`` Watchmen '' is so devoted to the comic book it misses vision , says Tom Charity . The film was a commercial and critical failure, but its influence has been felt for decades - from the graphic novel on which it's based to the TV series that followed it. Clocking in at an exhausting 163 minutes even without some of the book 's various subplots , the film forfeits momentum and suspense for a jerky succession of expository dialogue scenes , interspersed with occasional flashes of grotesque ultra-violence . A few good performances , but overall the film feels lifeless .
`` Watchmen '' is so devoted to the comic book it misses vision , says Tom Charity . The film was a commercial and critical failure, but its influence has been felt for decades - from the graphic novel on which it's based to the TV series that followed it. A few good performances , but overall the film feels lifeless .