The thunderball of movies made from graphic novels is rolling ever since “V” came to the big screen and Batman was reinvented. We’re not talking “Looney tunes” here, not the old “Batman” movies or the caricatures of the second generation “Batman” movies, nor the feel-good “Superman” or “Spiderman”.

We’re talking message here, we’re talking deep, dark and gritty. We’re talking about a real ‘what if’ question, what if superheroes existed? How would they be? what would the human side do? What would they fight for? How would they feel? While “V for Vendetta” packs a strong political message alongside a good dose of humour and action, “X-Men” came with some interesting but inssuficiently explored moral question. But playing ‘catch-up’ came the third generation of Batman movies and now “Watchmen” with a bigger picture about the people behind the masks, the people behind the costumes. Batman with his ghosts and fears was a comic-book masterpiece, but how is “Watchmen”?

“Watchmen” is truly a complex thing. The world behind the graphic novels goes from the premise that superheroes are (much like in V or Batman) people which a desire to do good, protect the innocent and serve truth and justice. They do not have superpowers, just a little extra technology and the will to do what others would not, sacrifice what others would not. Despite their noble goals, they are still just people, dealing with emotions, frustrations and feelings. In this world, the US is the only winner of WWII and, with superheroes’ help, also of Vietnam war, but due to this victory, the Cold War with the USSR is rapidly degenerating into a clear and present danger of nuclear conflict. Now, after all the wars are over, superheroes have been outlawed and a couple have chosen to reveal their identities and turn towards a more mundane occupation.

Laurie Jupiter aka “Silk Spectre” has taken the cape from her mother, the original Silk Spectre, a member of the original “Watchmen” group. As a vengeful yourth, her mother was raped in an access of rage by a frustrated Comedian, act which led to her birth. She has decided to put “Silk Spectre” on a hiatus until things cool down and in the meantime she has developed a romantic relationship with Dr Manhattem but as he looks oblivious to her feelings, she turns on fellow Dan “Nite Owl”, who has also taken the cape from his father. The two are quite alienated by the degradation of the “Watchmen”.

Jon Osterman, aka Dr Manhattan, is a scientist who has developed godlike powers following a lab accident. He is the only one with real superpowers and he can manipulate anything, including time. His godlike powers have altered his personality, making him very detached from a wold that holds no more secrets, no more mysteries to him and thusly he has no interested in.

Adrien Veigt is Ozymandias, the most intelligent human in existence, who has given up his life as a superhero and has turned to the business world, trying to break humanity’s dependence on limited resources and offer a sustenable and infinite source of energy, eliminating the need to fight and kill over resources. He has comissioned Dr Manhatten to work with him.

Dan Dreiberg is “Nite Owl”, an ex-”Watchmen” who grew tired of the corruption inside the group. Much like “Silk Spectre”, he believes the time of superheroes has set and has given up to fatalism.

Edward Blake is “The Comedian”, a jolly superhero that hides a psychotic personality. A military man, he has no true respect for life and often turns on his own. Very eloquent of his persona are his rape of the original Silk Spectre and of a woman in Vietnam, whom he also kills in cold blood when she tells him that he’s about to have a child (in the same scene, a distraught Dr Manhattan decides not to stop him, becoming a silent accomplice).

Finally, Walter Kovacs is “Roschach”, the only “Watchmen” member who truly believes in the purpose of superheroes. In a way, he’s the only true superhero of the group, the only one who never compromises o his values, searching justice and truth until the end. Upon Comedian’s death, he decides to investigate, thus spwaning the plot of the movie.

The movie itself has many strong points, the vengeful Roschach being just the cherry on top. Personally I love the story of hm becoming a vigilante: the brutal rape and murder of a young girl, culminating with him discovering the criminal and the brutally slaughtering him. I must confess that everytime I hear about girls or women raped or killed, I have always wished of doing what Roschach did, or even worse. Other strong points are the deep story and the grand finale.

I’m sure that the story sounded better in the 70′s or 80′s, but the iminent threat of nuclear war and the utter enmity in the world today is just as present so it’s not hard to relate. In “watchmen”, :The Comedian” dies because he has discovered a plot that caused a deep conflict with his superhero principle and later we find out what it was: Ozymandias plans to united the world and thus end war forever … but in a most gruesome way. He plans to use the energy produced by dr Manhattan to destroy 15 of the world’s biggest cities in one brutal strike, thus causing the world to unite in order to fight a common enemy. By creating this enemy in the persona of Dr Manhattan, he ensures the eradication of the nuclear threat and the birth of a solid peace.

In the process, he earns everybody’s hate. “Silk Spectre” knows he has murdered her father (the rapist Comedian), Roschach and Nite Owl feel that he has corrupted any notion of morality and has destroyed everything superheroes stand for by sacrificing millions in order to ensure the safe survival of billions, Dr Manhattan feels used and betrayed (and for good reason). In the end, they all accept the wisdom of Ozymandias’ act, as they see the effects of that: a permanent world peace treaty … all except Roschach who can’t live knowing what was sacrificed.

The movie’s end twist justified the means, but the story itself is deep and complex. I’m sure many will feel alienated by Roschach’s death (I for one do) since I view things in an absolute way, much like him, and balancing the lives of millions and billions sounds too much like Stalin to me.

What truly fascinates me is the concept of divinity in this movie. Dr Manhattan is a clear portrayal of the New Testament God: a God that can create and he is present, but doesn’t intervene and preffers to stay away from sight, though making his presence known every now and then. He does not judge and leaves everyone to make their own decisions and sees the wisdom in each decision.

Ozymandias on the other hand, he is more like the Old Testament God. He likes to guide people, but every now and then he takes away the gift of choice and makes decisions instead, keeping everything under control while always keeping in mind the greater good from an absolute point of view. He decides what sacrifices need to be made in order to preseve creation (much like Peter Ackroyd’s Dyer) and he decides when and how they should be made.

The movie is strong in this respect, but there are two big flaws: Silk Spectre and Nite Owl. Basically they are useless, they feel underdeveloped and more of an annoyance on the screen. They basically do nothing useful, instead they take away movie time which could have otherwise been spend in order to further the plot (or just as well to allow Roschach to kick some more bad guys, just as good).