Movie Reviews

Who’s Watching You?
Movie Review
By Gabriella Calabro


Watchmen is still playing in nearby theatres.

Taking a break from the usual nonsense of stereotypical "romantic comedies," I found myself enthralled by the action-packed, reminiscent love story and hero adventure film, Watchmen. Having no prior knowledge of the storyline from the graphic novel, published by DC Comics in the late 1980s, following the story was pretty easy.

The first few scenes were filled with visually amazing flashbacks from "the way things used to be" for superheroes. This part of the story is similar to Pixar's The Incredibles, in which a group of superheroes who the public no longer deemed helpful and were shunned, still try to make a comeback to save the world. These first few scenes of Watchmen were not only historically based, but also rather provocative for the period they represented. Shot as pictures that come to life, the aesthetic quality of the first few scenes is definitely unique.

The music features songs written by Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Phillip Glass, and performed by Jimi Hendrix, Tears for Fears, KC and the Sunshine Band, and others. Although not what you would expect for this type of movie, the songs help illustrate the passage of time and identify the decades shown in the film

Once back in the present day, the lighting dims and the sets become drearier. Having directed both Watchmen and 300, director Zack Snyder exhibits offbeat lighting, and distinct cinematic styling that adds to the high action-packed scenes in the film, and made the romantic scenes that much more intimate. Following the love triangle of Nite Owl, played by Patrick Wilson, Laurie Jupiter, played by Malin Akerman, and the ever-glowing Dr. Manhattan, played by Billy Crudup, kept hopeless romantics engaged in the otherwise superhero action movie.

Fighting against an unknown enemy, the superheroes reconnected to keep each other, and ultimately the world safe. Rorschach, the name matched the mask that simulated the famous ink-blot tests, played by Jackie Earle Haley, was the primary leader in getting the group together, and became the character audiences loved to hate. Yes, he forced the team to fight against their will, but their teamwork saved the world.

Having gotten mixed reviews at the box office, people should go see it and make up their own minds. Be sure to clear your day, because the movie runs a little over two and a half hours. Although some parts of the movie do drag, it clearly explains what’s going on and answers any questions the audience may have. No matter what has been said, the movie made more than $55 million in just one weekend, according to chacha.com, and has so far grossed nearly $100 million. I say watch the movie, become part of the phenomenon and join the Watchmen debate.