What do you get when you combine a conspiracy theory, historical fiction, sex, violence and some retired superheroes? You get two hours and 40 minutes of intensity that begs to be watched no matter how large the urge to wince may be. You get "Watchmen," based on the 1987 graphic novel of the same name. The film revolves around a group of retired superheroes who were first exploited and then asked to step down by the U.S.government after assisting in a Vietnam War victory. It takes place in an alternate 1985 when Richard Nixon manages to be elected for a fifth term and the Cold War has not yet ended. The appeal of the movie is that it presents a more realistic look at what the pressures of being a superhero would do to the psyche. As retired superhero and outlaw vigilante Walter Kovacs, also known as Rorschach, points out most superheroes either have personality disorders or are murdered. These heroes aren't necessarily people that should be looked up to or emulated, unlike the never-do-wrongs like Superman or Spiderman. None of the superheroes actually have super powers. They all have their own reasons for fighting crime. Rorschach, played by Jackie Earle Hayley, sees the world in black and white with no shades of gray. Silk Spectre II, played by Malin Ackerman, is a superhero because her mother was a superhero and wanted her daughter to follow in her footsteps. Dan Dreiberg also known as Nite Owl II, played by Patrick Wilson, wanted to change the world, but quickly became disillusioned with the way that people treated each other and him. Adrian Veidt, who was the superhero Ozymandius, played by Matthew Goode, used his time as a masked hero to become rich and powerful. The only member of the Watchmen who had any superpowers is Dr. Manhattan, played by Billy Crudup. A science experiment went awry and gave him the powers of a god. He is completely unstoppable and the only reason the USSR and America haven't gone to war. After another retired superhero Eddie Blake, also known as The Comedian, played by Jefferey Dean Morgan, is thrown out of the window of his high rise apartment, Rorschach takes it upon himself to find out why. His investigation uncovers a much more sinister plot that involves all the other masked heroes and even the nuclear bomb. The twist at the end causes the viewer to question how bad the means can be to still allow the ends to be justified. The movie is rated R and not too far into the plot you'll begin to realize why. The violence induces some wincing, but the most uncomfortable moments in the film come from the long, drawn out sex scenes. The point of these is lost on me, the movie is long enough without the softcore porn that, had it have been left out, would have had no effect on the plot. While the film clocks in at just under three hours, there is no appropriate cutoff in the movie until the very end. Every minute, minus the extensive sex scenes, is worth watching because of the plot's intricacies. If you are a fan of the novel then you will appreciate that almost every frame of the book has been lovingly and faithfully recreated by the film's director Zack Snyder, until the very end, when he slightly deviates from the comic. It doesn't hurt the story too much as it is still an incredibly powerful ending.
As far as superhero movies go, "Watchmen" most certainly raises the bar and will not leave you disappointed. t&c;
