In the run up to the release of Zack Snyder's adaptation of Watchmen (a 1985 graphic novel), I experienced mixed emotions about the film. While I was assured that Snyder's previous film 300 was a proficient comic adaptation, I walked into the cinema expecting Watchmen to be a deplorable – nay, atrocious – movie.

There are a few reasons for this pessimism, chiefly the utter absurdities associated with adapting this particular comic book. Among the stranger ingredients of Moore's classic are: the superhuman Dr Manhattan, who glows radioactive cobalt blue and doesn't wear clothes, a giant glass clockwork structure on Mars, and a large hovercraft by the name of Archimedes.

Ridiculous as these elements are, they were dealt with unflinchingly. Using an array of complicated techniques, Dr Manhattan's entire body was created using CGI, including his unearthly glow. I have a sneaking suspicion that this effect will not age well, but only time will tell. Similarly, the glass clockwork tower was pulled off stunningly. Archimedes looked almost as if it could have been real.

Bravely, Snyder chose to retain most of the graphic novel's script (probably upwards of eighty percent) and images. Almost every shot looked familiar; it was as if the storyboard people had gone through the entire comic and recreated each frame as a distinct shot. The attention to detail was astounding – the camerawork showed that care and time had been taken to create the world of Moore's novel, detail by painstaking detail.

Despite chattering to the contrary on the sainted internet, music was used very well. My favourite moment is during Dr Manhattan's monologue; Philip Glass' Pruit Igoe plays in the background while he talks, before dropping away suddenly and leaving Manhattan to whisper the words that change the entire course of the story. The whole cinema seemed to let out a breath at that moment. At the other end of the spectrum, most people adopted an unenthusiastic attitude towards the use of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah during the gratuitous, drawn-out sex scene. I, however, was glad of something to listen to while I was hiding behind my jumper in disgust.

While the cast (with a few exceptions) was solid, Jackie Earle Hayley deserves a special mention. His subtle command of body language and facial expressions served him incredibly well as Rorschach.

At first, the gravely growl he adopted was a bit of a shock, mainly due to the fact that I had not imagined the character to sound that way. (Runners up for the Strangest Voice Award include Hooded Justice and Adrian Veidt). Jeffrey Dean Morgan's portrayal of the Comedian was also impeccable; he was charismatic and detestable all at once.

I honestly can't say if I'll regret praising Watchmen so highly in a few years time. The scene depicting a giant Dr Manhattan blowing up Vietnamese people looks dated even now; it is the one image I would not have transposed directly from the comic to the film. Hopefully, the film's atmosphere and proficient execution will carry it through into the following decades. As I have already said once before, only time will tell.

By Samantha Purvis