As a comic book, Watchmen presented an alternate history of the 20th century, twisting the familiar into the surreal. Director Zack Snyder chooses to cherry-pick chestnuts from every decade of the story's time line. There's a little Billie Holiday, a little Nat King Cole, a bit of Simon & Garfunkel and Janis Joplin, some ironic disco via KC & the Sunshine Band, some somber sobriety with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," and a whole lot of Bob Dylan (whose "The Times They Are A-Changin'" opens the film, underscoring a montage telling the story's alternate history), who is then covered by Jimi Hendrix and My Chemical Romance, whose truncated cover of the epic "Desolation Row" is performed in the "style of the Sex Pistols," as requested of the band by Snyder. MCR's "Desolation Row" is placed here at the beginning, not the end as it is in the film, all the better to get attention -- and it does get attention with its buzzy guitars and Gerard Way's affected snarl. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
