Watchmen (2009)

As far as film adoptions of great books go, "Watchmen" is as good as it could be. Based on the famed 1980s comic book series turned graphic novel by Allan Moore and David Gibbons, this nearly three-hour epic follows a group of disturbed, weird and literally deranged "superheroes" as they try and do good in an alternate American reality where Nixon is a fifth-term president and Vietnam is a success story.

And the "good" part isn't entirely truthful, to be truthful. This film makes "The Dark Knight" seem like a 1970s Saturday morning kids cartoon. Case in point: The main hero is Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), a trench-coat vigilante prone to murdering suspects without a thought, and whose identity is not unveiled until the mid-way point. He's Batman mixed with Jack the Ripper. And a Marlowe book. Other "heroes" include Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), a glowing blue god-like man who walks about without clothes or emotion. Think Superman, but one apathetic to the point of sinful. Patrick Wilson plays Nite Owl, another take on Batman, but one dull and blubbery, while Jeffrey Morgan plays The Comedian, a Captain America-like hero ... if Captain America were a psychopathic fascist prone to killing women. Malin Akerman rounds out the main cast as Silk Spectre, the lone female of the group with her own baggage of issues and insecurities.

The plot: The Comedian is killed and attempts are made on the other heroes, all leading to a massive conspiracy. The book is a sprawling, disturbing epic about the types of people who really would wear silly costumes and attempt to fight crime. Basically, these are people who ought to be straight-jacketed. Director Zack Snyder ("300") does a hell of a job transferring what was in print to screen. A good deal is lost in the transfer, though, and one wishes for the inevitable longer DVD cut.

The film has its faults: Another "hero" named Ozymandias is the smartest man in the world and the Nazi wet dream of the beautiful and perfect White Man on the page. But on screen, as played by Matthew Goode, he's dull as Tupperware and ... uhh ... not exactly an Alpha Male. More like a band geek. This should have, say, Aaron Eckhart in the role. The handling of Silk Spectre also is fumbled as a female hero who rallies against sexism in the book is reduced to a sexist caricature on screen.

Still, it's a spectacular try, and I'm a fan. The dark emotions and psyches explored here make for riveting drama and great debate, and play close to real folks who see themsleves as better than the rest. Snyder also has a great eye, and knows how to cut an action scene. The violence is shocking and savage like the book, and is absolutely not for children. B