Watchmen

Last night ended up being a Watchmen night. I had other things to watch, but wasn't in the mood for them.

I remember being given a copy of the graphic novel (call it a comic if you prefer, I don't mind) when the movie was in production. My friends were big fans and wanted me to read it before the film came out. Of course, they were worried that the film wouldn't do the book justice; and after reading it so was I.

But Watchmen is a great film. It captures the spirit of the book brilliantly. From the alternate 1985, to the very gritty violence and the dilemmas posed by the conclusion. The ending differs in some details from the book but, if anything, I prefer the movie ending, which is more believable than the original.

The brilliance of the story in Watchmen is what makes it interesting. I think the film succeeds because the director understood that. He concentrated on telling the story and didn't get distracted by the fact that the characters happened to be superheroes.