After more than 20 years in development, the "Watchmen" movie is here. The film adaptation of the most praised graphic novel of all time is supposed to be every comic book fan's dream come true, but does it live up to expectations?

"Watchmen" is set in an alternate history from the 1940s to 1980s, where costumed crime-fighters really exist but none of them, except for one, has true superpowers. As the world draws closer to doomsday, the masked vigilante Rorschach investigates the murder of his former teammate Edward Blake, also known as The Comedian, and uncovers a plot by a mysterious enemy to kill off other costumed heroes. Rorschach warns his former colleagues — Nite Owl II, Silk Spectre II, Ozymandias, and the godlike Doctor Manhattan — before realizing that the enemy may be among them.

One of the positive things about this movie is the director staying faithful to the original graphic novel. Zack Snyder and his team took what’s considered a comic masterpiece and transformed it into a brilliant masterpiece on screen. Many key lines were lifted directly from the book, and much of Dave Gibbons groundbreaking panel work was reproduced amazingly on the screen.

People will appreciate the beauty of "Watchmen" on the big screen. The Owl Ship flying above the New York cityscape gave me goose bumps. I really liked the magnificent costumes, especially the latex update of Silk Spectre II's outfit, and I loved Rorschach's ever-changing ink-blotted mask. Rorschach was the best thing about the movie and the actor who played him gave me a sense that he really loved the character by the way he portrayed him.

I have to issue a warning to people who want to want to take kids to see this. There are super- violent fight sequences, especially the scene where a group of thugs attempts to rob two of our heroes; a really graphic attempted rape scene; gruesome torture shots; and even a lovemaking scene. The R rating gives Snyder the ability to show Dr. Manhattan in the nude.

Those who haven’t read the book may be confused by the plot, and it’s missing some of the emotional depth of the comic, but I was entertained the whole time because of the characters and complex story.

Is it the best comic book movie ever? No, but it's faithful to the original and really well made.

My verdict: If you're a comic book fan — and even if you're not — you should see this.