Watchmen

Name: Watchmen
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Released: March 6, 2009
Duration: 162 min
Rating: 56
Cast: Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson

2009

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 2489 Ratings

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8.1	User Score Universal acclaim based on 2489 Ratings

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Watchmen

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: March 6, 2009 | R

Starring: Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson

Summary: Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the outlawed but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with hisWatchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the outlawed but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion--a disbanded group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers--Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the Watchmen? (Warner Bros.)… Expand

Director: Zack Snyder

Genre(s): Action, Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 162 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Kyle Smith

Director Zack Snyder's cerebral, scintillating follow-up to "300" seems, to even a weary filmgoer's eye, as fresh and magnificent in sound and vision as "2001" must have seemed in 1968, yet in its eagerness to argue with itself, it resembles "A Clockwork Orange." Read full review

100

Andrew O'Hehir

A terrific comic-book movie, the most completely satisfying and unsettling one I've ever seen. Read full review

Lawrence Toppman

Watchmen is a fitting tribute to Alan Moore's fascinating graphic novel, even if he refused to let his name be used in the credits. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Snyder stands revealed here as more of a beginner than a visionary in his uncertain approach to making an on-screen world come alive. Read full review

Claudia Puig

In the canon of comic-book movies, it's not as campy bad as the "Batman" starring George Clooney, but nowhere near the caliber of the Spider-Man movies or "The Dark Knight." It may have more style, but it's only a jot more entertaining than "Catwoman." Read full review

Pete Vonder Haar

Watchmen is indeed gorgeous, with Gibbons' original work reproduced and – in some cases – improved upon by detailed F/X, but even at a healthy two hours and 41 minutes the story feels truncated. Even abrupt. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Elegance isn't Zack Snyder's bag; a certain sort of impact is. Watchmen establishes him as Hollywood's reigning master of psychic suffocation. Read full review

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User Reviews

VittorioR.

Mar 7, 2009

If you're a fan of the comic books, please go see this movie. Only you can see the hard work that Warner Brothers has put into including all the suttle nuances. Those who have not read the Graphic novel, will likely feel overwhelmed, this was intended purposely. If you look a majority If you're a fan of the comic books, please go see this movie. Only you can see the hard work that Warner Brothers has put into including all the suttle nuances. Those who have not read the Graphic novel, will likely feel overwhelmed, this was intended purposely. If you look a majority of these reviews both user and critic you will see those who have read the graphic novel, adored it, and those who didn't found it average. It's because you pick up the allegorical, and biblical references if you've read the novel. If you haven't they will fly past your head because you're not prepared. It's a deep movie on several layers, although sill not as deep as the book. Overall fantastic movie, don't let the ninth grade reviews who don't know what allegory or symbolism to change your opinion of this movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

StefanK

May 17, 2009

Amazing Movie! Wish the Director's Cut Blu-Ray was out! Hey if I have ADHD and was able to sit through the movie, it was damn good! Leaving the theater wanting to see the supposed theatrical release of the Director's Cut, it had to be even better! Why did it get such mixed Amazing Movie! Wish the Director's Cut Blu-Ray was out! Hey if I have ADHD and was able to sit through the movie, it was damn good! Leaving the theater wanting to see the supposed theatrical release of the Director's Cut, it had to be even better! Why did it get such mixed reviews? The critics expecting a carbon copy of the book or just hated the movie before release, likely due to their opinions that it was the "unfilmable novel," were disappointed, due to very unfair biases. I can attest to the fact that some frames of the movie, could be digitally enhanced to look like frames from the comic book and visa-versa, meaning if that frame of the movie were an actual photograph, the comic panel would be a tracing of that photograph! But you can't expect everything to match! Some comic book elements don't translate to a perfect screenplay. Why wasn't Spider-Man criticized for giving Spidey the power to naturally produce web, instead of using cartridges, and making the Green Goblin a high-tech, glider-riding psycho, instead of the original Halloween costume wearing weirdo, even depicted as riding a broom in the original animated series? That movie was adored by most critics, and me. You can't expect a movie to get enormous critical success when it has such a devout cult following. It's sort of like my favorite music; heavy metal, heavy, heavy metal. Most people hate it, but all the underground headbangers and metalheads love it! Then when a softer, mainstream metal band hits, most devoted underground listeners hate it, even if critics praise the music! As for Watchmen; if you are a typical moviegoer, you will enjoy Watchmen, however, if you are a not-so-underground, die-hard, cult, original comic book worshiper, than you will hate it. Hopefully, as I have, you can appreciate both works, for the separate forms of art they are, and understand they aren't meant to kill one another, they just appeal to different crowds, and be part of both those crowds!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

XxKingLeonidas

Mar 17, 2011

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.

49 of 55 users found this helpful496

LiahT.

Mar 7, 2009

This movie is incredibly faithful to the graphic novel, which I guess some found disconcerting. It seems to me that the critics can't make up their minds when it comes to adaptations: they pan an adaptation if it isn't faithful enough, they pan an adaptation if its too faithful. This movie is incredibly faithful to the graphic novel, which I guess some found disconcerting. It seems to me that the critics can't make up their minds when it comes to adaptations: they pan an adaptation if it isn't faithful enough, they pan an adaptation if its too faithful. Make up your minds, people! Right now you all sound incredibly unfair.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JohnH

Mar 11, 2009

I read Watchmen this past summer after seeing the preview of the film version before The Dark Knight. Needless to say I became an instant fan and have been anticipating this film for quite some time. I recently saw Watchmen and was very pleased with how much attention was given to detail by I read Watchmen this past summer after seeing the preview of the film version before The Dark Knight. Needless to say I became an instant fan and have been anticipating this film for quite some time. I recently saw Watchmen and was very pleased with how much attention was given to detail by Zach Snyder. A few element of the story were left out, but the main elements were flawlessly portrayed throughout the entire film. I can see how someone could get lost in the film if they had not read the novel. However, anyone who enjoyed the film, will very much enjoy the graphic novel. GO READ WATCHMEN… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JamesCannon

Jan 3, 2013

I can see why fans of the novel enjoyed this..and I didnt entirely hate it, but it just didnt have that great stirring narrative feel that the graphic novel had. Of course not having a gaint squid kill millions in N.Y with its telekinesis powers was a little of downer but the film actuallyI can see why fans of the novel enjoyed this..and I didnt entirely hate it, but it just didnt have that great stirring narrative feel that the graphic novel had. Of course not having a gaint squid kill millions in N.Y with its telekinesis powers was a little of downer but the film actually pulls off some of the scenes from the book rather nicely. The casting isnt all the terrible either, esp. Rorschach, Nite Owl, and even the Comedian. I didnt mind all the violence either, it was violent book, but for some reason it had a shiny cartoony feel to it, much like he did with 300...kind of glossy blood violence. It also just didnt appear as smart as the book did either, many of lines of dialogue that came right from the book, came across clunky and also Ozymandius is given villain status immediately..his character was the one I just felt they completely missed the ball park on...but hell he didnt pretty decent job with a challenging movie.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Tedcook

Mar 6, 2009

Sieve with microscopic holes, looks fine, but all the meaning just pours right through.

0 of 3 users found this helpful

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3	#3 Most Discussed Movie of 2009
6	#6 Most Shared Movie of 2009