Watchmen has been in various stages of conception since the late eighties, and bears a weight of geek scrutiny which is almost unprecedented. Unfortunately, the lauded trailer shown with The Dark Knight was masterful compared to the final product.

Director Zack Snyder (Dawn Of The Dead [2004], 300[2007]) has chosen to remain visually faithful to the source material to the degree that it is a liability against the film. Trimmed segments, which are extensive and necessary, are not accounted for, and the film never eases into its own identity. Enough of the irrelevant is preserved, and too much thematic exposition is canned for the film to be anything but a jumbled mess. Context is often ignored in the interest of shot-for-shot reproduction of a graphic novel, which is itself flawed. Most of the principal acting ranges from adequate to outstanding. The Comedian and Rorschach, in particular, are very well adapted and understood by their respective actors, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jackie Earl Haley. The film’s actors will receive an exposure bump – assuming, as the film’s promo material states, that justice truly comes to us all.

The film falters in bringing the thematic depth of the graphic novel to life, and seems to enjoy earning its ‘R’ rating in ways that are irrelevant and contrary to the source material’s handling. The kitschy, obtusely iconic soundtrack is mixed annoyingly loudly and was inappropriately chosen. In contrast, the film’s score is often elegantly understated and filled with ambient synths evoking a casual, effective period immersion. This distinction is analogous to the film itself. Watchmen flies when it does the minor due diligence of appropriating the material for itself, and it fails spectacularly when it drag-and-drops the work of others without consideration or context. Aside from bringing attention to some worthy and devout actors, one hesitates to imagine what good will come of this exercise in medium-swapping.