Remember, remember the 5th of November

[Mr March]

Just got back from a pre-release show and I just had to write a review. Enjoy!

V For Vendetta (2006)

Genre: Live Action Film – Science Fiction Drama

Rare indeed is a science fiction film with more to offer than the newest special effects display and rarer still a science fiction film with political/ideological subtexts that thrill and inspire audiences. V For Vendetta may be a film that offers science fiction, political commentary, and controversial ideology, but each of these parts mesh to create a vibrant film that resonates. V For Vendetta opens upon the audience like a firework, its story rages like a storm, and the finale lingers like an aftermath.

Adapted from the graphic novel by Alan Moore, V For Vendetta is a science fiction story set in a totalitarian Britain spawned from a vaguely described disaster in years past. The suppression suffered by the masses is personified by young Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman) who - falling into trouble with state police called Fingermen - finds herself rescued by a masked revolutionary named “V†(Hugo Weaving). Dressed in the guise of folk hero Guy Fawkes, “V†engenders unto Evey the dream of a new and better world to replace the iron-fisted regime of Sutler (John Hurt) that cages Britain and her people in fascism.

Without doubt, V For Vendetta is a pointedly disturbing film. The character of “V†both inspires and terrifies the viewer through his actions, at times heroic and equally monstrous, particularly his methods of persuading Evey to join his new revolution. As “Vâ€, Hugo Weaving plays the provocateur entirely behind a masked fascade, like some Phantom of the Oppressed. Proving he’s up to the challenge, Weaving adeptly utilizes his melodic voice combined with deft body language to create a vibrant performance as theatrical as V’s personality. Equally enjoyable is Portman’s Evey, portrayed with enough emotion to perfectly fathom the character’s fear and the right amount of anger to trust the honesty of her transformation into freedom fighter; all this and a convincing english accent too. As antagonists, the varied cast conveys brutal authoritarianism through dictator Adam Sutler (John Hurt), blind ambition from thug Creedy (Tom Pigott-Smith) and gradual enlightenment via Inspector Finch (Stephen Rea).

While these powerful performances would engage any audience in an average film, V For Vendetta is never content to tell a conventional tale. Driving directly into issues such as free-will, homosexuality, and persecution, screenwriters Andy & Larry Wachowski masterfully adapt Moore’s classic graphic novel for the screen. First time director James McTeigue obviously benefits from the instruction of the Wachowski brothers, bringing the script to life and bravely dealing with the moral ambiguity of extreme ideology and the human dilemma between death and freedom. Those expecting to see an action piece will be disappointed, but those expecting a smart thriller with powerful action to match the well-paced tension will be ecstatic. V For Vendetta features compelling mystery, authentic drama, and some truly innovative fighting sequences sadly absent from many movies that claim to be action films.

With a film this reactionary, it’s only natural that some of the flaws will be examined with scrutiny. The film can drag briefly at points of exposition and sometimes the audacity of “V†can stretch a scene into absurdity. Yet overall V For Vendetta works and works well, even if the movie lacks a certain polish. In its defense, the movie has solid acting, a bold story, provoking drama, and a strong cinematic style that should win over most.

V For Vendetta features many surprises and introspective moments best left to experience unspoiled. Many skeptics have complained of hollow films and a diminishing interest in the stories being told on the big screen, so V For Vendetta will hopefully be accepted as a rich movie worth watching. While the current politically sensitive climate in many democratic nations may cause some to marginalize the film, V For Vendetta is that rare important film which deserves to be seen before judgement is rendered.

Rating: 5 out of 5. A fantastic adaptation of a seminal graphic novel and a memorable film which will stimulate debate and discussion as all good art should.

[Twoducks]

So they didn't screw up? yay, one movie worth seeing!! Thanks for the review.

[azrael]

More like they didn't screw it up that bad...

[bsu legato]

Awesome review, Mr March. If all goes as planned, I'll be at the late show tonight to see it!

[Neova]

I saw this last night with the MW HK team (Graham, Valk009 and Blackaces) and it was exactly as Mr. March described.

A good story with political / moral dilemma and action rolled into one. Hugo Weeving was awesome in his performance as V and the story pacing was great.

The transitions between action, suspense and political drama was long enough to tell the story and lead onto the next scene, without the feeling of being pulled, pushed or forced away when you're not ready.

While the film is set in Britain, the overly used British slang (Telly, Bollocks, Chaps, Mate) to authenticate the setting felt at times overwhelming to these untrained ears.

Valk009 and I laughed about it afterwards - Too British? At times, yes.

Highly recommended.

[kanedaestes]

Wow, truly the best film of this year by far. I thought hugo weaving was brilliant. Natalie portman as almost always excellent. The movie as a whole was just awesome I will gladly pay to see it another 2 or 3 times

[SpacePirateNeko]

V for Vendetta was E for Excellent

and thats all i need to say for my review

[Wes]

It was pretty good. There were some parts that were annoying. All the "enlightened" good-guys were gay - alright, one, I'd understand, but they should have hit on other groups threatened by the new world order. And there's a naughty caltholic-guy - WOW, that's a new one guys, I've never heard of that happening! If they wanted to make us think, why did they put in the same victims and villians as protrayed in our PC evironment already. And they did the Matrix-crap at the end - and they were doing soooo good at shying away from that too, and the movie was better for it.

The thing I really like about the movie was V. He wasn't some perfect hero, he was a man. Inteligent, yes, but not infallable and he changes as the movie goes on. And they don't explain him away, there's some mystery left to him at the end, but they produce all the info you need.

All in all, I'd call this The Boondock Saints Part II

[Ladic]

fantastic, best movie I've seen this year

[Ladic]

Good Read:

http://www.comicon.com/thebeat/2006/03/a_f...moore.html#more

[Twoducks]

Good Read:

http://www.comicon.com/thebeat/2006/03/a_f...moore.html#more

381754[/snapback]

Yes indeed, thanks for the link Ladic

[DARTHTODD]

Great movie! Very well written story, you'll be thinking about this one for weeks.

[JKeats]

Excellent film. Great review, Mr. March.

[Guest Bromgrev]

I enjoyed the film thoroughly, in spite of the numerous changes. I long ago gave up expecting films to exactly mirror their literary originals. It was a pity how many characters were left by the wayside, which tended to make the bad guys look too uniformly bad, but it's understandable in a 2+ hour film.

If anything, it was slightly too optimistic in tone, with Evey's character leading an entirely too comfortable life between her parents' arrest and her own run-in with the fingermen. The brand-placement (Dell computers, JVC televisions) seemed a bit jarring.

Spoiler Alert:

But you've got to love any film that ends in the Houses of Parliament blowing up!

[wolfx]

Just watched the movie. I love it. Been awhile since i actually came out of the theatre smiling.

[dr_vandermeer]

It was pretty good.  There were some parts that were annoying.  All the "enlightened" good-guys were gay - alright, one, I'd understand, but they should have hit on other groups threatened by the new world order.  And there's a naughty caltholic-guy - WOW, that's a new one guys, I've never heard of that happening!   If they wanted to make us think, why did they put in the same victims and villians as protrayed in our PC evironment already.  And they did the Matrix-crap at the end - and they were doing soooo good at shying away from that too, and the movie was better for it.

I can see how it might seem a bit like making too fine a point, especially in these modern times, but Catholic guy and some of the "enlightened" gay characters were in the book from 15 years ago, when pedophile priests weren't all the rage they are these days, and homosexuality wasn't as talked about as it is now.

I also personally didn't feel that the final fight was Matrix-y, just slow motion and hyperreal.

Really liked the movie myself.

[wolfx]

Bullet time!

Real awesome stuff.

[Graham]

As a big fan of the graphic novel since first reading it in the '80s, I came away disappointed with the movie.

I thought some of the extra bits they added, such as V sending out all those masks (was a figure of 700,000 masks mentioned?) a bit silly.

I also thought that having the government create the disasters was unnescessary for the story. The way the UK is heading, it's already turning into a police state.

I also agree that the blatent product placement was a bit jarring.

The final fight was just silly. The bad guys empty their guns into V and just stand around gorping with their mouths hanging open for half a minute instead of reloading immediately. Any trained and moderately skilled shooter is going to have a new mag in the gun within a second or two.

I'm probalbly the only person who didn't like Hugo Weaving as V. I thought he was great as Agent Smith in the Matrix, but here he failed to nail the part IMO. I thought his voice was all wrong, he showed too much self-doubt at times and explained things much too clearly to Evey.

Sin City has shown that a graphic novel can be adapted faithfully to the silver screen and be a big hit. Movies like LotR and Harry Potter have also shown that faithful (or as faithful as possible) adaptaptations of books are popular. I think V would have been a better movie if they had adapted the source material more faithfully.

Graham

[eugimon]

saw the movie, thought it was quite good...

I really liked the movie version of V... the V of the comics was just too stiff and inhuman for a movie.

It was also well played how evey and V go from opposites (emotional/cold) and they both reach a point somewhere in the middle...

[Guest Bromgrev]

Sin City has shown that a graphic novel can be adapted faithfully to the silver screen and be a big hit. Movies like LotR and Harry Potter have also shown that faithful (or as faithful as possible) adaptaptations of books are popular. I think V would have been a better movie if they had adapted the source material more faithfully.

382029[/snapback]

I think the problem for Hollywood is that faithful adaptions have been almost non-existant until recently. I expect a lot of the theory behind books/comics not translating directly to film, and having to update settings for the modern audience, is just pseudo-science, not based on any actual audience research.

For example, people are expected to 'get' Robin Hood without setting it in the modern world, so why not make the film as shown in the comic? I have no problem with an 'alternative universe' set in a 1997 where the cold war led to Norsefire instead of the more insidious authoritarianism we see in the UK today. I'm going to see a fantasy movie, here, so why does everything before the start of the actual story have to be accurate recent history?

Right, </rant>

Oh, and I do agree that V should at no point ever have doubted his actions or become so emotional. The flashback scene with V screaming as he walked out of the Larkhill fire was a mistake, his calm in the comic was much more menacing.

However, my wife liked the romantic bit between V and Evey and is now reading the comic for the first time, so I guess some good came out of it.

As for Natalie Portman, I thought she made a passable Evey even with the fake accent, but I think she would be perfect for Halo Jones. Not that I would ever expect tha particular francise to be handled well on film.

[Limbo]

Alan Moore gotta chill out. It wasn't that bad. Sure, it I was deluted and watered down like any book adaptation, but the material is dated and I think it kept the original idea pretty good. I've seen much worst adaptations.

[Ladic]

Good Read:

http://www.comicon.com/thebeat/2006/03/a_f...moore.html#more

381754[/snapback]

Yes indeed, thanks for the link Ladic

381773[/snapback]

sure thing, here is part 2 of the interview:

http://www.comicon.com/thebeat/2006/03/a_f...er_ad.html#more

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Alan Moore gotta chill out. It wasn't that bad. Sure, it I was deluted and watered down like any book adaptation, but the material is dated and I think it kept the original idea pretty good. I've seen much worst adaptations.

382178[/snapback]

From what I understand Moore just does not like many adaptations of his movies, and it isn't even about money. When it comes to being paid, he diverts all the payments to the people who make the movie and he himself refuses to accept a dime.

I did like the movie but I do agree with Graham's assessment of it in many ways. I HATED the masks at the end, and I REALLY HATED how they left out how V in the book, was gathering fertilizer and various plants for sometime while organizing them in a formation...till the day he blew up the detention center and everyone realized his plants and formation with the fertilizer combined turned out to be mustard gas and sarin. To me this showed that he was methodological and very clever with good timing. All they show in the movie is a vague minute long flashback and 2 takes at him burning in a fire yelling. Also the ending could have been an EASY translation but was changed. Also no mention of a viking funeral. And V taking over the radio and V also blowing up one of the lady monuments while calling it a slurm who slept with corruption(the speech was cool). (okay yep they left out QUITE a bit of stuff...).

If anything I can't fault Moore for not wanting the movie to be made, the story in itself is his baby, and you don't want anyone else messing with your kids metaphorically speaking.

So yes there is worse, and also there is better, thankfully this turned out to be a good movie...I'd give it a 7/10. Translation from comic to movie could have been a LOT better though,

[Rocket Punch]

This cracks me up.

I almost spit out my Coke...that I got from BK.

[Jolly Rogers]

I've avoided reading this thread because I haven't seen the movie yet, so my apologies if this interview has been posted already:

http://digitalcontentproducer.com/web_excl...teige_03012006/

[sabretooth]

lol