Watchmen: Shining a glaring light on humanity, and 80's fashion

There is no happy place here...

I was among the uninitiated to the world of the graphic novel which spawned Watchmen, the movie, this weekend. I was very surprised to not be in a packed theater, considering the 'buzz'. I believe the crowd I was surrounded by were like me: curious onlookers wondering just how dark and brutal this story would really be.

The 'R' rating is well-earned. Between graphic violence, including attempted rape by one of the superheros, sex, and lots of nudity (albeit a lot of it was CGI), this ain't for the kiddies. It is, however, very well-written, produced, and acted.

Even for someone not at all familiar with the story, the movie explains everything you need without going into boring diatribes. Flashbacks are interspersed throughout giving you enough detail to keep up, but still wonder how it will all fit together at the end. The story itself spans over forty years, and the makeup jobs done on characters who survive that entire time is incredible.

The main characters that will grab your focus are Laurie Jupiter a.k.a. "Silk Specter II", Rorschach, Dan Dreiburg a.k.a. "Nite Owl II", Dr. Manhatten, and The Comedian. All of the actors cast in their roles are as perfect a fit as I could imagine. They can be sweet and a bit naive, to brutal and uncompromising, to downright sadistic. I'm sure Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays The Comedian, had a hard time shaking off his role at the end of the day.

The Comedian plays an essential role throughout the entire movie, even though his murder at the beginning sets everything in motion. He sees the world through a dark sense of humor that often reveals itself in inappropriate ways. You should hate his guts. You should cheer to see him meet his end. But good writing and great acting gives him a soul that you catch just enough glimpses of to feel a little pity for him without feeling dirty.

Dr. Manhatten is the most unusual of the bunch, and the one with actual powers. The fact he spends his time on screen as a CGI-ed naked man, full frontal, makes for some discomfiture, and will keep my husband from racing out to own this movie when it hits DVD. While I cringed a bit with all that swinging genitalia, if it had been presented any other way he would have been out of character. This is a being who used to be human, but because of an accident is now more of a god. He is growing more and more detached from humanity, and subjects himself to societal conventions of clothing for public appearances out of deference to these weaker creatures he feels sorry for. He walks around nude in the privacy of his lab. For him to don clothes in that setting would not have made any sense.

Laurie Jupiter and Dan Dreiburg are the most normal of the group, comparatively speaking. They are very human, including mother issues and sexual dysfunction. Their burgeoning relationship is fun to watch, even a comforting bit of normalcy in this dark world where you have to fight for your life when you walk down an alley at night.

Rorschach will keep you gripped to the screen, whether he is masked or not. He is an extreme character, uncompromising, unable to feel anything but contempt for the world at large, as well as a huge dose of self-loathing for any perceived failure. He is not super-powered, but he moves like a ghost and fights like a demon. He is terrifying. He also has one of the best lines in the whole film, where he informs fellow prison inmates: "You people don't understand. I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me!". If you don't get a chill down your spine when you hear that, you're not paying attention.

Watchmen is a dark movie, with no happy place to escape to. It provides a mirror in the guise of an alternate universe that makes you not like what you see in yourself. However, no matter how brutal, it's still a lot of fun, especially when you see the tribute to 80's style and fashion. Let's just say that Laurie Jupiter's costume is one not intended for practicality, and requires a lot of 'prep' in the way of personal hygiene to get away with.

Leave the kidlets at home for this one, but definitely check it out in the theaters. This one is well worth the ticket price!