N for Nice Try

Rating: 6/10 (13 October 2006)

On the surface, it doesn't seem like "V for Vendetta" has any more to offer than a few dozen other comic strips turned feature films. We have the tortured, brooding superhero with otherworldly powers; the beautiful damsel-in-distress who he rescues and dotes over; the over-the-top villain lusting for world domination.
What distinguishes this film to some extent are the interesting twists given to these familiar roles. The superhero V (Hugo Weaving) is an anarchist-terrorist. He seems more interested in personal vengeance than in righting any wrongs. His damsel Evie (Natalie Portman) is meek and subversive. In a vicious plot twist she is transformed into a woman of substance and character.
John Hurt, in a reversal of his role as Winston Smith in "Nineteen Eighty-Four", chews ample scenery as the lead villain, Chancellor Adam Sutler. The idea of a corrupt politician is hardly new. But the totalitarian regime he presides over in the very near future is unsettling and uncomfortably plausible. All that is needed is the lemming-like allegiance of the populace that some would say is the crux of American society.
Throw in adult themes such as rape and homosexuality and you have some pretty heady stuff for a comic book. Although based on a series by Alan Moore, he refused any connection to the film, claiming it wasn't true to his vision. This leaves all the credit to the producers, Larry and Andy Wachowski of "The Matrix" trilogy fame. Comic aficionados themselves, they again show their ability to borrow characters and plots to create their own vision.
The problem with this genre is that besides action and comic buffs there isn't much for the rest of the movie-going audience to appreciate. The characters are so off the chart that it's difficult to relate to them on a level other than disbelief. Weaving does a fine job of conveying emotion from behind a Guy Fawkes mask the entire movie. But nothing in this film has the emotional impact as when Peter Weller as "Robocop" returns to his vacant home. Everyone could feel how Robo felt at that moment, and the connection was immediate. "V" is fine as entertainment, but like most comic movies it falls short, and by much more than one little inch it begs for.