Review of Watchmen (2009) by Sagaciousfrank . — 21 Apr 2017

I knew nothing of the graphic novel when I came to watch 'Watchmen', except that the film was based on comics. I watched the 'Director's Cut', and I was completely engaged from beginning to end despite it running just over 3 hours.

Not only is it visually striking and aurally brilliant, but I really enjoyed how Snyder paced and told the story and characters. I felt that despite not knowing anything from the source material, I got to know these characters reasonably well.

There are some grand moments of action and Snyder shoots these with style and composure, never becoming over the top or confusing. He keeps the actions steady and focused. He tells the story well and gives ample back story to the main characters.

And he does it with clarity and balanced pacing. I cannot begin to describe here how surprised I was that this film more or less nailed it for me from an entertaining perspective. The dark tone and very human qualities of the vilgilantes makes them very believable.

The script is very tight and some parts are fairly profound but never too deep or pretentious. It simply strikes the right balance. This is possibly the best super hero/villain film I've ever seen, and it is without a doubt Snyder's best film to date.

Rorschach was my favourite character. Not only is he badass, but he's the purest of them all, maintaining an inviolable principle of justice in the face of anything and everything. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommend.

5/5*.