Watchmen

"So the wait is over and the hype can subside because the most eagerly anticipated movie of 2009 has arrived. Based on the graphic novel considered the Citizen Kane of its field (the 'best of the best' for those who don’t speak movie geek) its big-screen counterpart might be closer to Ben Hur, in that it’s a kingsized spectacle that fits in jaw-dropping moments wherever it can."

"Fans of Alan Moore’s landmark graphic novel, concerning a ring of Gotham superheroes brought out of retirement by an impending nuclear threat, will thrill to every pulpy line of dialogue and bloody act of retribution retained in director Zack Snyder’s slavishly faithful adaptation. But auds unfamiliar with Moore’s brilliantly bleak, psychologically subversive fiction may get lost amid all the sinewy exposition and multiple flashbacks."

"Travelling towards us with the agonising speed of an incoming meteor we’ve stared at for fully 23 years, Watchmen finally hits the screen as something fanboys could only have dreamed of: a labour-of-love epic, stylish, violent and very, very faithful."

"I loved this book, and while the movie failed overall to match the enormous impact the original story had on me that was always going to be a big ask. The world is ready for Watchmen, and I'll certainly be lining up to watch the Watchmen again."

"As stimulating as it was to see the superhero movie enter the realm of crime fiction in "The Dark Knight," "Watchmen" enters into a realm that is both nihilistic and campy. The two make odd companions. The film, directed by Zack Snyder ("300"), will test the limits of superhero movie fans. If you're not already invested in these characters because of the original graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, nothing this movie does is likely to change that predicament."

"Okay, it isn’t the graphic novel, but Zack Snyder clearly gives a toss, creating a smart, stylish, decent adaptation, if low on accessibility for the non-convert."