Watchmen - Spoilers, but you've read the book, right? RIGHT?!

Who Watches the Watchmen?

Me, actually.

I went to see Watchmen on saturday, and it's superb. I have a couple of gripes with it, most of which revolve around the ending.

I can fully understand why they did what they did, and it doesnt really detract from the overall plot. In fact, it could be seen as an improvement in a way. If they'd stuck to the original ending, an extra half hour plus would have had to be added to an already two-and-a-half-hour film.

My other gripe was with the audience. You see, Doc Manhattan was done properly. So, Full frontal male nudity is a given. Apparently adult males in Ireland titter and giggle like schoolgirls when they see a penis. Honestly...I actually heard '...willy...heeheehee' from a grown man somewhere behind me.

That said, the film itself was spectacular. The acting was top notch, particularly Jakie Earle Haley as Rorschach, who was utterly convincing. Jeffery Dean Morgan as The Comedian was another highlight. All of the characters in the film were portrayed true to the book, from Doc Manhattan's slightly melancholy detachment to Rorschach's violent Sociopathy.

The film itself was uncompromising. All the gore, twisted humor, violence etc. from the book is in the film and, to be fair, there's a LOT more gore than the book, but it looks awesome. If I'd spent that much on exploding human being effects, I'd have used them a lot too. I don't think I'll ever get bored of exploding/vapourising bad guys done with such visceral glee. Also, Malin Akerman is smoking hot as the Silk Spectre II, and I don't think its possible to get bored of looking at hot women in latex/pvc.

The Soundtrack is almost worth the ticket price by itself, with tracks portraying the eras in which the story is set beautifully. That said, the choice/placing of 'Hallelujah' was somewhat odd, especially because it makes a sex scene funny in a macabre sort of way. Not that I'm complaining.

Overall I'm really Impressed with the film they said could never be made. A really satisfying attmept to convert THE graphic novel into a film.