Watchmen

I watched the movie Watchmen tonight. I never read the comic book so I'm looking at the film as it stands on it's own. However, since I have a long history of reading comics, novels, and other assorted disreputable literature, I felt very at home in the genre. I even caught a lot of the cultural references.

But it's the presupposition upon which the story rests that bothers me. I was reminded of that time back in the late 70s when nuclear war was still a grave threat in the public mind. Watching how the author of Watchmen worked out the situation made me smile as I remembered how the real Cold War was ended... without the sacrifice of Ozymandias. Just the determination and commitment of Reagan, Thatcher and John Paul II. Who'd'a thunk it?

When it comes down to it, most of these science fiction and superhero stories are flawed at the premise. I see a way out because I know that there is a God and I know He is Good. And I know He can and will involve himself in our lives. God is more powerful than Dr. Manhattan, and even with that power is more intimately involved in our lives than we can imagine. And what's most amazing, He loves us.

Watchman builds a logical story, showing several points of view and their various ideas and opinions of how the world functions, and brings it to a conclusion that isn't really satisfying. After all, didn't you want Dr. Manhattan to disassemble Adrian?

The success of the movie is in it's illustrating the flaws of those world views and leaving few behind... one of which jumps out at me.

So, the movie satisfies, but only as a complete whole. And also knowing that it's just a movie and the XXII amendment is still in place.