Why do the Wachowskis still get work?

Rating: 1/10 (23 March 2006)

If you've read and enjoyed "V for Vendetta"-- or pretty much any other work by Alan Moore-- then you should find this film bordering on insulting. It comes as no surprise to me that Mr. Moore refused to allow his name to be attached to the movie. Only V's costume and one small portion of the entire movie remain true to the original work. The Wachowskis saw fit to rewrite almost everything else.
None of the characters in the movie, including the titular V, have the personality traits ascribed to them in the book. V comes off as silly and melodramatic, rather than calculating and coldly efficient. Where he should sound like a meticulous madman, he instead seems entirely rational. Evey starts the film as a strong character, already harboring rebellious notions against the government. This is in complete opposition to the broken-spirited young woman of the novel.
Even disregarding its poor adaptation of the original work, the script is poorly written and full of holes. Evey time we get a look at the common man, in the movie, they already seem to be opposed to the corrupt government. If this is the case, there's no rhyme or reason for V to exist; civil unrest will spark on its own. And in regards to that, why did everyone seem so opposed to the government? Evey time we get a look at the common man, they are sitting in a clean home with a loving family, watching the news on a multi-thousand dollar High Definition Television. It seems as if everyone is happy and successful; why would they want to rebel against that? The movie's ending is the perfect example of its poor writing. Everything wraps up impossibly cleanly with a fairy-tale "happily ever after" type conclusion that simply does not fit the atmosphere of the story.
While the acting is actually quite good, and the cinematography has been well-achieved, the horrible script simply ruins this film.