SYNOPSIS: A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, "Watchmen" is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the Doomsday Clock--which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union--moves closer to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the outlawed but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion--a disbanded group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers--Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching the Watchmen?

REVIEW: Rorschach: The world will look up and shout "Save us!"... And I'll whisper "No."

Just when you thought you had seen it all in superhero movies, here comes another one with a totally different perspective. And boy is it different. You can call it artistic, realistic, modernistic, dramatic, weird, or just plain down to earth, but whatever you call it, it is different. It does also have its similarities with others. It is a mix of the concept from The Incredibles, the multiple superhero characters from X-Men, a touch of reluctance from Hancock, the grandeur of Superman, all wrapped up in the look and feel of a Batman movie. Imagine that! Throw in a storyline that seems to be more about the story and the drama than the action and you’ve got an unusual superhero movie. There are good chunks of action every now and then but I wouldn’t exactly call this movie action-packed. At almost 3 hours long, the limited action does slow down the movie a bit but luckily it kicks in at the right times. The story of these retired heroes, however, brings a sad and depressing tone that is prevalent throughout the film. There is plenty of fantasy but it does stay grounded with its drama and realism. It is also quite sexy and speaking of which, you might want to avoid taking children to see this one because there are a few racy scenes. After all, the film is rated R, and I would call it a strong rated R.

Rorschach: An attack on one is an attack on all of us.

And so the plot thickens. The way the story is laid out and presented is pretty good but the content is puzzling. Regardless, from the onset of the picture with its powerful black on yellow title screens, you are drawn in to the world of the Watchmen. The three strongest characteristics of this movie are the music/sound, the special effects, and the cinematography. The music spans the decades from the 60s to the 80s and the select pieces are very appropriate. The sound effects used are powerful and deliberate. The visual effects are top notch. From Rorschach’s ever changing, face-covering hood to Dr. Manhattan and pretty much anything he does are all visually amazing. To better enhance both of these effects, audio and visual, the cinematography work was fantastic. Starting with the overall dark, gloomy look with pale coloring and silhouettes used throughout and adding some sharp camera shots and proper sets, it really made the movie. It is similar to the awesome job done in Sin City, but a little more subtle. But of course, the movie is about the characters and these characters are really characters if you know what I mean. Each of them in a world of their own with backgrounds and a history that makes it difficult to believe that they can actually mesh well enough as a team and be successful at it. The performances that really stood out were given by Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan and Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Billy was cold, calculated, and intellectual, almost god-like. Jackie delivered a deep, dark, determined character that is arguably the most dramatic role in the film. Zack Snyder did a masterful job with the direction of 300 so you could easily expect good things from him. Overall this motion picture will not let you down, but I wouldn’t put it above 300 . . . it is a close second.

Review By Cine Marcos 
cinemarcos@smartcine.com

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