In My Opinion, It Should've Been a Trilogy...

Rating: 9/10 (2 September 2008)

I loved this movie, but I love what it could've (and should've) been a lot more. James McTeigue directs the film version of Alan Moore and David Lloyd's graphic novel, one that easily ranks as one of my favorite graphic novels. In the film, young Evey is rescued by a mysterious stranger in a Guy Fawkes mask who goes by the name V. She is soon brought into his world as he exacts his revenge against those who've wronged him and plots against the totalitarian government reigning over England. This film was McTeigue's first run as director and he did a fantastic job with the heavy subject matter, high profile cast, and dense storyline of Moore/Lloyd's novel.
I had not read the book before seeing this film in theaters, and I think that's why my love for it wasn't completely tainted. I was able to view the movie with a clean slate and enjoy it for what it was. After reading the novel, I can definitely understand why Alan Moore would've gotten so upset with its film adaptation. The film trimmed a lot of story and character development in an effort to fit it all into a two hour runtime, which is a shame. There was so much more to the story that I wish could've been included. In my opinion, the movie would've been better off being turned into a trilogy, in which each of the book's three chapters could've acted as a standalone film in one three-part saga, allowing for the full story to play out.
Unfortunately that's not the case, but the movie was still great. A fan of the book couldn't have asked for better casting, with strong performances from Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, John Hurt, Stephen Rea, and Stephen Fry. The cast was each perfectly suited for their roles; you'd almost think the book was written with these actors in mind for each character. I noticed that the movie feels a lot longer than it actually is because of how much story is crammed into the two hours, but it never drags and it never becomes difficult to follow the dense plot. On top of that, the film has some great action scenes; I loved seeing V in action with his daggers. Forgiving the fact that the movie had a lot more potential that may never be realized in future cinema, McTeigue's film is a great action flick with strong messages behind it that I feel everyone should see at least once.