In the 1960s, a scientist is transformed by accident into the most powerful being ever seen on Earth, a glowing super-genius with unspeakable mental powers called Doctor Manhattan. Thanks to Doctor Manhattan, America quickly win the Vietnam War and causes Richard Nixon to spike in popularity so greatly that the public votes him to countless terms in office. Unfortunately, when the Cold War begins to unfold, an already tense situation is made that much more tenuous due to Russia's knowledge of the existence of Doctor Manhattan. Nuclear war seems inevitable, it's just a matter of when. Meanwhile, the public turns on regular costumed vigilantes, who become outlaws as a result.
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One hero, a ruthless masked man named Rorschach, doesn't put away his costume, but instead works in the shadows at night. He discovers, after the death of a former colleague The Comedian, that costumed superheroes are being targeted for death, and he is unsure why. His other former partners, Nite Owl, Ozymandias, Doctor Manhattan, and the Doctor's lover, Silk Spectre, dismiss Rorschach's theory, as he has always been somewhat paranoid. However, when someone tries to kill Ozymandias and Rorschach is framed for a murder and put into jail, it seems Rorschach wasn't wrong after all. To make matters more complicated, Silk Spectre grows weary of Doctor Manhattan's continued aloof demeanor and she leaves him, beginning a love affair with Nite Owl. Doctor Manhattan teleports himself to Mars, no longer interested in humanity, which effectively removes America's nuclear deterrent, making nuclear war seem all the more likely. Yet when Nite Owl and Silk Spectre discover who is behind the murder of costumed superheroes and why, they must free Rorschach from prison before one of their own can commit a horrible act of mass destruction.
Best part of story, including ending:
The comic book is terrific, and the movie does a very faithful job bringing it to life. For the most part, it remains exciting and morally complex.
Best scene in story:
The opening credits may be among the best opening credits in movie history, covering a span of forty years seamlessly. It's exciting and innovative filmmaking.
Opinion about the main character:
Rorschach may be a psychopath, but he has principles that he refuses to budge on. Whereas others see the greater good, he can only see right and wrong, which gives him a skewed type of nobility.
