Is this a good adaptation? Yes. Loved it. Own both the Blu-Ray and DVD director's cut.
Is it the first thing Snyder has directed with any depth or relevance? Sure, but putting any film up against an action-packed visual spectecal like "300" or a gore packed, action-focused remake like "Dawn of the Dead" could make it look "East of Eden" deep. Not to mention this is FUCKING "Watchmen"! A seminal work that will never be forgotten, as it changed the medium it was in and had the broadest sense of morality, importance and self-awareness of any comic then or, damned near, since. Just mataining the basic story, plot-elements, characters aand twists as the source-material makes it incredibly deep and absorbing. I mean, hell, even I could overlook all of the important plot and character elements missing from the film (though, sacrificing such an important moral-juxaposition (Dr. Malcolm Long's significance, and such) and hoisting in more and more gratuitous violence and action only made me shake my head and sigh at the fact that this was clearly catering to the audience Snyder KNEW he didn't have (i.e. people who weren't fans of the material already). Losing so much substance in order to make end's meet is disappointing to such a plot relevant story.
Is it a masterpiece...? Ehhhh... No. No, I can't give it that. Aside from three marvelous performances, a fucking fantastic visual style (the one thing Snyder will be lording over me so I can't knock him off as a douche-bag is certainly his visualizations), and a decent, though far from perfect, adaptation of the story.
There are more things I found wrong when watching the director's cut, but I feel like I'm just blowing off steam at a critic I respect, here. So, yeah, thought it was fantastic, but far from perfect. Probablly the best adaptation of the story I could have hoped for, I just made the mistake of hoping for more... damn that fucking amazing trailer...
7.7/10
