Alan Moore should be proud of it even though he isn't

Rating: 8/10 (20 December 2014)

V For Vendetta looks like a stylishly violent, kinetic, ultra cool dystopian comic book movie. It's not that at all, which is why it's one of the most underrated films in the IMDb top 250. Alan Moore has distanced himself from this, but this adaptation actually worked out. V, played by Hugo Weaving who gives a strong performance despite being underneath a mask for the whole film, has launched a one man revolution against the corrupt British Government. A young woman played by Natalie Portman who is good aside from a grating fake English accent becomes his unlikely ally. VFV certainly isn't what it looks like. V kills his victims through lethal injection and there aren't many fight scenes in the whole film. It's actually quite a talky movie which focuses on its social commentary and thought provoking narrative. VFV has a little too much talking and in terms of political commentary its pretty much an adolescent version and there's not actually that much political stuff which is that relevant, although the film is still thought provoking.
It does lapse into duller territory, but not that often. Most of the time, this is a surprisingly strong and oddly moving science fiction movie which is a lot deeper than you first think. The direction is visually stunning, and the few fight scenes are directed very well. They have more impact as they're used less. The script may be a bit safe in some ways, but it'll seem very deep to many as the political commentary will go over the spectator's head mostly. It's still a good screenplay and the central relationship between V and Evey is unique and touching. It's also got some incredibly pyrotechnics and 2 fantastic uses of the 1812 Overture. VFV deserves more attention than it gets; this is still technically your typical stylish comic book movie, but it has more appeal to those who aren't fans of the genre than you'd expect and a pleasing use of humour as well. Not a masterpiece, but an excellent comic book film overall and in many ways, a very mature and patient one.
8/10