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 V
for Vendetta: A Review
Written
by Craig Byrne - KryptonSite Webmaster
Though
it's not Smallville or Superman related, V For Vendetta
does borrow from similar source material - the printed page.
V
For Vendetta, produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski
Bros. and directed by James McTeigue, is Warner Bros.' first salvo
in their one-two punch of big DC Comics-inspired films this year.
(The second, of course, is Superman
Returns. Maybe you've heard of it)
V
For Vendetta is based on the
1980s graphic novel series by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.
It started off in the British Warrior magazine and remained
unfinished until the DC Comics series later in the decade. It's
been perpetually reprinted for nearly 20 years, and now, on March
17, it takes the leap to the printed page.
The
leap is VERY successful.
Unlike
the last Alan Moore-based comics-to-film adaptation, The League
of Extraordinary Gentlemen, V succeeds, and in some ways improves
upon the source material. Evey Hammond (played by Natalie Portman)
is a bit older, there's excitement and explosions, mystery and
danger. Though we never really see the face of Hugo Weaving, who
played V, and there was no mouth on the face of the mysterious
V mask, the character had a lot of emotion. I attribute that to
both the design of the mask and the excellent work by the director
and his crew. The sets, too, especially the meeting rooms with
red and black bearing the logo of Adam Sutler's party, were impressive.
The
fight scenes and the effects were equally impressive; though what
else can you expect when the Wachowski Brothers are involved?
I will admit, though, having two flashbacks to moments of watching
Smallville when seeing the film - there's a sequence of
falling raindrops reminiscent of the award-winning sequence in
the rain from "Accelerate;" and there is a bit where
Evey Hammond is stripped of her hair which reminded me of the
shorning of Lionel in "Covenant." I know these connections
are coincidental, but they did make me smile.
The
supporting cast was very good, particularly villain Adam Sutler,
played by John Hurt. Other famous folk providing great performances
were Stephen Fry and Coupling's Ben Miles.
It
surprised me that V was written just about 20 years ago, considering
some of the political overtones that could be gleamed from the
film. I'm surprised there hasn't been much controversy over it.
A similar film example would be M*A*S*H, released during
the time of the Vietnam War, yet taking place in the "Korean
War"- even though it was pretty clear a political statement
was being made. I am curious if the creators of the V movie were
intending to make a political statement of their own. Then again,
how could Alan Moore have predicted the political debates we'd
be having in 2006?
Which
is not to say the movie is flawless. For the first half an hour
or so, Natalie Portman was struggling with a bad attempt at a
British accent much like she did in Star Wars. Thankfully, though,
as her Evey character "grows up" a little and is taken
to hell and back, Portman's ability and demeanor improve, and
by movie's end, it's clear that she, too, was an obvious good
choice for the film.
Another
odd question is - why wasn't this movie released on midnight on
the Fifth of November? Anyone who sees the movie or has read the
comics will get the reference.
Creator
Alan Moore has had his issues with DC and refused to support this
film; his name isn't even credited. This is really sad, because
I think it's a movie Moore should be proud of.
I
generally rate a movie on whether or not I'd go and see it again.
V For Vendetta is a film that I would DEFINITELY see again.
In fact, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a movie this
much; it's probably been over a year. If Superman Returns is
half as good, we're in for a treat later this year.
Click
here to order a copy of the V For Vendetta graphic novel
that inspired the movie
Click
the "poster" below to visit Warner Bros.' official V
movie site
Note:
The views of Craig Byrne don't necessarily represent the thoughts
and feelings of everyone at KryptonSite.
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