V. Good!

Rating: 8/10 (25 August 2006)

Based on the Alan Moore/David Lloyd strip of the same name (which first appeared in top British 80s comic, Warrior), V for Vendetta is a thoroughly entertaining adaptation which will most likely appeal to fans of the source material, but may leave others expecting summer blockbuster style action a little bemused.
V (Hugo Weaving, who remains masked throughout the entire film), is a freedom fighter in the near future determined to bring down the bully boy fascist government that is controlling England with fear and hate. Dressed in a Guy Fawkes costume, he plots against the state (led by John Hurt's nasty Chancellor Adam Sutler) and the people responsible for both his mistreatment and the death of thousands.
Although the film is not 100% faithful to the minutiae of the comic strip, the movie's writers (The Wachowski Brothers) have wisely not strayed too far from Moore's basic vision, delivering a script that retains the core ideas (the importance of freedom and individuality) yet still has time for a little wham-bam action.
Whilst the movie is not a complete success (it's a tad too long and drags in a few places), this big-budget adaptation of the relatively unknown (to the general public, at least) V for Vendetta is a brave move and everyone involved should be applauded. Although I fear that the appeal of the movie will basically be limited to fan-boys, I do hope that others seek this one outthey might be surprised by how good it actually is.