Watchmen

When I walked out of Watchmen I thought it was, eh, fine. Visually, very true to the novel, but I have never actually finished the novel. I thought, I'm not really the target audience.

But as time goes by, I notice my response has become more and more negative. By the end of the week, I will become enraged at the mere mention of the film.

These are some of my questions.

When Rorschach drops articles in voice over, I like it, because he's reading from his journal, where people often use shorthands ("Dead dog in alley today" vs "I came across a dead dog in the alley today..." or something. Or whatever). When he does it in dialogue, it sort of makes him sound like Cookie Monster.

Do these people have some sort of superpowers or not? I thought they didn't (obviously with the exception of Dr. Manhattan) but they appear to. I mean, if I'm supposed to understand the story as a critique or dismantling of traditional superhero notions, why do I still have to accept that they will win every fight (or be just fine after plummeting two stories in a flaming building) for the simple reason that they are the protagonists?

Why are so many of the thugs who get beaten to death in bloody slow motion Asian? Is it because we won the Vietnam war?

Am I meant to feel any sympathy at all for Holis Dan/Nite Owl or Laurie/Silk Spectre? I find them so entirely repellent, from the visually unsettling scene in which they balletically beat a group of thugs to death with their bare hands to the even visually ickier scene in the hovercraft, of which the less said the better.

Actually, I take that last part back. I think the sex scene was my favorite part of the movie, because it was the only time I knew where I stood, which is neck deep in irony. From the soundtrack (can you tell I'm rolling my eyes right now?) to the utter lack of chemistry between the actors, it's embarrassing and kind of hilarious.

I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. Lots of people liked it. (Charlie? Prove me wrong? That's what the comments are for...)