It was with great anticipation that I went along to watch the Watchmen on the weekend. As we all know though, with great anticipation, can come great disappointment. So does the film deliver?

The graphic novel (note: not comic) Watchmen is one of the more revered illustrated stories in the universe. It was first released in 1986, and it's a little surprising to see that it's taken this long for a film version to hit the screen.

Watchmen is set in an alternative version of 1985. Masked vigilantes have been outlawed, Richard Nixon is still President of the United States, and the world is on the edge of armageddon as nuclear war between the US and Russia is no longer a matter of 'if' but 'when'.

As with the novel, the film opens with the spectacular murder of The Comedian, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a massive departure from his role in Grey's Anatomy. The Comedian was a member of a wider fraternity of semi-retired superheroes, that also includes the Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), Ozymandius (Matthew Goode), Silk Spectre 2, (Malin Akerman) and my personal favorite, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Hayley). Rorschach, the most active member of the group, decides to investigate the Comedians death. What follows is a murder mystery of sorts that unravels into a conspiracy of epic proportions.

As well as the "whodunnit" aspect of the film, it also delves into the complex relationships between the characters in a way in which you may not have expected from a 'comic book' movie. It's an onion of a story, lots of layers.

The film adaptation is faithful to the book. In fact, you'll be forgiven for wondering if they even bothered with a script writer, as for the most part the film is a shot for shot adaptation of the book. I'm sure they were able to save money on production by not having to worry about story boarding this thing. Personally, I found this level of faithfulness a blessing, particularly when I need to sneak out for a toilet break. In case you're interested, I waited until Night Owl and Silk Spectre 2 where engaged in a chat about 'feelings' and what not.

Watchmen is also a film that looks awesome on the big screen. Visually it whacks you over the head, and demands your attention. The opening credits/montage, in particular, are some of the best I've seen.

It's not a kids film, and in places it's quite violent and gory. There's also the small matter of Billy Crudup walking around naked for a majority of his time onscreen, with his glowing blue penis front and center. On a positive not Malin Akerman, as Silk Spectre 2, is all kinds of hot, and I think I'm in love.

In terms of performances, Jackie Earle Hayley steals the show as Rorschach, the brutal crime fighting machine. He's not all sweetness and light, he's actually a little creepy, and his voice is menacing in a way that makes you take notice. I think that the decision to cast relative 'unkowns' in the key roles was a good one, as they don't carry the baggage that big names might have brought to the production.

With Watchmen, director Zack Snyder has taken and awesome story, and managed to bring it to the big screen without screwing it up! Watchmen is on a par with Gran Torino as the best film of 2009. I'm giving it 5 out of 5.

If you want to read a review of the graphic novel, try this: Watchmen review.

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