Watchmen Movie Review
This is a tough review to write for me, mainly because I was so looking forward to the film. We at The Number One Film Site are fans of comic book films. We greatly enjoy seeing movies about superheroes. Speed Racer was arguably our favorite movie of 2009, the perfect blend of action, emotion, and zany hijinks. Iron Man was another film we loved, watching Robert Downey Jr. as the super fun having Tony Stark. Watchmen is neither of these movies. While it may be based on the number one comic book of all time, it is hardly a film we can recommend.
First off, the lack of starpower is noticeable. Instead of getting an A-List cast, the movie is packed with nobodies. The only person I recognized was the guy who played Dr. Manhattan, only because he was in the excellent Mission Impossible 3. The rest of the cast is filled out by actors who do their best, but lack the talent to carry a movie of this magnitude. Who are these people and why should I care about their acting when they can't even get on the cover of a magazine?
Second, the movie is so serious. Where is the excitement? Where's the fun? Director Zach Snyder did such a remarkable job with 300 of making the the movie so much fun. People cheered when the Spartans kicked Persians down wells or speared them to death. Watchmen lacks any of that sense of excitement. There's a lot of talking, and I mean A LOT. There is constant focus on the character's thoughts and feelings. They talk about life, death, love, the end of the world. It's such a downer. These were not superheroes I wanted to be. Part of me wished they were more like Spiderman, but there are no scenes of the characters having fun or dancing. The producers and filmmakers try so hard to make the movie serious. Watchmen is the kind of movie that tries to make you think, and for a comic book movie, I find that kind of bad.
All in all, Watchmen is a disappointment, because it takes away the one reason people go to see comic book movies: fun. It's too bad, because last year was such a good year for comic book movies. From Speed Racer, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and The Spirit. Watchmen is just like Punisher War Zone. It's violent and it doesn't have a star worth mentioning.
On the good side, the movie looks incredible. The visual style is surely going to get someone an Oscar for effects next year. And the slow motion/fast motion style is still pretty awesome to watch. My only complaint is that there could have been more of it. Snyder reserves it for action sequences, but why not use it when characters are drinking coffee or walking down the street. If you're going for a technique, don't be afraid to go all the way with it.
Overall, I'm very disappointed, and I think comic book fans will be too.
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