Much has been written and said already about Zac Snyder’s adaptation of Watchmen, so I’ll try to keep this brief.

Some have said it holds too close to the novel and what works in one medium doesn’t work in another. Some have said they’ve changed too much and lost the essence of the novel. Some have said the casting is off. Some have said Snyder’s style is too flashy and much of it is over the top. Some have said it’s too baffling to those who haven’t read the novel or misses too much to appease the long-term and passionate fans.

I agree.

To a degree…

Yes, a lot of the dialogue is patchy and brimming with exposition – better suited to a comic than a film – but then, it was no different with Sin City (“She smells how angels aughta smell…”) and is forgivable if delivered right…which it wasn’t always. Malin Akerman in particular struggled quite a bit, but I don’t think that was entirely down to the script. She also features in one of the most comically out of place soft-core porno scenes ever committed to film. I realise the fetishistic appeal of putting on a costume to fight crime had to be highlighted, but it ran about a minute too long (which, in non-porn movie sex scenes, is a long time). Fortunately, the punch-line took some of the cringe-worthy edge off.

In terms of what they did change, the biggest question has hung over the absence of the ‘squid’ in the climax. I understood the reasoning behind this when I first heard about it – again, it goes back to the whole ‘what works in a comic might not work in a film’ thing – but it looked from the trailers that they’d gone for a straight up nuclear catastrophe, which worried me as it would completely undermine the point of Moore’s chosen disaster. Fortunately, this isn’t the case and the new idea works within in the context of the film, without missing the point from the book (though the aftermath is taken in a slightly different direction that isn’t quite as strong).

Along with Akerman, the only other questionable piece of casting was Matthew Goode as Ozymandias. The fact is, Ozymandias is a an imposing man in his 40s, with a perfect physique. Goode is a slim man barely out of his 20s whose costume is moulded to represent a perfect physique. However, physical shortcomings aside, Goode plays the part beautifully. He has wisdom beyond his years, is always cool and calculating and is absolutely believable as the world’s smartest man.

The rest of the casting is perfect, in particular Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach. He’s the most enjoyable character to read in the book and Haley makes him the most enjoyable character to watch in the film.

(so much for keeping this brief)

Snyder’s direction is also pitch perfect, for the most part. The aforementioned sex scene may have been drawn out, but a certain precursor to it, that could have been equally as cringe-inducing, was handled with surprising subtlety. The action, though extreme (and ridiculous) at times, fits in with the context of the film, with only a fleeting reliance on wire-work. The gore may have been out of place, but helped to contrast against the heroes’ now quiet lives, most notably in a scene where Laurie (Silk Specter II) and Dan (Nite Owl II) are accosted by (beat living snot out of) a ten-strong gang. And kudos to him for mostly restraining his love of slow-motion.

As for the question of whether the film will baffle new-comers or disappoint fans, that’s really down to the individual. The introductory montage set to Dylan’s Desolation Row does a decent job of filling in some of the back-story, but the plot still plays out in quite a jumpy fashion. It also feels like it’s moving at a snail’s pace, at times, though that is fortunately made up for.

Personally, I loved it. A brilliant and complex story, told with love (if not always with skill), and an entertaining visual feast.

I’d also like to give a quick nod to My Chemical Romance at this point. Though I enjoyed their cover of Desolation Row, I failed to see the point of it – it’s a fast, heavy-ish scream-fest that could frankly have been a cover of anything – but when it explodes into the film’s closing credits, it all makes sense.