I will admit that I am a bit biased in terms of the film, I read the graphic novel first, but I definitely enjoyed it for the most part. The dialogue was true to the novel and the sets even more so. The casting was excellent and acting was very well done. I was very impressed in that regard. Still, I just couldn't help but feel that something was missing. Perhaps it was the fact that the film shied away from the characters a bit too much? Some of my friends, who hadn't read the novel, were confused about some of the names and characters after our viewing and that really struck me as odd. No movie should allow something like that to happen, especially in terms of Watchmen because it is a character driven story. Also, a lot of the events that were changed kind of bothered me because I didn't really see why they needed to be changed. This goes quadruply for the ending of the film.
My biggest problem with Watchmen, however, came in the form of the sound track. Calling it largely inappropriate doesn't even come close to how I feel about it. I never thought that I would be watching some of my favorite scenes with the music they chose blaring out of the speakers. I know that some of the songs are mentioned in the graphic novel, but their placement in the film was atrocious. It was like someone in editing just hooked up their iPod and went to town.
I am awarding Watchmen four stars out of five for it's amazing visuals, solid casting and acting, and true-to-the-book dialogue and story. Still, the music placement was awful, and annoying at times, and the some of the changes were just unnecessary. Watchmen is a definite must-see for any mature viewer that enjoys a good "comic" movie. Emphasis on good. If you enjoyed Spiderman 3 then well... I'm sorry I suppose.
