Adapting a work as well made as Watchmen is to any medium but its original choice is a very difficult undertaking. The original comic is written to take full advantage of its form. It was not written with any consideration to the idea that someone might want to make a movie of it. Thus, making the movie requires a certain amount of sacrifice which must be tempered by taking advantage of what a movie can do that a graphic novel cannot.
The makers of Watchmen the Movie did not do this. It stays startlingly close to the book. As a consequence, there are some parts that really did not translate well. Chapter IV, Watchmaker stands out garishly. The movie also tries to reproduce the panel to panel cutting that occurs in the book to rather disastrous effect. There is a lot cut from the book, because it would have made it too long and it wasn't important to the "superheroes", but we are still left with a 2:30 long movie. Full of exaggerated scenes that still should have been cut or reduced. Every departure from the comic stands out to one who has red it as a flaw, even if it isn't (I like the movie's ending more, actually). Adrian Ozymandias Veidt is too skinny and too full of himself, the Comedian is too small, Hooded Justice is way too small. Where'd this go, where's that? In the book he said this, not that!
It also seems that there were two directors who took turns. Some fights are randomly over-violent. Shaming the level of violence in the grisly comic. Others really aren't. At all. I don't know why. I liked the less graphic scenes more, partially considering that the "superheroes" in watchmen don't actually have super powers (besides John, o'course).
It is still a decent little movie, but I would advise: "Just Read the Book". You'll get a lot more out of it. The casing, with the afore mentioned exceptions, is very good. Especially if you want fidelity with the book. The acting is usually good, but Malin Åkerman falters in her most important moments. It has some comedic musical choices. As with the book, I disagree with most of the philosophy of it, but that doesn't say anything about the work's quality. Just that it's wrong.
Watchmen the movie isn't as deliberately confusing as the book, and it doesn't require reading. And it doesn't achieve as much. If you can stomach laughably exaggerated violence, then give the movie a view. But otherwise, just pick up the book and read it.
Analysis (spoilers to follow):
"Where's the giant alien!" many people scream at the end of this movie. Then they'll grumble that it "cheapens" the story, somehow. In fact, though, I like it much more than the ending in the comic. It is the only true improvement.
Because it has a greater chance to work. One appearance of an alien will not give us world peace for long if it isn't followed by more. It was a rather idiotic plan for the smartest man in the world. This one is a little better.
As for philosophy, people are not so inherently vile. Many of us are, especially those who have sought power and control though vile means (90% of our leaders), but most of us are good people. No one (almost no one) wakes up thinking they want to be the worst person they can be. Some just don't wake up and think. The thing is, in reality as in Watchmen, our villains are often those most hell-bent on being saviors of some sort. They want to do good and in the process do evil.
But I think it is wise to say that every individual is a miracle, including the dumbest termite. And I agree that the world would be worse if Nixon were re-elected for a third term.
And it depresses me that there are people who look up to Rorschach. Ccompromise is very, very important. He's a bleeding sociopath as unworthy of respect as Veidt.
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