At the Movies with Fatwayne

This is a big movie that should be seen on a bigscreen! I was lucky enough to view it at the local IMAX with full digital sound and clarity. What a visiual adventure that was. The story and characters were new to me so I could not compare the film adaptation to the book. It doesn’t matter though because I am doubtful that I will ever read the book itself therefore I won’t be in a position to try to compare them.

This film is long at almost three hours. There are a lot of characters and flashbacks but most everything is summed up along the way so that you can easily follow along unless you need to take a restroom break! The story is set in an alternate reality in the 1980′s with Tricky Dicky Nixon (and his cronies) reelected and trying for a fourth term as President. The cold war with the Russians is heating up and the  Doomsday Clock (remember that?) is about to gong.

Meanwhile, our masked avengers who are not super men/women are retired and considered vigilantes and persona non grata. Although they do not possess super powers per se, they sure can kick ass! Although they are retired they still miss the action and see plenty of work that needs to be done. Unfortunately for them, someone is killing members of their group and they must put a stop to this.

I may have led you slightly astray by saying that our heroes did not possess true superpowers. There is one among them who, because of an accident, does indeed have these powers, and what powers they are! He has been dubbed Dr Manhattan and can do just about anything he desires from walking on the surface of the sun to splitting himself up and being in several places at the same time. In one scene he is making love to Silk Spectre and working on a project in another place! Talk about multitasking! Since the accident, Dr Manhattan has a blue glow about him and white eyes. He is also splendidly built and has a habit of not wearing his pants (or anything else for that matter). So here he is walking about in his full glory with his glowing blue penis swinging in the breeze! One look at him and  you have to muse, yep, he has it all!

Our heroes are now on a mission to save the world from nuclear destruction but I am not going to spoil it by letting on whether they succeed or fail or fall somewhere in between. I will tell you that it is a beautiful movie chock full of gadgets, awesome scenery and action at every tick of the clock.

Be warned that this is a very gory film. It is perhaps one of the most graphic movies I have seen, perhaps the most graphic. It is definitely not for children.

One thing that I really enjoyed was the soundtrack. Included (among others) was Unforgettable (Nat King Cole) playing against a most brutal murder. There was The Times They Are A Changing (Bob Dylan), The Sounds of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel), Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) and Ride of the Valkyries (Budapest Orchestra). What a treat to the ears and eyes all this proved to be.

There are quotes from just about all of the movies I review at TVMovieQuotes.com, including Watchmen quotes.  Go to  http://www.tvmoviequotes.com/watchmen.htm

Rated  -R-

Fatwayne’s rating  -