V for Vendetta

I was quite surprised by how grounded the film is, especially considering it’s a comic book adaptation. When the action happens, it’s pleasantly modest—no grandiose explosions or anything like that. The story maintains a slower pace, with no rush; even with minimal attention, it’s easy to grasp what’s going on. The Wachowskis’ screenplay is almost perfect, with sharp, entertaining dialogues. Natalie Portman definitely doesn’t play a secondary role; in emotionally intense moments, she fully demonstrated why she is one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. The story’s realistic portrayal of a totalitarian regime was reminiscent in many ways of Orwell’s "1984." On top of that, there are some quality suspenseful moments. The action sequence in the subway at the end left me with my mouth agape (the Matrix style was noticeable), and the ending was, in a word, satisfying. For me, it’s 8.5/10 (I didn’t expect that). (30/12/2020)

Narratively powerful, provocative, with plenty of questions and ambiguous answers, it is evident again that the screenwriters (the Wachowskis) have abundant talent and creativity, and that the action the sci-fi cult-classic The Matrix was not a fluke. V for Vendetta is also a genre-defying film, and it works excellently. The action is solid and captivating (the sequence in BTN, when the masked hero takes down three or four guards in hand-to-hand combat, is incredibly well-shot), although not every scene is perfect, the final bullet time is annoying. However, it is not so much about the visual aspect, but rather the content that they take even further. Inserts like “the life of a lesbian woman” are incredibly emotional and have power on their own. The criticism of the regime is just a subtle between-the-lines critique of our times, and whether blowing up buildings is the right solution is ultimately somewhat irrelevant. (20/12/2006)

One of the most seminal comics written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd was adapted in a way that certainly doesn't disappoint. The ideas Alan Moore had, though not fully explored, are captured here, and the film clearly delivers the message that government can take various forms. It’s a political film that is action-packed yet retains an important underlying idea. The collaboration between the Wachowskis (then brothers) and James McTeigue worked wonderfully. After Watchmen, it's the second-best adaptation of Moore's work. (26/05/2014)

V For Vendetta stands or falls by the comic book original which I assume is far more complex and, let's say, smoother than the movie adaptation. However, the idea is brilliant, as are the acting performances - Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving are excellent, even though one of them has a mask on his face the whole time. Unfortunately, the poorly adapted screenplay and the unbalanced directing took something away from it. I don't know how much the movie would have changed if the Wachowski brothers had put everything they could into this project and didn't settle for mere, albeit extensive, cooperation. Could they have portrayed the environment of a dictatorship better? Could they have given more energy to the first half of the movie? Couldn’t they have maintained the standard of filming Vendetta deserves throughout? Let me put it this way, I will remember Mr. V well, and November 5th will never again go unnoticed on my calendar, but you will not hear me applauding the screenplay. (11/08/2006)

A utopian story about a romantic avenger. An appeal for revolt against the order. A provocative caricature of today's world. V for Vendetta wants to be all of these things. It is the first of these thanks to the great Weaving and the decent Portman. It wants to be the second thing too much. It could be better at the third thing if the realities were more elaborate. Overall, V for Vendetta is a great movie with many cons. The main downside is the Wachowski brothers syndrome - a simple and impressive parable to please as much as possible, go in all possible directions and lose sight of the path that leads to the goal. Such is the middle passage of the film, where the great onset of the introduction literally bursts in all directions and the film only manages to glue things together in the nice finale. I don't mind the activist touch, the shallow provocations. It's a sort of cute anarchy, supported by the protagonist, which combines black and white adventure movies with postmodern comic book superheroes. V for Vendetta does not lack great inner strength and persuasiveness. But it needs more sophistication and better screenwriters, unfortunately. Even so, this is confirmation of the rule that comic book remakes have sent commercial cinema in an interesting direction. (23/04/2006)