Last Saturday I watched the "Watchmen" on an IMAX screen, on the 2nd day of its release. Well for many back home in India it would not even ring a bell. Who would have heard of a comic series which came in the mid 80's and known for its graphic nature in a country already too prone to censorship left, right and center. Frankly there are only a very few 'elitist' comic heroes who leaves the shores of predominantly the developed world namely the trio of Superman, Batman and Spiderman. Even yours truly's first tryst with the Watchmen was during the screening of "The Dark Knight" (IMAX).. where the unique style in which the trailer was shot and an awesome soundtrack (yes I am talking about the track - The beginning is the end is the beginning by Smashing Pumpkins, which incidentally does not even feature in the movie but is there in its official trailer) make me sit up and notice. I would bet that the majority of the theatre would have had a similar effect.
Directed by one of my favorites, Zack Snyder (the man behind "300") this movie is different than any other "super-hero" movies which ever came out, quite like the comic itself. Christopher Nolan showed the world the first time in "The Dark Knight" that the world of super-heroes can be every bit twisted and scary as any other human being... even seasoned movie goers would have come out of the theatre feeling heavy and mesmerized after the movie... well "Watchmen" had quite the same effect on me... I guess this very well may be the beginning of an era where super-heroes dont just stay with the kids.. it becomes serious adult business.... at least Watchmen does... its one movie where one should seriously consider the rationale behind its "R" rating..... where on the nudity department we have Dr. Manhattan's attire and super-hot Malin Akerman, the movie also has numerous gory scenes which might disturb young viewers. None of the gore is misplaced however, it goes amazingly well with the overall mood of the movie and quite like 300 the shots shown in slow-motion just exemplify the visual experience.
There are some amazing reviews floating around for this movie - from the user reviews on IMDB to some amazing professional ones. Few of my favorites are the one on CNET Review and Roger Ebert's independent review and follow-up. A thing quite noticeable in the case of Watchmen is its selected and very loyal fan base... and you would find people who absolutely either love or hate the movie/comic book.
I am still mid-way through the actual comic book and am sure by the time I finish the whole book I will have something to add to this post.. so watch out for an update....
