Iffy for 16+
Not a superhero movie; a dark, gory, complex morality tale.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this non-animated adaptation of the beloved cult graphic novel isn't just another superhero story and is absolutely not for kids. Even the director has said that he purposely made the movie intensely gory to make a point about the consequences of violent behavior. Sex is paired with graphic violence in a near-rape scene, and characters act in ways that seem highly amoral. They also swear constantly (including "f--k" and "s--t"), smoke, and drink. There's plenty of nudity, with some very graphic sex scenes and a computer-enhanced character who walks around nude (sure, he's blue, but he still has a normal male anatomy). Both the novel and the movie examine complex issues of morality, humankind's basic nature, and the specter of nuclear holocaust. Not light stuff, and certainly not for anyone who expects a simple good vs. evil story. If your teens can tackle heavy philosophical questions, they might be mature enough to make sense of the film's complicated plot. Finally, the movie clocks in at 2 hours 41 minutes most of which are chock full of in-your-face violence, darkness, and peril.
- Families can talk about the movie's portrayal of human nature. Are people good? Bad? All of the above?
- If your teens have read the book, ask them how the movie is different-- and what impact having real people in the roles has on the story.
- According todirector Zack Snyder in an interview with Entertainment Weekly,"I wanted to make sure everyone understood: This is not a kid movie.Violence has consequences. And doing that with a PG-13 just dilutesthat message." Do you agree? Does the violence in this movie have more impact because it's not illustrated?
The good stuff
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Messages: Dark, complex messages about issues like morality, humankind's basic nature, and the specter of mass global destruction. There's not much here that falls into clearly "right" or "wrong" categories; it's all muddled and ambiguous.
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Role models: Unlike traditional superhero films, which draw clear lines between theevil villains and the valiant heroes, the characters here are all verycomplex antisuperheroes, with complicated motivations andsometimes questionable ends. They all believe they're doing the rightthing, though to accomplish their goals they may have to break the law,beat up a few people, or worse; the climax presents a huge moraldilemma, as one character concocts a heinous plot aimed at achieving anoble aim -- but at an enormous cost.
What to watch for
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Violence: Several intense martial arts fight scenes with close-up, slo-mo shots of limbs breaking, faces being smashed into walls and furniture, and people being stabbed, punched, and kicked across the room. The film opens with a man being beaten severely and then thrown from a high rise window to his death. A woman is savagely beaten and almost raped. One character seems to relish carnage, whether it's on the battlefield or during an urban riot, while another shows no emotions as he methodically attacks people in inventive and painful ways, including pouring boiling oil on one attacker, sawing off someone's hands and electrocuting him, and taking a meat cleaver to a child rapist. A young child's corpse is eaten by dogs, and the ashes of the rest of her remains are shown in a furnace.
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Sex: A few long, intimate close-up sex scenes include partial male and female nudity. The only character who's computer enhanced wears no clothing at all and walks around with his penis visible (it's blue, but it's definitely a penis). A prostitute propositions customers on the sidewalk, graphically flashing her breasts. Porn magazine Hustler is visible on a coffee table.
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Language: Plenty of swearing, including "goddamn," "f--k," "s--t," "prick," "bastard," and other choice words.
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Consumerism: Almost nothing except for a fleeting glance of Fuji Film (remember the non-digital camera days?).
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some characters smoke; one has a fondness for cigars. Several scenes feature bars and drinking. One woman seems to have a drinking problem and is rarely seen without a drink in her hand.
Fan Reviews provided by
1
True Essence? by mister spock
The True Essence of this Movie......... Stick your finger up your rear and SMELL it!!!!
5
WARNING! - FOR FANBOYS ONLY! by AlexinHouston
If you weren't someone who appreciated the original graphic novel, do not watch this. You will not find this interesting, you will not enjoy all 2 hours and 45 minutes of it. This is not Batman or The Avengers. That being said, if you appreciate the novel, you will LOVE this movie! The characters and actors do the novel complete justice. I never thought it was too long or boring once. I can't wait for the Blue Ray release! I'm definitely watching it again.
3
Hmmm... by Daydream
Many have said that if Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen were to be made into a movie, the process would be difficult if not impossible. I completely agree with the critics on this one. Zack Snyder's 2 hour and 43 minute adaptation of the acclaimed Watchmen comic wasn't as compelling as I thought it would be and the mess of a movie was very difficult to sit through. The special effects and fight scenes were the best part of the movie, but there were too few to carry the movie. Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach was unbelievable. He stole all the attention from the other masked crusaders (which I thought would be hard considering there was a rippled and naked neon man in most of the scenes). If you are a fan of the Watchmen comic, I would say stick to the comic. (C-)
3
Go, but be warned by bgblue09
I hesitate to recommend this movie to people who haven't read the comic on which it's based. The marketing of Watchmen might lead one unfamiliar with the comic to assume that it will be an action movie, but in fact Watchmen is a slow drama interspersed with scenes of graphic violence. Stylistically, it's a triumph, and it certainly looks unlike any other film you're likely to see. The visuals are brilliant, as are some of the performances. But for every good thing there is to say about Watchmen, there's a caveat, a remainder which is not so good. The performance from the lead female is perhaps one of the worst I've seen in recent memory. Those who are not invested in these characters, or the events, may grow incredulous at the realization that this film keeps secrets from the uninitiated, and it can be downright impenetrable to some. I enjoyed it, with reservations, and so did my friends. But Watchmen will, without a doubt, both satisfy and alienate at the same time.
4
ANGRY PARENTS, STOP COMPLAINING by hisownshot
i'm 16 and a girl, and i read the book first. if you've never read the book and came to watch this movie thinking it's a spiderman type superhero movie, you will be extremely mistaken. it was intensely gritty, it should not be seen by young kids at all, unless you're okay with your child seeing a guy getting his arms sawed off. it's rated R in all aspects so don't expect a happy ending or PG/PG-13 type plot. i know i'm only 16, but i knew exactly what type of content to expect since i read the book, and also maybe read the listed reasons why it's rated R.
it was a FANTASTIC movie. for an almost 3 hour movie, it seemed to have covered the book well and it was awesome.
1. great superhero movie
2. definitely not a spiderman type movie
3. very violent, lots of blood, sex, whatever other shenanigans parents want to complain about cause they DIDN'T DO THEIR RESEARCH OR CAN'T READ
4. you will probably understand the movie more if you read the book
5
Simply Amazing by elfric
I can't believe that in this age of crap movies and short attention spans, this movie could have been made. It is, quite simply, one of the best movies I've ever seen. The story and characterization were amazing, and the acting was very well done. Zack Snyder deserves a medal for filiming this in a way that is actually true to the original comic and not a watered-down, unrecognizable "adaptation" (which is, sadly, the norm in Hollywood these days). Yes, there's male nudity. Yes, there's a fairly graphic sex scene. Yes, there's some pretty strong gore in parts. However, most of it makes sense in the context of the movie. The only part that seems at all gratuitous to me is the sex scene in the sky (which honestly DOES seem a bit out of place, much like the strange, out of context sex scenes in 300), but only because it was just too graphic and doesn't fit the rest of the movie. In any case, it's a small flaw, and easily forgiveable given how good the rest of the movie is.
5
Uncompromising Traslation Book to Screen by dmonti13
Zack Snyder is the absolute man! They called this the unmakeable movie and he pulls it off beautifully. Fans of the novel will love the fact that he didnt cut back on the violence, message, tone, look, feel GREAT JOB ALL AROUND. The changes he did make work well and take nothing away from the movie/novel. Will go and see it again!
5
Hello!!????????? by MissVix
First of all..the movie is rated R! Why would you even think about taking a child? Do not complain that there was nudity or "porn" when the rating was put there to warn you. I have a child, and I would never take her to any movie that is rated R. Find a babysitter!
Second, this is not a movie that you just watch the trailer and say, "Oh...that looks cool..let's go see it!"
Have you read the book..watched the motion comic? If you did either, then this movie makes total sense. The movie is not about action..the characters are strong and multi-layered. It is about so many different things. This story is about making you think. Shouldn't that be refreshing?
5
Watchmen: It's not your kid's comic movie. by aipoet
I have been a fan of comics and graphic novels all of my life and I actually use the Moore/Gibbons graphic novel "Watchmen" in a science fiction literature course that I teach. In leterary form, it is a remarkable study of the morality of the "superhero" idea as well as the rationality of modern society and politics. I was greatly concerned about the way the movie would be dealt with up until the moment I viewed it.
The way the back story was integrated into flashbacks seamlessly replaced the openings to the chapters that reviewed it through Hollis' novel or news bits. The casting and presentation of the characters, their appearances, and their voices was exceptionally well done. It will be difficult to see Rohrshack now without hearing the actor's voice.
The major plot departure of the "Doc Manhattan reprisal" attack by Ozymandias vs. the "alien invasion" of the GN, while possiby distressing for purists, actually does work well.
Overall, a stellar job, but not for kids.
5
Totally Loves it! But can understand why others would not. by Gwen Stacy
What a fantastic, fresh take on a "comic book" movie, opening with a wonderfully dark montage of "American history" set to Bob Dylan's "The Times They are A-Changin" and then preceding to visually blow your mind. I loved it!
They did the absolute best they could with a G.N. of this magnitude, but I could see it being hard to follow if you didn't read it 1st..I might have even misunderstood, had I not read it myself. But, if you're going to watch the Watchmen, look past the CGI, sex & violence & silly costumes for a moment.. instead focus on the themes Watchmen expresses and the questions it poses... about our country and it's foundations, about humanity, corruption, free will, you name it...
There really is a lot going on in the graphic novel [almost 2 much for the average viewer], it's no wonder they had to cut the film at 2hrs40 minutes with plenty of storyline still left untouched. But, I think the movie was beautifully executed and as well as it could have been adapted!