Who will watch Watchmen?

Comic book and graphic novel movies are as popular as ever, and it was only a matter of time before Watchmen would suffer the same fate. In general, I enjoy these types of movies. I like how they tend not to take themselves too seriously. Comic book movies are rarely an adaptation of the original plot and usually take existing characters and develop a new plotline more suited to the timeframes of a motion picture. What you do get are tw0 to three film series in an attempt to flesh out this plot as well as maximize the brand names and marketing.

The movie I've enjoyed the most so far is Spiderman. The first installment did a great job of taking the origins of Spiderman and developing it into a full length picture. Green Goblin was enough of a nemesis to bring closure, and the tone was lighthearted with bits of somber reality consistent with the original depiction of Spiderman. I did some light research after the movie to find out who Uncle Ben was quoting when he said, "With great power comes great responsibility." As it turns out, a lot of people said something similar, but Stan Lee via Uncle Ben will probably be credited with this specific form.

For more on the sources of that quote:
http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2005_10_06.html

In comparison, the second installment seemed like filler material, and the third was just plain goofy.

The recent Batman films have been greatly enjoyable. It's really a completely new take on Batman with an attempt to redefine some of the characters. It's akin to Frank Miller's works as it takes some liberties but succeeds in portraying the Batman universe in a different light.

So really, we could all expect a movie version of the most critically acclaimed graphic novel, Watchmen. Let me begin by saying, it looks amazing. The reworking of 'The End is the Beginning is the End' by the Smashing Pumpkins is a brilliant song choice. It works really well in all the trailers, and provides a great backdrop for the atmosphere of the movie. Every advertisement I've seen for it is extremely compelling.

That being said, Watchmen is quite different from other graphic novels. It defined the genre and is a study in character development. And that's the crux of my aversion. Watchmen is divided into twelve issues. In each issue a different character is targeted and really defined while the plot progresses. A large part of each issue provides a backstory to each of the main characters. This is particularly important in Watchmen, as none of these characters, with the exception of Doctor Manhattan, has any superpowers. They are a group of Batmans depicted as something much more ordinary. They're much more vigilantes than superheroes.

So much of the novels goes into these character developments that the plot moves very slowly. There is a big mystery in the center of story and little progress is made to solve it early on. Towards the end, the plot begins to feel rushed as developments occur left and right. So much so, that when the big twist at the end is revealed it almost feels like a deux ex machina. It's clearly a clever plot device that the authors believed would be shocking at the time, but when it arrives it seems contrived.

So that's really my problem with Watchmen. I didn't enjoy the plot. It bothers me a little that the superheroes are hardly that. I prefer my comic book heroes as mutants and supermen. The introspection into each and every character is where Watchmen really shines for me. The backstories and reasons, or lack thereof, for why these characters felt compelled to become heroes is really the meat of the novels.

And I'm concerned the movie will have none of it. There isn't room in a three hour picture to fit twelve books of character development. The story line is going to take the bulk of the spotlight, and I really have no interest in it. People will watch Watchmen and will never really understand what it was about. Watchmen isn't one of my favorite works, but it's one I admire a whole lot. It's pretty dry for a reread and since the plot doesn't grab me, it tends to drag on. But it saddens me a bit, that the movie won't do it justice. Who will watch Watchmen? A lot of people, and I probably will eventually. But I don't particularly want to.