I recently watched the movie version of Watchmen. I didn't like it as much as the original graphic novel, but the movie actually was pretty good.
NOTE: There are Watchmen spoilers here. Read at your own risk.
First, the good stuff. When trailers came out, fans noticed the costumes of the characters were darker, and, well, different from the book. The characters in the book all resembled characters from 1950s American comics. I'll admit, I myself was skeptical at first, "Oh, they're all more subdued colors! It's cooler!" But now that I've seen the film, the different costumes actually do look cool. I now realize that if Zack Snyder, the director, had used the look from the comic, it would look overly garish on film. The darker color schemes show up better.
Also, most of the actors were really good. Most of the cast was actors I've never heard of, but that's okay, since most of them were really good.
But now, I've gonna give a shout-out to Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian. When you see him, there is no mistaking it; he is The Comedian. One difference I've noticed from the novel is that there's more swearing in the movie, including the use of F-bombs. This actually works in favor for The Comedian character, because it shows how cynical he is. In fact, I might as well say it; I like Movie Comedian more than Novel Comedian. You get a much better understanding of the character in the film than you could from the book.
Also, not every scene from the novel is in the movie. Sometimes, that's a good thing. There are no scenes with Tales of the Black Freighter, a scene from the book that I personally felt was pretentious and boring. Also, the "Nostalgia" scene at the end of the book doesn't appear in the movie. Then again, that scene felt out of place, in my opinion.
And the soundtrack, some of it was well used. The intro montage that used "The Times They Are A-changin'" by Bob Dylan really sets the mood, as the montage plays scenes of the masked vigilantes being brought down one by one by the anti-superhero registration. Also, the music that played during Doc Manhattan's backstory was well-suited also.
However, the soundtrack is a double-edged sword. When the scene plays when Doc Manhattan is vaporizing Viet Cong soldiers, The Flight of the Valkyries plays in the background. This is meant to allude to Apocalypse Now, however, the effect failed for me. Do you know what I think of when I hear Wagner's Flight of the Valkyries? "What's Opera, Doc?" I found myself unintentionally giggling because the music was reminding me of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, this, despite the fact that Vietnamese soldiers were dying in a most gruesome manner.
Some other negative stuff: some scenes were cut out from the novel that I felt detracted from the experience. The First Nite Owl is barely mentioned in the film. There are not as many scenes with the criminal psychologist who profiles Rorschach. Hooded Justice appears, but there's no mention of his background, how he was a closet homosexual, or how he was suspected of being killed by The Comedian. And also, why does Ozymandias speak with a German accent? I thought he was 100% American. Well, at the very least, Matthew Goode didn't overdo the accent. And the ending, I felt, overdid it. Why destroy only New York, when you can bomb every major city in the world!? Yeah, sure.
And now, something else that's a double-edged sword: the fight scenes. These were played up for the film version, for better, and for worse. The movie version of Watchmen, much like the book, establishes that the superheroes, Doc Manhattan notwithstanding, don't really have any real superpowers. Essentially, they're all Batman wannabes. Of course, they're all in tremendous shape and know how to kick ass and chew bubblegum. Rorschach's disposition towards violence is perfectly captured on film. The last "showdown" is epic in its own way. However, some of the fight scenes are just silly. The first fight, which ends in the death of The Comedian, felt really overdone in the movie. I thought the book did it better. Also, the scene where someone tries to kill Adrian Veidt also felt overblown in the movie. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything.
To get the full story of Watchmen, yeah, you will have to read the novel, but the movie is a nice abridged telling. The special effects are great, most of the actors are great, some scenes I didn't like in the book were cut out, and Movie Comedian is better than Book Comedian. On the other hand, it's really freakin' long, leaves out some important details, and is very, very complex. This isn't like most other movies adapted from graphic novels. This isn't a film that you have playing in the background of a party; it demands your full attention. With that said, it's still really good. It still captures the essence of Watchmen.
P.S. I didn't know this when I first saw it, but Jackie Earle Haley was Moocher in Breaking Away. Wow, he went from being the short kid in Breaking Away, to Ror-freaking-schach. And yes, he's really good as Rorschach.
P.P.S. The sex scene also made me laugh, but I think that one was intentional.
