If you listened very, very closely at about 12:01 a.m. on Friday, March 6, you would have heard a very distinct noise: the sound of comic fans around the country gasping in anticipation of the premiere of Watchmen, the much-anticipated movie adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' acclaimed graphic novel.Seeing as how Watchmen has been called "peerless" by Rolling Stone and "the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced" by Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of Lost, there was a lot of pressure on director Zack Snyder-the mastermind behind 300 and Dawn of the Dead-to make a movie that captured the depth and emotion of the graphic novel.

Watchmen is set in an alternate universe in 1985 in which the U.S.A. won the war in Vietnam and Nixon avoided the Watergate scandal by having his Democratic opponent assassinated. Presidential term limits have been removed, and Nixon is entering his fifth term. The Keene Act has outlawed costumed heroes, sending the Watchmen into forced retirement.

The film begins with the death of the Comedian (not a spoiler, kids, you see it in the trailer) and then follows the rogue character Rorschach in his quest to identify the Comedian's killer, revealing an intricate web of characters and plots in the process.

As a devoted fan of the graphic novel, I can say that I, for one, was not disappointed.

The dark mood of the comic is established from the opening shot of the film. The fight scene, graphic and bloody before the opening credits even roll, is shot in pure 300-esque fashion, but the exaggerated sound effects and slow motion give it a comic book feel. As the Comedian plummets 30 stories from a shattered apartment window to the sidewalk below, the darkness gives way to one of the most beautifully crafted opening credit sequences I've ever seen, set to Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and detailing the history of costumed heroes in America.

While the movie is visually stunning, the film's strength lay in its casting, particularly in its male cast. Instead of pushing for big name recognition, the creators of the film chose a talented group of lesser-known actors, headlined by Jeffrey Dean Morgan of Grey's Anatomy fame as the Comedian and Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach. Morgan embodies the Comedian's cynicism and darkness to a T, and Haley's Rorschach is as disgusted with humanity and yet undeniably human as the character in the graphic novel. As Dr. Manhattan, the only hero with actual superpowers-yes, non-comic fans, that's the naked blue guy-Billy Crudup demonstrates a gradual distancing from humanity as the character grapples with the struggle to remain attached to a world that he could destroy with a fingertip. Patrick Wilson's Nite Owl is presented as weary of pretending to be normal after a life of vigilante work, true to his novel characterization.

Perhaps the weakest aspect of the film was Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre II. While her struggle-living up to her mother's heroic image-is a familiar one and Akerman is great to look at, her performance is hollow. On the positive side, boys, you do get to see her naked. Life could be worse.

A caveat to the die-hard graphic novel fans: The ending has been changed very slightly. However, the change is tasteful and necessary and brings a surprisingly believable connection to our own current state of world political affairs.

Despite the capes and costumes, Watchmen cannot truly be classified as a "superhero" movie; it is rather a movie about humanity. Watchmen brings surprising conviction to its characters as flawed and minor gods-people who once existed to protect humanity but now have to grapple with their own mortality in a world that no longer wants them. While moviegoers unfamiliar with the novel may be somewhat confused by the myriad characters and constant flashback there is no denying that Watchmen is a stunning cinematic masterpiece that will inspire analysis and awe for years to come.