. It made me run out and buy the graphic novel the next day, and that's truly a testament to its power.… Expand

This is possibly the most foul, violent, trite, morally reprehensible pastiche of American cinema ever. Even if I were blind to everything that is offensive about it, its pure aesthetic and entertainment merits alone are enough to make me want to nauseated. That it is earning millions of dollars in the box office and earning high ratings on every movie site suggests to me numerous choice reflections on American society. A brief, albeit comprehensive overview: So...the world is about to go into the last stages of annihilation and the only one that can save it is a blue full-frontal stand-in for god. The most eloquent ambassador that is sent on behalf of humankind is a leather booted large-breasted bimbo who stomps when she doesn't get her way? This is because our day-glo god left his loyal physicist wife for the tramp and apparently she is the most precious thing mankind has left to offer, even though she sluts it around with everyone else. Unfortunately for mankind, she seems more traumatized by the discovery of her illegitimate birth than the hundreds of millions of people that are about to die. But luckily for her, the people do get bombed to a grotesque withering mass death but we discover that her mother loves her so it's OK. It's offensive on every level imaginable. Pregnant women get shot. Women get raped, but return for more. Little girls are mutilated and fed to dogs, but this violence is justified by more violence (sound familiar?). Namely, in this case, the masked avenger hacking the kidnapper with an ax until there is nothing left but some bloody pulpy mass. But worse it doesn't just try to be gratuitous violence married with the most vulgar and cliché adolescent pornography--I'd let 300 slide--the sickening part is that it comports itself as a profound redemptive reflection on mankind. As if all that was done was justified by some shoddy mythological and not even arcane historical references and piss poor attempt at a discussion on Deism. The most ironic part of the film is its attempt to critique the violence and repulsive aspects of human nature but then perpetuates it by tainting the minds of anyone who watched with its filth. In my comfortable liberal existence, I never once considered censorship as an issue to be discussed, but I would happily censor this one. and, Anyone who enjoyed the movie should reconsider their consumptive and putrid existence.… Expand

The movie never feels overlong (quite an achievement at 2.44 hrs) and the acting is great. Seeing the movie after seeing it panned in so many reviews I was pleasantly surprised. I can absolutely recommend this film to anyone, comic geek or not.

Amazing! The closest adaptation to any graphic novel so far!

read "Watchmen" 7 days ago - that was great! just watched the film and i was blown away Great Film - Great Sound Track

Action sequences were perfectly shot, excellent casting, great direction, the acting really made you feel the hopelessness and despair of their world. Loved the book, loved the movie, enough said.

It has its problems, but the Manhattan sequence scored by recycled Philip Glass pieces is cinematic perfection. Not as good, but it will last longer than The Dark Knight simply because of the material.

Interesting to look at, hard to care about. For those who say you need to read the comic to enjoy the movie... then why watch the movie at all?

It seems that everyone that panned this epic film forgot one thing...That it is not the graphic novel. And for someone who has not read the story since it was originally released I found the film disturbingly relevant and sublime in its dedication to the source. For under three hours I was transfixed by the beauty of the images and the violence of the story. A superb re-telling of a classic tale that unfortunately will not be appreciated. Its hypocritical that critics of the film have charged it with being to literal a translation when thier very reviews seem steeped in the lore of the graphic novel itself.… Expand

Saw it as a sneak peek early screening. Was blown away by how faithful many of the scenes were transferred from the graphic novel, a huge fan service. The altered ending was not surprising, but not a total loss either. For die hard fans, this is a must see. For people not familiar with the book, they may be less inclined to do so or care to understand the story. Overall, it's a beautiful story full of vengeance, carnage, and mystery that compels the viewer to want more. But don't bring your kids.… Expand

Near perfect adaptation of the source, superb casting, the ending has been changed slightly to good effect. didn't pull any punches - very enjoyable.

It was extremely faithful to the book and was wonderfully well done. However, at times it was extremely cheesy at times (the sex scene)

Everything the book was, with a better ending. Superb movie!

I just saw the midnight viewing. This may already tip you off that I liked the graphic novel. If you also are a fanboy, you will love this movie. Hands down. I wish I could give it a different score for people who hadn't seen it. We brought along a friend who knew nothing about Watchmen except that it had a giant blue guy in it, and he loved it, too. Didn't understand it as much, though, so he said he'd give it an 8.… Expand

As a fan of Watchmen, this movie was great, like watching the graphic novel. Those negative reviews out there are absolutely ridiculous. Sure, I had high expectations, I did with the Lord of the Rings too, but I wasn't disappointed then and I haven't been now. What Peter Jackson did for fantasy, Zack Snyder has done for the graphic novel. He is a genius and this masterpiece shows it. It's gritty and epic, not missing out on the depth behind everything. But don't just take my word for it, sure Watchmen is not for everyone, it's a little more graphic than I expected, but it fit the setting. If you're up for a thrill ride, give Watchmen a shot.… Expand

One of the most well paced, perfectly acted and socially relevant movies I have ever seen

Amazing movie followed the novel closely was not disappointing at all.

This is easily the best movie I've ever seen.

I enjoyed the beginning montage scene. And all the noire stuff with Roscharck was great. The third act was pretty weak. Considering the budget, it could have looked a bit better.

Don't know how this scored so low. It is incredible.

Entertaining if you don't think about it too much and just go with it. I have never read the "graphic novel" (apparently a fancy word for a comic book) so keep that in mind. There is fun to be had here. The Comedian is a well realized character, as is that Owl dude and Rorschach (?), even though the Owl dude is just a poor man's batman in reality. The main bad guy is a little boring and fey. The Blue Guy and his Wife are pretty much boring and you never really care about them. The script is convoluted and did not make a lot of sense to me. Some parts of the movie are just flat dumb....why does Blue Dude have that circle on his forehead? Instead of just leaving it unexplained (like this is the only thing in this movie that needs an explaination) there is a scene where he uses his finger to draw it on his forehead...oh! ok, now I understand! The overall look of this movie was so-so....nothing really innovative here, and some of the effects I thought were pretty bad (like the whole blue man effect) and really nothing innovative here (300 was better). The make-up was REALLY BAD (I saw it in Imax)...lots of really apparent goofy wigs and latex noses and wrinkles. The use of "popular music" was poorly executed. At times they try to use the music to frame the time events are happening (like using "99 ballons" for a scene from the 80's) but then the suddenly also start using music from the 60's and so this was in-congruent and they were not very innovative in their music selection (took too many obvious choices..e.g. Sound of Silence during a funeral scene). If you don't try to make sense of the script you will be ok. Some of it seems really campy...imagine a world where Richard Nixon is Still President! Although this might have seemed creepy back in the 80's, now it just seems dopey if you are trying to frame a "disturbing alternate view of the world" (and considering what we have all just gone through with Dubya, it almost seems like a comforting notion). Most of the actors are well cast and do good jobs. I guess it is an "adult comic book movie" because there are boobs and people have sex. But I am immensely confused about the whole premise of the Watchmen. So, they started out as cops who started dressing up (so they are normal guys) but in this movie they start doing Superhuman things (running up walls, punching through them, etc.) so that to me does not make any sense. Anyways, like I say, don't think about it too much, go with it, and you will have fun, but don't believe the hype about what a sophisticated take on superheroes this is.… Expand

This movie is a visual masterpiece. All the characters are classic, and he story could not be any better.

I have read and enjoyed the comic book, however I found this film rubbish. The film was an almost direct translation of the book which was good for some short action sequences (the prison bit) but for the majority of the film caused the plot to slow down to a crawl and become very very boring. I really like the book but I would not read it all in one sitting, same goes for this film and possibly a TV miniseries would have been better. The best advice would be just to read the comic and ignore this film.… Expand

It did not suck.... I kept waiting for some bad ass scene but it never came.... Overall it was one of the most disappointing movies I have ever seen... Watchmen had the perfect recipe for a classic and it was way too long, movies that long need to have great action to keep their desired audience watching.. Total bummer, this is the flop of the year, all that bark and no bite...

This movie was great. I could see how people wouldn't like it, but personally I read and loved the comic and this was a very faithful and entertaining movie.

Great movie! I loved the novel, and I was very pleased with this interpretation of it!

Overall okay, but too direct of an adaptation of the graphic novel to the big screen. Its pacing was often schizophrenic and the music choices, while funny, didn't quite work right. Overall they stuck too close to the graphic novel. Some of the dialogue, directly taken from the graphic novel, sounded stilted and somehow wrong. Rorsarch and Doctor Manhattan's speech patterns both showed this; while they sounded good sometimes, at other times they sounded awful. Overall, an okay movie, but unexceptional due to the directness of the adaptation.… Expand

I love the comic books. And I loved the movie. I mean, the comic book was epic and there was no way they were going to be able to fit all the information in the movie, unless the movie was about 6 or 7 hours long, perhaps longer. Yes the movie looked like the cinematography was lifted straight out of the comic books, but i don't understand why some others think this is such a bad thing.

I loved it. Perfect soundtrack, with Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen topping it perfectly. Stuck to the graphic novel only as much as it needed to. I loved the slow-motion scenes and the actor for the midget in jail. I expected Kramer to be running in any second. ("It's a riot, Mickey!")

Excellent adaptation from the graphic novel. The reviewers who gave it poor reviews didn't read the graphic novel... sorry for giving you a film that requires a little bit of work. I guess you're not used to that these days. Hollywood has gotten lazy.

Much of what Rowdy R says is true, but i would go a step further and say this movie is boring. It can be cut into two halves -- the first half focusing on nothing but character development of boring characters, and the second half is where some plot finally tries to take place. The ending of course has a couple of predictable plot twists to stick with the formula. The script is all very confusing and the film itself is too long... about 30minutes too long. In its defense, the masked dude and his droning monologues is quite cool, as is the prison break scene. But great special effects dont make a movie great. If you're a fan of the comic book or the wave of comic movies that hollywood is pumping out these days, you might enjoy this. Otherwise save your money, go see Gran Torino.… Expand

I can understand why someone without patience would rate this movie poorly as it takes some time for the story to play out. It certainly doesn't deserve the lower ratings on Metacritic. If you are on the fence due to the mixed reviews I say ignore them and go see the movie. It probably won't be what you are expecting but in a good way.

This is a movie without a roadmap. It heads for uncharted territory and doesn't give you a sense of where it is going. If you need the familiarity of the same old action film or ages old story told again and again, this movie is not for you. If you want something different and like doing unexpected things at 3am, then this is your movie. If Hollywood and the Academy are being honest about treating "Superhero Movies" as legit drama, then please consider Jackie Earle Haley for a Best Supporting Actor nod. Full disclosure: I am a female and although in general I have enjoyed graphic novels and comics in the past, I never read the Watchmen.… Collapse

What is wrong, here? Am I the only user reviewer who sees this? The acting was terrible, the tone was off, it was less a movie and more a montage homage of the novel WITH ADDED sex scenes, all delivered with zero emotion. zero emotion. . So much did not make sense because so much was taken out and the criptwriters did not bother trying to use their noggin. We're talking about a movie of probably the greatest superhero comic ever written... it was terrible. It was horrible. It hurt. It Failed. It was worse than matrix reloaded. Christopher Nolan, please, make Watchmen in ten years time. You're all we have left.… Expand

Great flick!, I am a SciFi fan and never read the book, but it was a great flick!

Very enjoyable movie. Not as good as the graphic novel, but for the most part, I appreciated how faithful the adaptation was to the book (especially compared to what other producers had in mind before Snyder took over). Jackie Earle Haley turned this movie into an 8.5 (rounded up to 9) from a 6.5-7.5.

My expectations were so high, I was scared that the film wouldn't even closely resemble the picture in my head of how it would play out. Yes, I was a huge fan of the graphic novel, as was everyone who's read it, yet the film truly does it justice. Ignore the negative reviews, go and see it and make up a decision for yourselves. This film is the new Dark Knight: A new frontier in comic book movies. I was left on the edge of my seat for the entire duration of the movie.… Expand

Visually stunning, and thoroughly thought provoking. While the theme of the movie might be a bit cliche, the execution and characterization is wonderful. An excellent movie if you have an open mind.

Probably an excellent movie for those who have not read the graphic novel, though those who have will recognize that it's the bare-bones of the original story. It is altered in some key points and subtle but important scenes have been thrown out. Characterizations in the film are in a decent way, with Rorschach and The Comedian being brilliantly cast, but others like the Silk Specter and lots of side characters acting come off as camp and bring the movie down a peg with insincere and often bored portrayals.… Expand

Overall good job my Snyder. Faithfull to the graphic novel and a good show.

Although not quite as amazing as the original, this is by far the best graphic novel-to-film adaptation I have ever seen. The few changes that had to be made were intelligent and worked well. Overall this movie makes the great story that is Watchmen accessible to all.

No sure how anyone could give this a low rating and I think the "yellow" metacritic rating is bunk, since a huge chunk of critics rated it in the "green". This movie is thematically and visually unlike most squeaky clean superhero movies (Dark Knight not withstanding). If big screen superhero action is not your think, don''t both. But I was enthralled from the opening/title sequence onward. Though I will admit it sorta conformed to some superhero cliches in the last act (hence the 8 rating instead of 10). A must see, for sure.… Expand

I thought that this movie was a triumph. It had perfect casting, the music was excellent, and it captured the hopelessness of the graphic novel. The things that were different were very different, but without the additional sub-plots and extras from the novel, they helped to loop all the characters together in the end. Very good film adaption.

Watchmen is one if not THE worst movie I have ever seen. I can see how fans of the graphic novel may enjoy seeing the story brought to the big screen but newcomers stay away. The story bounces from the past to the present often leaving you wondering what is going on and detracts from the story line rather than adding to it. The movie also features a great soundtrack but the songs also take away from the film. Save your money, avoid this one.… Expand

This film is abysmal. Horrible pace, pointless plot, awkward acting, one of the worst and most uncomfortable sex scenes I've ever seen, and stilted uncomfortable action. And its long. Very long. Do not believe the people who give this positive reviews, its not clever, its not engaging, and it's certainly NOT a masterpiece. I saw this at an Imax preview in Perth, WA. About 30 people walked out... enough said. Avoid at all costs.… Expand

Watchmen follows the novel and turns it into a spectacular and awe-inspiring film.

I absolutely loved this movie. I have yet to finish reading the novel but nonetheless I was amazed with the story and characters and how artful every detail was rendered. I loved how long the movie was too, I often feel when I walk out of movie theaters that the movie that I saw was not long enough or that more could have been done but I had none of these feelings for Watchmen. See this movie and then read the novel. Both will blow you away! I cant wait for dvd release I'm getting the highest/best edition there is!… Expand

This movie was intended for the fanboys of the original graphic novel. It was the best adaptation I could have wished for from the original source material. This story is not the average super hero action film and is more of a psychological thriller that really needs intelligence to fully appreciate it's message.

Never read the novels (wanting to now though). An amazing, original movie for a change. Actually forces viewers to think, while providing amazing effects, and near-sickening brutality. A bit long, but never to a boring extent. Every ten minutes blood gushed, there was a smoking hot woman or something interesting was said. No complaints here...best comic book movie ever.

I have never read the watchmen novel. I've never heard of the watchmen before this film and yet I understood the movie and loved it. These are imperfect characters, super heroes that are at times self-serving and all, very flawed and one of the most ugly, flawed of all, stays true to his principles, his care for the humanity and justice even to the point of his death. Forget the time, just immerse yourself in the story, the world will still be there when you get out, only, you may view the world differently.… Expand

10 thumps up gore,accion,story,great combination of music, certanly the best super hero movie of all times

An amazing adaptation.Jackie Earl haley owns the film in just a few minutes of screen time. Kudos to Z. Snyder and the whole crew. The production design was right out of the comic!

I really liked it, but then, I read the original years ago, and re-read it recently. It's so close to the comic that I can't really say how it stands on its own as a movie. I recommend, it, but it may be more enjoyable if you read it first.

The reviewer below me, Tim, is an extremely ignorant human being. He claims that anyone who likes this movie lives in their parents basement, and has their head up their butt hole. Clearly ridiculous, with opponents like this I need to make little argument to prove my point. To begin, I thought the fight scenes in the movie were very well done, and very exhilirating. I thought the story was an absolute classic, the ending probably being my favorite part. Yes I did have a few qualms with the movie, such as Silk Spectre's acting job, but nothing too serious. I thought the special effects were beautiful. The music during specific scenes such as "The Times are A-Changing" and "Sound of Silence" were meticulously placed. Overall I thought this movie was very good, not only was it thoroughly entertaining, but it also delved deep into philosophical and political issues and portrayed a message that left with each viewer. I truly think this movie is the best so far this year, and it clearly merits a 10/10 in my opinion.… Expand

As not someone who had not heard of the watchmen, until this Film's release I went into the theatre with an open mind, not expecting anything too good. Boy I was satisfied with the visual feast on offering. I understand some parts are per the graphic novel almost on a short of shot basis, while other parts of the story are ignored. Personally I wouldn't have minded the extra length that this would have added to the films length. the 163 minutes flew by. Great Film. This will be a DVD must be on it's release.… Expand

I wish tim actually gave a reason why he thought the movie was bad. all in all, fabulous movie. and i am a late 20's art snob who loved the graphic novel and has loved comic books his whole life.

Excellent comic book to movie translation. Visual effects were stunning, acting and plot were very good. I believe that people that didn't enjoy the film was for two major factors. 1. They didn't read the comic book and couldn't follow the complex story involving multiple protagonist. 2. They read the comic and expected every single detail to be included in a two hour 40 minute movie, which of course would require the movie to have been over 6 hours judging by the motion comics.… Expand

Never read the graphic novel till after seeing this film. Info: I'm a huge film buff. Love independent and foriegn films due to philosophical content typically expressed. This film, though not perfect, was fascinating. If you pay attention to politics and the worldwide push for globalization and a NWO, this film is haunting. I went and read the graphic novel afterwards. It is, of course, better. Why make an exact copy in cinematic form? If you want an honest representation, read the novel. As a film, Watchmen was great. It was also fairly close to the novel and dead-on in many aspects. If you have the mental ability to fill in certain shoddy sections of the film, as one does when viewing/reading a comic, then it is pretty damn good. Use your brain, connect the dots, and see this. It is different, haunting, and different. Good stuff.… Expand

Knew nothing about the comic book, and i really enjoyed it not your average comic book film.

I won't say anything other than that this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The fact that it is based on a graphic novel is irrelevant (I have never read it.) All that matters is that it explores real issues like hopelessness, despair, loneliness and sense of self-worth more than almost any Oscar-caliber drama ever has. Much of the story deserves to be compared far more with Death of a Salesman than with Batman. Wonderful!!!… Expand

I love superheroes. But this movie was a disappointment. I found it long winded and meandering. The graphic novel was great. But as movies go, I'd rather watch almost any comic book based movie than this one. (except maybe Ghost Rider lol) It just missed the mark it almost every way. And I hated hearing Hendrix in the soundtrack...I love Jimi, but what horrible placement.