Watchmen

I went to see "Watchmen" last night at the IMAX in Reading. It was worth the extra dollar to see this film on the gigantic screen. The special effects, which are good, have more punch in IMAX.
The movie itself was good, but not great. It stayed pretty faithful to the original graphic novel. Most of the changes were just to cut the length down and smooth out the story line. Of course the movie still rolls in at just shy of 3 hours, the movie is still long and could be made shorter. The love scene in Archie is needlessly drawn out. Silk Specter looks good in the buff, but it doesn't help the story at all. There are a few other spots where things could have been cut down a bit more. Maybe it could have shaved 5-10 minutes off the run time. It didn't feel overly long however.
The one major difference between the novel and the movie is how Ozymandias tricks the world into peace. While I think the story works either way, I don't see the point of the change. If there is a bigger point to be made, the ending doesn't really make that clear. The alien meme achieves the same effect as making Jon the baddy. The world would still unite to combat a new, powerful, common enemy. If the ending was turned so that humanity saw the error of relying on a single man for their safety, perhaps the altered ending makes more sense. Dan's comment to Spector at the end confuses things even more. Perhaps, I'm missing the irony in it all. Perhaps, the director wants to drill home the question "Who watches the Watchmen?"
I think the real point is not about watching anybody. It is about Rorschach's joke.
I'm not sure how people who are not Watchmen fans will like the film. It is beautiful to look at, the action is well done, and the story is good. It is a little depressing and dark. Few of the characters (OK none of the characters) are likable. (I'll admit to a grudging soft spot for Rorschach. He is the closest thing to a real hero in the story.)
Watchmen fans will likely enjoy the movie even if they don't love the movie. I'm sure a few will decry the ending, but they are little better than the characters in the story.
If you like action movies and don't have anything to do for a few hours, there are worse ways to spend your money.