Rating: R (strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language)
Length: 186 minutes

Widescreen 2.40:1 Color 1080p

ENGLISH: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1

English, French, Spanish

It's 1985 and Nixon is serving his fourth term as president. The Keen Act has been passed outlawing masked vigilantes forcing all but one, Rorschach, into retirement. While investigating a murder, he discovers that the victim used to be a fellow vigilante. He proceeds to warn his friends that he believes someone is out to murder them. This leads to a most interesting and entertaining chain of events.

This movie does something that few do with this runtime, it keeps your attention. The script is very well written and the characters are actually interesting and have their own personal flaws, unlike many "superheroes". There's ton of action/violence and the audio is impressive; I'm very pleased they didn't dumb it down for a lower rating to attract the kiddies.

Many people have a hard time sitting through three hour movies, but this passes by painlessly. Also, if you're looking for a brain-dead action flick, you'll want to look elsewhere. I've watched this movie three times and still pick up on new things I had missed previously.

• "The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics" Featurette
• "Maximum Movie Mode" Featurette
• "Focus Points" Featurette
• "Real Super Heroes: Real Vigilantes" Featurette
• "Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World" Featurette
• Music Video "Desolation Row" by My Chemical Romance
• BD Live
• Digital Copy

I've never read the graphic novel this is based on so I can't make a comparison. I purchased this film with my fingers crossed that it wouldn't suck and I was definitely not disappointed. This may prove to be the biggest surprise for 2009 and will see the inside of my PS3 many more times in the future. I have not watched the theatrical version but I didn't see anything in this cut that could have easily been deleted without consequences. Warning: there is a future release of this film on DVD scheduled for the end of this year that is supposedly loaded with extras; yet another example of the industry expecting fans to buy films more than once to get everything.

Zack Snyder   [300, Dawn of the Dead (2004)]

Malin Akerman - Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II

Mary Ann Burger - Eleanor Clift

James M. Connor - Pat Buchanan

Billy Crudup - Dr. Manhattan / Jon Osterman

[Almost Famous, Big Fish, Charlotte Gray, Mission Impossible 3, Sleepers]

Matt Frewer - Edgar Jacobi / Moloch the Mystic

[Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Stand]

Matthew Goode - Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias

Carla Gugino - Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre

[American Gangster, Michael, Righteous Kill, Rise: Blood Hunter]

Jackie Earle Haley - Walter Kovacs / Rorschach

Gary Houston - John McLaughlin

[Fargo]

Rob LaBelle - Wally Weaver

[Choas]

Stephen McHattie - Hollis Mason / Nite Owl

[A History of Violence, 300, Secretary, Shoot 'Em Up]

Laura Mennell - Janey Slater

Jeffrey Dean Morgan - Edward Blake / The Comedian

John Shaw - Doug Roth

Patrick Wilson - Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II

[The Alamo (2004), Hard Candy, The Phantom of the Opera (2004)]