As a “comic book” adaptation, I reckon it’s pretty successful. Comics are a visual medium and visually this is top tier. Aside from that, and Jackie Earle Haley’s performance as Rorschach, nothing else really stands out. Malin Ackerman is a bit wooden and, while I get what he is going for, Matthew Goode doesn’t quite pull it off.
Despite the length it still jumps around a lot to get to the good stuff, so I guess that could be better edited? I’ve not read it for a while but I remember it covers the source material pretty thoroughly. And it’s in that source material where I think most of the movie’s problems lie: I’m not sure it’s ageing well.
We have no need of paranoia when shameless self-interest is just playing out right in front of us every day. I feel like many of us are now living in an age of bewilderment, asking ourselves “Is this really happening?” The grand plan almost seems a little naïve by today’s standards: nothing would surprise us any more.
★★★