Watchmen is Great
Yes it was violent. Yes there was a sex scene. Yes, there was a big blue penis. And yes, it was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. You see, the movie wasn’t about the violence, the sex, the penis, or anything else like that. It was about the story, and the story is what carries this movie to being one of the best ever. And if you haven’t yet seen the movie, but are planning to, you’ll get much more out of it if you read the book first.
The story isn’t simple. If you want simple, I recommend something like “National Treasure.” The story makes you think. If you don’t want to think, I recommend watching Jerry Springer. The story is a commentary on society, and it is a commentary on ourselves.
Here’s a few of the questions explored:
- What are the implications of having a true superman with godlike powers? (hint: perhaps clothes aren’t really important, and neither is humanity)
- Does humanity require a Watchman (God?) to keep us from destroying ourselves?
- What do we require protection from?
- What is the importance of the rule of law?
- What are the implications of having a moral philosophy that you never compromise, and are there any possible compromises to your moral philosophy?
- What is the meaning of miracles?
I could probably think of a few more questions, but there’s more to the story than just these explorations. There’s depth. There are repeated visual themes and commentary occurring over contrasting scenes, but amazingly applicable to both. The nuances of life are present, and this is what sets it apart from other comic book stories. I really enjoyed watching Iron Man, but was that story very nuanced? The only other comic book based movie that comes close in recent years that I can think of is The Dark Knight. More than anything, Watchmen isn’t an escape from reality, but instead presents a mirror of ourselves. The best and worse of us are presented along with everything in between. If that’s the sort of thing that you enjoy, then you would definitely enjoy this movie, especially after you read the book.
