According to the graphic novel, which I sat down and read tonight, Dr. M can only see the future, and in no way can change it or shape it to what he wants. He can see the outcome of his actions, but ultimately his actions are predetermined, as is the entire future. It's as you said, he acts to fulfill the future he sees, but he does so because he is powerless to change it.

The movie did a great job of incorporating most of the graphic novel, and was more or less true, with only a few things changed for cinematic flair and, to be expected, a lot of scenes removed.

The soundtrack was also fkin amazing. Songs that were quoted or displayed in the graphic novel were added. In the novel, the scene where Rorschach and Nite Owl II at the end when they confronted Ozy, in the novel that's the end of a chapter, and the quote at the end was the lyrics of the Dylan song All Along the Watchtower. "Outside in the cold distance, a wild cat did growl. Two riders were approaching, and the wind began to howl" and they did an amazing job of incorporating that with Hendrix's version playing over the scene with the lyrics synced nicely.

There was a lot of little things in the movie I enjoyed, and the people who are pissy about the background story telling, well.. it's how it was presented by the original authors of the graphic novel, so QQ to them.