It’s quite convenient for Warner Bros. that Time magazine, a fellow Time Warner subsidiary, has been able to break the review embargo on Watchmen. Though (geek blogger and Simpsons executive producer) Matt Selman acknowledges the embargo, he neither considers himself press nor his post on Time’s Nerd World blog a review. Still, his gushing write-up, in which he avoids discussing plot points and attempts to steer clear of technically labeling the movie good or bad, has stirred up some controversy regarding what constitutes a review and what is permissible during a review embargo. I’m sure that Warner Bros. would have no problem quoting Selman in ads for Watchmen, so the studio should consider the post completely equivalent to a film review.

Now, thanks to the controversy surrounding Selman’s apparently planted “review,” the inevitable Watchmen backlash hath begun. Fark.com headlined its link to Selman’s piece in a way that presumed the highly anticipated graphic novel adaptation is going to be a disappointment. And Defamer followed its own response to the Selman write-up with another post panning a new clip from the film. Keep reading after the jump to find more negativity that erupted today in the wake of the Selman sell.

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Kevin Kelly covered the Watchmen press preview in Los Angeles last week, and the same footage was shown when the preview came to Manhattan yesterday. Kevin’s piece has all the nuts and bolts of what happened in the footage, so check that out if you haven’t, but since I’m fundamentally incapable of fanboy enthusiasm, I thought I ought to weigh in with just a few additional thoughts, from my ignorant/cynical perspective.

With that said… OMGITSFUCKINGAWESOME!!!!!

Just kidding. But not completely. More after the jump.

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