ok. so i'm not all that familiar with 'watchmen'. i haven't read the comics which are commonly regarded as pure pop art. i didn't know the characters. i do know a little about the plot but not enough to be able to explain it if asked. sometimes, though, it's great to get your hands on the directors cut of a movie and just let it roll. which is what i did in this case. and the verdict? not too bad.

the movie definitely bites off more than it can chew, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. it's set in the era of the cold war and there's a new act, put forth by president nixon preventing 'superheroes' from doing their thing. there's no such thing as superheroes (except the blue dude who's got god-like skills acquired in a nuclear accident) in 'watchmen', they are just masked/caped crusaders doing what seems or feels right in the heat of the fight. things get out of hand and ultimately people don't want them. fair enough (see the movie - you'll understand).

without giving away too much, i can tell you that the comedian has been killed. rorschach thinks his death smells fishy, while there's trouble in paradise for blue-man and miss silk spectre II. in comes nite owl II, romantic side-kick, and the genius ozymandias. the game is set and the pieces are moving. the world, of course, is at stake and our heroes-slash-villains are sick of it all...not to mention each other.

the movie is directed by zack snyder (300) and is shot beautifully. technically there is practically nothing to criticize. the action sequences are stunning and very well choreographed. i loved the lighting in the movie. the sound was flawless as well.

as far as the acting goes, the comedian and rorschach do a great job. the rest of the cast underperforms, methinks.

all in all worth the time it took to get through, but probably won't watch it again. it lacks enough emotion to really pull you in, but occasionally it rises to the challenge and delivers a few hooks that hit where it hurts.

verdict: 6/10