Good Action Flick with a Well-Thought out Plot

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2006)

V for Vendetta is just the right kind of film you would expect to have come from the minds of the Wachowski brothers, creators of the Matrix trilogy. (They wrote the screenplay for V, based off of a graphic novel.) It hearkens back to the day when we were all wowed by their perfectly put together Matrix. The first one, not the sequels. V for Vendetta combines the perfect amount of thought-provoking dialogue and plot while spicing it up with enough a**-kicking to make it a worthy action movie. This is the kind of movie that shows how graphic novels are not to be dismissed as mere comic books, but are a juicy fare of their own. It reminds us of how good adaptations can be wonderful, such as the brilliant History of Violence or the wow-inducing Sin City.
It opens with a scene in the early 21st century, that cuts back and forth between Natalie Portman's character (Evey) and Hugo Weaving's (V). Within ten minutes we are treated to a blindingly fast razzle-dazzle bit of action, barely lasting a minute, in which V rescues Evey from a couple of corrupt officers of the law. At this point there is a delightfully brain-tickling bit of alliteration in which V, speaking for a minute or so straight, inserts a word that begins with V every two or three words in his sentence. Not an easy thing to do with the letter V, or to speak it without making it look rehearsed, but Hugo Weaving pulls it off with his silky mastery of language that made him famous as Agent Smith.
This brings me to how great Hugo Weaving is in the movie. He is behind a mask, the mask of Guy Fawkes, a freedom fighter/terrorist in England of many years ago. This mask is over his face the entire movie. Not once does he take it off. One would think that this would inhibit his acting skill, but it doesn't even come close. He brilliantly weaves his voice to excellently communicate his character's intent. He is undoubtedly the best thing about this movie.
The movie follows Evey's journey as V takes her under his wing in his terrorist plots against the overly-oppressive British government, along the way, of course, brilliantly giving the audience questions about the nature of government, the rights of citizens, and so on. This is another of the high points of the movie, the way it forces to the viewer to put into question basic precepts that might not otherwise be even thought of. V for Vendetta's basic idea can be summed up in one of V's phrases: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." From this springs the entire plot and idea of the movie.
As for special effects, the movie is no replete with action scenes. In fact, I got far less action than I was expecting. But as I left the movie theater, I found myself not really caring. The movie was a good movie, and I respected the filmmakers refusal to pander to trend in Hollywood today of filling up a movie with action so much that it overflows. V for Vendetta finds that delicate balance that a lot of movies do not: just enough action, and just enough dialogue. The action that you do see is quite breath-taking, bringing to the table highly stylized and cool innovations in special fx technology. The final fight scene is frenetic and flashy, and you'll probably find yourself saying, "Wow." To close, V for Vendetta is perfect for people who are looking for a solid action flick with a plot that can hold up under pressure. It has a heart and a mind behind all the effects, a heart and a mind that force the viewer out of the couch-potato mindset of watching a movie simply to see some gore fly. And it is well worth a ten dollar movie ticket.