A blast... quite a few of them

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2007)

As someone who can be a bit of a purist about book-to-movie adaptations, part of me feels I shouldn't give V for Vendetta 10 out of 10 because it does stray quite far from its graphic novel source material... but to heck with it, I loved the movie so much I just don't care.
No, it's not entirely Alan Moore's story. The love interest in pumped up, the politics is wound down, but for a Hollywood offering it's still pretty subversive, particularly when you consider that a group of people showing up outside the Houses of Parliament in masks would be subject to arrest under today's laws.
V for Vendetta delivers on both the action and the emotion. It's stylish, sharp, full of timely commentary on the stage of the world, and has a cast full of British greats. Hugo Weaving delivers a marvelous performance, particularly when you consider that he has no facial expression to work with and has to rely entirely on gesture and voice.
This is a film that makes me laugh, cry, cheer, kiss Stephen Fry on the lips, and do things to V which are unsuitable for description in an IMDb review. So, 10 out of 10 it gets.