This movie is bad.

Or rather, this is a bad movie adapted from one of the most beautiful, ingenious, and engaging graphic novels ever. Directed by Zack Snyder, Watchmen is a 2009 film based on the legendary graphic novel by Alan Moore. Snyder manages to make mediocre a film that could potentially have been the Non Plus Ultra of superhero cinema, and all the premises were there. A good cast, a budget of 130 million dollars, and above all, a top-notch screenplay and character psychology that only a genius like Alan Moore could conceive. Snyder had only one task, which was to take this brilliant screenplay and bring it to the screen. And the unfortunate thing is that he succeeded in failing.

The worst thing about the film is the cinematography, which is practically non-existent. Zero play of light and shadow, muddled and artificial... watching this film gives the sensation of watching something fake, and the excuse of wanting to give the film a comic and "dark" tone doesn't hold because in 1989, "Batman" by a certain Tim Burton wanted to give the same "comic and dark" impression, but it was done 10 times better than this. This film is the death of sight and cinematography. Unfortunately, the direction doesn't hold up... elementary mistakes in the field and counter-field, slow-motion effects practically everywhere, rather poor special effects (remember the 130 million budget), and confusing fight scenes, at times almost "amateurish." Moreover, if there were an award for the worst sex scene in a movie, this film would be among the potential winners. Badly shot, even worse acted, and borderline pornographic. In comparison, the one in 300 (also by Snyder) was Oscar-worthy. Essentially, we are faced with a work that has fairly well-made characters and screenplay (thanks to that genius Moore, Snyder has nothing to do with it), but that severely lacks from a purely technical point of view. Among its (few) virtues, we can find a good soundtrack that includes great music classics like The Sound of Silence, or some moments shot slightly better than the rest of the film. But it's really very little compared to the enormous expectations. Snyder confirms himself as one of the worst directors present at the moment, and the worst thing is that his subsequent filmography is even worse than this, which, despite being terrible, can be considered the highest point of his career.

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Other reviews

By Amev

 "Snyder did neither. He was much more straightforward. He followed the plot of the film step by step, he left out nothing and focused on no particular aspect."

 "A good film. For everyone and no one. For everyone who... wants to enjoy the opportunity to see it performed, and also for those who haven’t read it but are aware of the reality of the ’80s."


By KindOfBlue

 Snyder manages to give emphasis to scenes and events that already had it while modifying some aspects, as mathematicians would say the form changes but the substance remains.

 For a comic book enthusiast like me, seeing people at the end of a movie wondering how the graphic novel might be can only be pleasing.


By Chopinsky

 Watchmen is first and foremost a sensory experience that... encompasses within itself that pure vocation for entertainment, amazement, and wonder of the cinema of origins.

 A merit of Snyder is undoubtedly having assembled a cohesive cast of semi-unknowns, among whom stand out the brooding Rorschach of Jackie Earl Haley.


By ratman

 The film I had been waiting for a year and a half was about to begin.

 These superheroes are the example: none is wholly good, and none is wholly evil.