So this past Friday I saw Watchmen with some former coworkers at an IMAX theater. I even managed to get some decent seats, despite some unthoughtful people that didn't like the idea of me saving them for my friends. And let me say, seeing any movie on IMAX is an amazing experience, especially when the movie you're seeing is as good as Watchmen.

Now, before I continue, this movie is rated 'R' for 'Restricted,' and it is completely deserving of this rating. There is a lot of graphic content, both violence and sexual, so I don't suggest anyone below the legal age sees it, even if your parents are willing to take you.

With that out of the way, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I'm not a huge Watchmen fan or comic fan in general, but I was interested enough that I did read the graphic novel. I thought it was well adapted to the screen, and for the most part understood the changes and omissions. I did think the pacing was a little too fast as a result, but then again people wouldn't want to sit through a four hour movie.

The story, for the unfamiliar, revolves around a group over superheroes in 1985. Earlier, they had been part of a group called the Watchmen, but disbanded when 'masked vigilantism' was made illegal and most of them retired. When one of them is mysteriously killed, the events of the movie are set into motion. Also, this is all happening at the height of the Cold War where actual nuclear war seems imminent. Tensions are high, the world is about to end, and no one seems to know how to stop it. I'd call the story more of a mystery than an action story, which is part of why the movie is so long, there's a long of talking and explaining going on. There's even more that was left out, that just adds to the layers of the story and make it even deeper and more immersive.

The cinematography was pretty incredible as well. The shots really looked like they came right out of the comic, and I could practically see the frames of familiar scenes that I had read. All the costumes and special effects were great and really sucked you in. The actors for Rorschach and Nite Owl II were spot on, closely followed by Dr. Manhattan. Silk Spectre II and The Comedian were pretty good as well, although something about Ozymandias made me feel like something was missing. The other supporting characters did their jobs well too.

The movie was filled with many 1980s pop culture references that will probably be well accepted by the target audience, and which I definitely thought were a nice touch. The original score was good and fit well, but I personally thought the soundtrack, featuring the likes of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix (performing a Bob Dylan song), My Chemical Romance (ditto), Leonard Cohen, Nat King Cole, Simon & Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, Philip Glass (a personal favorite), and more were amazing choices. Individually they were all great songs, and most fit their scenes well, but a couple stuck out as odd choices. That's ok though, because I was enjoying the good taste in music too much to really care.

So all in all, I'd definitely recommend Watchmen, if you're old enough to handle the mature content. It's a great movie and a good adaptation, and I'm sure it will be doing well at the box office for a while to come.