The skeptics (and everyone, really) argued that 80’s heralded graphic novel WATCHMEN was impossible to translate to film. Both true, and false. I’d more readily agree with this: Watchmen is impossible to translate to film WELL. And I don’t mean simply making a good flick, I mean REALLY capturing it onscreen. Yes, I’m a fan of the book, having read it prior to seeing it at the theater. So I’ll hold the bitterness and review the film for what it is- hit and miss. Due to the incredible complexity and layers in WATCHMEN’s story, the movie is abridged, simplified, and tweaked. But its flaws really lie in the attempts to stay FAITHFUL to the source material, which in delivery is cheesy, awkward, and unnatural. The cast does LOOK the part but are responsible for mostly passable to lackluster performances (Haley and Morgan, as Rorschach and The Comedian, respectively, do make an impression however). The movie runs with the violence and sleaze of the original story, but takes the baton too far, missing the point of why it was there to begin with. And yet- action scenes are effective, boasting impressive cinematography (not unlike 300, which Snyder also directed). The visuals and special effects ARE pretty awesome, maybe Watchmen’s best aspect. So in the end, there’s nothing truly horrible about Watchmen, but its only strong in the way it looks. BOTTOM LINE: Watchmen fights off bore fairly well, but is a mediocre adaptation that exploits ‘R-Rated’ elements of the novel and simply glitzes-up B-movie execution.