Watchmen (2009) - A great start that leads to a mellow flick with many lengths - 6/10 (03/07/12)

Here comes another superhero movie after all those Supermen, Batmen, Spidermen and so on. Many movie experts simply start getting tired of all these quite similar movies and I only watched this one because somebody told me that this was a standout of its genre. The story is indeed interesting as somebody tries to murder a gang of retired superheroes that all have their dark sides in this atmospheric movie that has some film noir tendencies and a couple of solid ideas.

This all sounds promising but the movie is simply way too long and has many lengths. The film kicks off very well and especially the narrative parts of Rohrschach, the best character among the superheroes played by the best actor in this film with Jackie Earle Haley, is highly addicting. The movie simply develops too many flashbacks and uninspired side stories that slow down the starting dynamics after a while. Especially the typical Hollywood love story stereotypes bring what could have been a different kind of movie on a more commercial and ordinary flick for the masses. The dialogues are quite cheesy and there are too many of them. The characters are not sympathetic enough to really care about them. If they had all died, I would not have been unsatisfied. In my opinion, there is quite a waste of time and potential in this film.

The acting is not bad but not outstanding, the action sequences are the same and the story has its ups and downs so that the only solid thing are the special effects but they can't save this movie from mediocrity. Another letdown is the ending of the flick. I've waited for more murders, chasing scenes and the proposal of diversified possibilities to guess who's behind the crimes. In the end, there aren't so many murders and the final solution doesn't come as a big surprise and what happens in the big boom just won't come. The conclusion is not that standard and can be described as courageous as it differs from your usual happy end but I disliked the movie's philosophy and would have expected something more emotional, engaging and surprising.

In the end, I would only recommend this movie to those who like superhero movies and would like to see a darker side of some heroic characters. Anybody who likes Hollywood cinema and modern special effects will surely adore this movie. Anybody who's expecting something gripping, original or profound should simply avoid this kind of movie.