So I went to the theater last weekend to check out Watchmen. And honestly, being a long time comic-fan and never paying attention to this story until now… I was pleasantly surprised! Even though Spider-Man and crew wouldn't translate so well in a rated-R setting, audience appeal and what not, its something I've been advocating since comic films became a big venue for creative cash-in's.
Blade did pretty well, and not because of Wesley Snipes amazing screen presence, but mostly because it was a gritty R-rated comic film. Ghost Rider, the horrible shame that it was totally flopped in theaters and sold miserably on DVD; blame Nicky Cage or see the obvious correlation I'm making with how powerful mature content can help a film/story cemented in semi-real worlds.

With Watchmen, I didn't know what to expect. I've read and enjoyed comics most of my life, but the whole bright colored tights agenda really wore thin over the years. In comics, I continued to search out stories with more than simple gratuitous "mature" violence; I wanted these make believe worlds and characters to be portrayed as realistic as possible, and sadly, Batman was the last of the Mohicans.
On a warm Saturday afternoon I made my way to suburbia, where everything is oh so clean and pristine, and treated myself to affordable popcorn and soda. Due to the previous night of heavy drinking at the bowling alley, the body was demanding some sort of supplement. The seats were comfy, the screen was impressive, audio was crisp, the audience was well mannered, and then the show was over…

As I took in the experience and let my brain sift through the story, I briefly reminisced why I love theaters in suburbia so much and then realized – no matter how much praise Watchmen might have won from me just now, this is a film I'll never watch again

Nothing shoddy against the movie or fans of the story; I really did enjoy the film from start to finish and felt that it encompassed a lot of what I expect from a tale of costumed heroes meant for adults.
Truth is, I've read plenty of fiction and mowed through tons of graphic novels with a similar ending, and I never tire of them. With that little tid-bit for anyone who has seen the film or read the story, I don't think my overall enjoyment would have been the same if I knew what to expect. Even the well made Batman movies suffer in my mind due to this already knowing, just waiting to see perception. On the way home from the show I chatted with my passengers about the story and the characters and we all seemed to really be pleased. Then it was quiet, and I felt everyone was bug-eyeing me… and supposedly I'm the "critic" who never likes anything anymore. Just because I openly addressed the obvious failures of Spider-Man 3 to all my fellow comic friends, they all label me as tainted and bitter from years of lame art college.

It's cool… I don't offend easily

When I tried to relate a feeling I get from some films being good only as one-time viewings, my comic comrades rolled their eyes. Like video games, you might be reluctant to purchase or rent, but once you do, the commitment has been declared. The least you can do is endure… and with the mountains of crap I've exposed myself to, there is a lot of negatives! Yet there are a few worthwhile mentions here and there that can't be denied. Which in turn leads to THAT feeling… the one that says, "My experience could have been more rewarding, but at least I now have first-hand knowledge of this film, game, book, location, etc, etc… and I will never have to tread that path again."

Maybe its muah being cynical or just outright rude, but not everything needs to be owned or plastered in gold. I've understood this since DVD's became the main video source; when collecting video games, books, music, comics, action figures, fortune cookie messages and old holey shoes. Not everything is meant to be acquired and locked away. In some strange way, I kind of prefer the actual memory more than the object now a days… and this is something after 20+ years of compulsive collecting I finally feel okay saying out loud. Then again, in a car full of hardcore comic and video game guys who love them some McFarlane collectibles, I once again unknowingly mark myself as the ugly duckling.

BRILLIANT!!