I am Kyle's self-indulgence

I saw Watchmen yesterday (notice I'm avoiding all of the puns that go into most Watchmen reviews). I was really surprised at how much I liked it. The movie was definitely better than what I expected, and I'm glad I spent the money to see it in the theater. I may even buy the DVD (used, maybe).

I'm sure that by now there is no shortage of Watchmen reviews by comic book fans at least as knowledgeable and dedicated as I am, so I'll spare you the laborious criticism. Instead, here is a simple list of things I liked and did not like about the movie.

Liked: Jackie Earle Haley. His performance really was the single best thing about the movie. It's a shame that Rorschach spends so much of the story wearing mask because every scene that had him with his mask off was great fun to watch. This character is the most important to get right, and Haley totally nailed it. Kudos to him

Didn't like: The rest of the cast. They didn't necessarily stand out as bad actors, but there wasn't really anything great about any of their performances, with the possible exception of Carla Gugino. She did a fairly decent job as Sally Jupiter, but the rest of the performances fell pretty flat. I got the impression that the actors were trying to deliver their lines, but little more. Even Dr. Manhattan, who is supposed to have lost touch with humanity, seemed too stale in his performance.

Liked: The look of the film. This was one of the things I was most concerned about, but most of the film came across as pretty realistic. It still has the look of a Hollywood film, but the color palette is fairly subdued, and the characters look natural in their day-to-day dress. Some of the promotional materials play up the costumes in a fake way, but in the context of the film, these exist mostly in the flashbacks, in which a naive corniness is rather appropriate.

Didn't like: Rorschach's voiceover. I think this is one instance of Snyder erring in staying too faithful to the comic. Alan Moore's one weakness in his 80s comic book work is his overly wordy narration (a fact he has openly admitted). It may work alright in the context of the Watchmen comic book, but it's a bit much for the movie. He should have let this one go.

Liked: The 80s music. Throughout the movie Snyder plays popular music from the period, which I thought was a good idea. It's an ongoing reminder that Watchmen does take place during the 80s, and it's much better than trying to work in contemporary music.

Didn't like: The 80s music. Despite the benefits I mentioned, the music was pretty distracting at times. Perhaps it would have been better if it were played a little more softly, or more often in the background (like during the scene in Veidt's office when he tells off the other millionaires).

Liked: The scenes that advanced the plot. This is the stuff that really matters, and I thought that when it came to serious scenes of story and character development, Snyder handled things pretty well. The scenes that pack the most punch more me in the comic (Rorschach in prison and Dr. Manhattan and Laurie on Mars) were also very powerful in the film.

Didn't like Hated: The action scenes. I don't know if it's movies today or if I'm just getting old, but I find myself getting bored during most fight scenes. The opening battle in the movie (with the Comedian) was dragged out about five times longer than necessary. Snyder can't just let the characters hit each other, either. He has to slow time way down, rotate the camera 90 degrees, and focus on the little CG pieces of debris that go flying in every direction. Also, apparently, they make kitchen counters and fireplaces out of Styrofoam now because they crumble at every punch and head smash. Memo to action movie directors: your fight scenes would look a lot more brutal if solid objects would stay solid on contact the way they do in real life.

Liked: The in-jokes for the fans. It's pretty obvious that Snyder made this for people who already love Watchmen (so much so that I'm curious how much people who haven't read the comic will realy like it). There are lots of little things to make fans squeal with delight, like how "All Along the Watchtower" begins playing as Dan and Rorschach approach Karnak (Moore quotes the song in that issue of the comic) and the Outer Limits opening (which mirrors the nod Moore paid it in the comic as possible inspiration for his story).

All in all, this Watchmen adaptation turned out to be a fairly decent one (if one must exist at all), and is worth seeing. I don't think it will have any staying power in the long run. Five years from now nobody will be talking about the Watchmen film, but they will still be talking about the Watchmen comic book. And that's fine by me.