Is terror ever a justifiable tactic to use? And if so... what does it take for it to become that?

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2006)

I was fortunate enough to watch this on the opening night. Having returned from the cinema, just a few hours after it ended, and with the movie still fresh in my mind, I write this review. My main interest in the film was and remains that the graphic novel upon which it is based was written by Alan Moore, arguably one of the best comic writers and without a shadow of doubt one of my favorites. Allow me to address the fellow fans for a moment; a lot of the story is intact(if the conflict is shifted, with measurable loss of effect, to the current political climate, rather than Moore's original, anarchy versus government), though some is changed around to being more visual(even though it does have images, the original comic book is still that... a book. Words can convey more depth than moving visuals with few exceptions, and the transition from one medium to another, it is pointless to deny, requires some changes). However, several images are recreated to the very last detail(something I haven't seen the likes of which since Sin City, which used the comic as storyboards, something I suspect may have also been the case here, at least to a certain extent. I recognized so much. Some subplots and such are cut for length and pacing, but they did fair in keeping all that they could without it being difficult to keep track of for new viewers(I watched it with three people who had never seen a single frame of the comic, and each of them 'got it', and enjoyed it, just as I... one asked where he could get the comic itself). And I'm very happy to tell you that the famous torture sequence hasn't been removed; if my memory of the comic serves me right... is hasn't even been trimmed. The first trailer told me this, and ever since I saw it, I've been eagerly anticipating its premiere, and I don't regret hyping myself up for watching it in the least. Albeit, that trailer(and the following one, even more-so) also claimed that the film was action-packed... something one of my fellow viewers accepted as true, and expected. He didn't leave disappointed, though, merely surprised. Know, dear potential viewer and reader of this review, that this is not an 'action' film/flick... don't go to see this expecting constant fight scenes. If you watched The Matrix and all you saw were the fight scenes... don't watch this. There's considerably less action. What there is, however, is rather remarkable... it's clear that these are the people behind aforementioned film, and it's clear that they read and dig the comic, and comics in general. The visuals are breathtaking. I don't remember when I was last gripped by a film like I was by this one. The direction is quite good, although there are points where you can tell that the man in the chair has not sat there before, as well as the fact that he had strong guidance from the Wachowski brothers. The plot is excellent. The pacing is near perfect. The acting was flawless. The characters are well-written, credible and interesting. The film is very involving and intense, it pulls you in and doesn't let go until the credits roll. It's very stylish and cool. The film relies greatly on dialog(which also means that most of the humor is verbal, British... marvelous choice, if I do say so myself), much like the novel... although some things are obviously more visual than the source material. The Voice of London gets a face and V's fights get easier on the eyes(and obviously, the explosions are very much there). What I really enjoyed, while watching this movie, was that it was hardly toned down... it was almost all there. The perverseness, the 'different' human beings, and, most importantly, the message. The moral. The question that is asked, that we must consider: Is terror ever a justifiable tactic to use? And if so... what does it take for it to become that? I recommend this great piece of cinema to anyone who is willing to open their minds to the themes within(though the book contains more), and especially fans of Alan Moore, the Wachowskies and/or comic books. 9/10