The Watchmen

Shmoo went to the midnight opener of the movie THE WATCHMEN Thursday night/Friday morning. Friday evening he told GG and I how completely awesome the movie was. Frankly I wasn't that interested in seeing the movie. I'd seen trailers and it just didn't spur any interest for me. Shmoo was insistent. So GG and I sort of agreed to go see it on Saturday.

Well, we saw it.

I'm not going to say the movie didn't have its moments, because it did. I thought both Jackie Earle Haley and Billy Crudup were great. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was okay as was Patrick Wilson. Although I feel I should warn Jeffrey Dean Morgan fans he doesn't have much screen time.

Anyway, there's violence. Graphic violence. A rape scene and a sex scene. Now, I don't object to any of these things in a movie if they progress the story, make a point, or seem necessary to the plot. My son tells me the violence is necessary to demonstrate some significant plot points like man's inhumanity to man. Okay, maybe, and I mean maybe, I can buy off on that one.

The rape scene and the sex scene. The graphic sex scene? Nope. Just titillation. A blatant appeal to the adolescent males who will be flocking to this movie. Ugh!

I probably spent one-third of the movie with my hands over my eyes. I read love stories for crying out loud and this was pretty gross more than a few times. *heavy sigh* In normal circumstances I would have walked out and left my men folk to watch it while I browsed the bookstore or got myself a cup of java. But I didn't. I stayed. I stayed because I was also fascinated and wanted to see how it was all going to turn out. More on that later.

My final criticism, not that you or Hollywood gives a hoot, but I thought Malin Ackerman (previously seen as the spoiled sister in 27 Dresses) was horribly miscast as Laurie Jupiter, aka Silk Spectre II. As was Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt aka Ozymandias. Every time they were on screen, which was quite a lot in Ms. Ackerman's case, it took me right out of the story.

Ultimately I don't think I could recommend this to anyone unless you are insanely curious and have to see it.

I said I would come back to 'how it all turns out". Nope, no spoilers here. I only want to say that for all the violence, sex and miscast actors, I was engaged in the story and curious as hell to see how everything was going to be resolved.

All in all it was an interesting experience, even if I can't say I'm glad I went. I probably would have been better served renting this one and seeing it on a smaller screen. Although with the BATV maybe it wouldn't make a difference there either.