Photos from McClatchy Tribune

Director Zack Snyder took on “Watchmenâ€Â despite all of the naysayers who said it couldn’t be filmed—and proved them wrong.

His “Watchmenâ€Â portrayal is both visually stunning and brutally violent, packing as much blood and moon-dust as possible into its nearly three-hour running time.

Based on an acclaimed graphic novel that has endured for over two decades, “Watchmenâ€Â is set in 1985 where Richard Nixon is still president and the Cold War is in full swing.

Two generations of self-appointed superheroes have donned costumes and aliases to fight crime, in spite of the scandal and murder that have plagued their lot for decades.

The vile Comedian (played with much relish by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) has made a name for himself killing people for the government, and Dr. Manhattan is a well-sculpted blue bundle of atomic energy responsible for ending the Vietnam War.

Along with Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), they make up the Watchmen.

But when the Comedian is flung to his death out of a high-rise building, the now-vigilante Rorschach takes it upon himself to investigate.

The Watchmen dwindle in number (Dr. Manhattan heads to Mars, Rorschach is put in jail) as the planet hurdles toward nuclear war until it is up to the remaining few to uncover the conspiracy that lies at the heart of this bloody film.

Snyder never strays far from the graphic novel̢۪s panels, remaining faithful to the original̢۪s complex plot, leaving out only what he feels is unnecessary (like the murder of original Nite Owl, Hollis Mason).

The visuals are as disturbing as they are dazzling, as stars collide and bodies explode. Dr. Manhattan himself is an entirely digital creation, towering and shimmery blue.

But it is Rorschach and a particularly out-of-this-world love scene that stand out.

Jackie Earle Haley had the challenge of acting solely with his voice, as he wears a face-covering mask for most of the movie. Not only does he have the choicest lines as the film̢۪s narrator, but the anguish of his final scene almost brings you to tears.

And as for the love scene between Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl II, sex has never been portrayed as quite so satisfying onscreen before.

There is no doubt about it, Zack Snyder has done it again, adapting another graphic novel to the big screen with great success. “Watchmenâ€Â veterans and virgins alike should not be disappointed.