Enjoyable But Also Flawed

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2006)

I would have to say that V For Vendetta (VFV) was an enjoyable film it was also one that was not an easy task to take on. For starters, the comic book is extremely political and deep and despite the fact that it has been around for quite a while, is still very potent. Its message almost represents current times with the Patriot Act, wiretapping, Guantanamo Bay and public terrorism trials right in our faces. But the fact remains is that it was a piece of work built around political overtones as well as a very deep question which the movie fails to provide enough material for us to investigate.
You would like to watch the movie and wonder: Is V a terrorist or is he a patriot? Is there actually a justification for his murderous rampages and body count? Even if you think he has the political agenda to and he is a patriot, does he as a person have the right to murder all of the people involved in his creation? Especially those who were repentant of their crimes towards him openly? While this is not a fast paced movie, it is too swiftly paced and superficial to give us enough material to answer these questions if not only to debate them. The comic was written in the hopes of bringing about that debate as to whether he was mad or just a patriot and what qualifies as a terrorist. In the efforts of making the film more easily digestible for the average fan and more action-based, it sacrificed good quality for extra popularity.
To these ends I can only say that the film was enjoyable and entertaining but it really lacked in bringing up that all important debate. What made the comic memorable was that question. A simple inclusion of some well thought conversation and investigations into the mind of V would easily have made this a solid 8.5 vs. 9 debate because it's such a solid adaptation. What I'm most happy about is that it avoided fully selling out by involving some stupid back-story or including far too much Matrix-Reloaded like action sequences. The action sequences were tastefully done and despite some clearly Waschowski brothers' effects at the end, were very good.
I'm just to troubled about what the story never answers. There wasn't enough justification for Natalie Portman's decisions and character transformations, what V's agenda was based upon deep down, and also why the government agents make the final decisions that they make. Overally though this film hints at a great 1984 like setup, with many homages, but lacks in the depth that 1984 had by adding in some flashy action sequences instead of some good debate material.