Set in an alternate 1985 where Richard Nixon is still president, the United States emerged victorious in Vietnam, and “costumed adventurers” are part of the fabric of everyday society, Watchmen examines the lives of several deeply flawed characters who have hung up their Spandex after a federal law banning masked vigilantes forced them to retire. The movie is largely faithful to the comic book, with the exception of a significantly altered ending.
The movie gets a lot of things right. The ambiance of a slightly warped 80s America, Jackie Earle Haley as the sociopath Rorschach, the omnipotent Dr. Manhattan’s skewed sense of time. But some of a acting felt stilted, although that might be a function of the source material. Comic book dialogue can have a certain exaggerated style that can sound a little silly when spoken aloud. And I’m still waiting for the day when we get a comic book movie with a strong female lead, a female lead who can do more than kick a little ass and give one of the male leads a good lay.
