Hmmmmmmm.

Rating: 7/10 (17 March 2006)

I just saw this film at the local cinema (was hoping to see it in IMAX, but for some reason the UK doesn't seem to be showing it in IMAX), and my final thoughts on the film are "Hmmmmmmmmm." With the Spider-Man films, I was a comic fan beforehand, and I loved the films all the same. I was quite familiar with X-Men, Hulk, so on, and I enjoyed those films too. The harder thing with V, which I finally read in October, is that it's a mini-series. One story. Thus, comic fans will notice the changes more. I've noticed the films been getting rave reviews in the States, and mixed ones in the UK. That's why I believe the film will perform better across the Atlantic. Profuro is a Hannity-alike, which will have American liberals jumping with glee, but will have most English people scratching their heads. It's just not quite what we're used to. The comments Alan Moore made here about "eggy-in-a-basket" still hold true, and I was tempted to walk out numerous times during the first half hour. There were some brilliant moments, even some surprisingly decent ones (the alliterative opening speech isn't that bad, thanks to Weaving's fine performance), but after the brilliant beginning explosion there's a great slump. Shouts of "Bollocks!" and numerous shots of people with bad teeth in pubs seem artificial and forced. Natalie Portman's accent does improve as the film goes on, and by the time we enter the Shadow Gallery (a beautiful set), things peak up again. The torture scene: brilliant. The flashbacks to Larkhill were haunting. Its just the odd flaws that stop this from being downright brilliant. To a US audience, these flaws will not be so apparent. I'm not US-bashing. I am Iranian, I've been brought up in England, and I love the States as well. I have family in Virginia, and when I come to visit I'm taken aback by people's kindness and generosity, as a lot of people here have a somewhat warped view. Tangent aside, it's just that these flaws may make the film hard-going for a British audience. I love Weaving's performance, but the early TV station speech was one too many, and too soon. V has won over the populace within the first 20 mins of the film. This leaves less of an arc for the rest, but still, the film prevails. The final explosion, even the infamous V army, is proof of what Hollywood does best. A Mesmerising Climax. If you're desperate for a star rating, I'd give it 4 out of 5. Star knocked off for the artificial Britishness. Two stars for the middle slump. But an extra star each for the wonderful domino montage, and the... I was going to say explosive, but... one extra star for the ending it is. A flawed film, but one worth seeing. I just fear that Saturday the 18th will be like any other day, and that copycat criminals will give the film, and V's cause, a bad name (the shoplifter in the film may be a sign of things to come). Partly I saw the film today for fear of a Clockwork-Orange style backlash in the UK. The hairs on the back of the necks of everyone in the cinema were on end when they saw that Tube train packed with explosives. Even I, who had already read the book and countless previews of the film, was taken aback. An Uncompromising, but flawed, Vision of the Future, indeed.