A huge letdown...

Rating: 1/10 (26 March 2006)

Hmmmm...I wonder if I saw a different movie than those who have praised VfV. Many of the praising are something I can't recall as masterpieces. I am not Christian, I've seen the movie and it sucked.
What went wrong? The virus aspect, the characters being changed so much from the comic, Natalie Portman's cringe-worthy aspect and that it was so full with less than subtle 'America- Dangerous, Religious and Conservative'. They may have tried to relate it to our time but failed.
The movie needed desperately the darkness but yet hopeful vision that the comic had. The whole Thatcerism forgotten even if it provided a more interesting reason why this happened. You don't have to change decades to make your point so strong. It was like they tried to not offend anyone. Why, I do not know. The 'Falling in love' scene ruined it and Finch's suddenly bigger role. The whole activist part added more to the ruin called VfV. A shame as this movie could have been more than some Matrix ripoff with a bad storyline. The Guy Fawkes turned V into some hero which was never the intention for Alan Moore. V wears that mask and that's about it.
There was something good about it though. Even if Finch's role was so much bigger than in the comic Stephen Rea did a good job. Hugo Weaving's V was more vocal but did a very good job about being this masked terrorist/hero. Deitrich's role had been changed but it worked. The one true thing that were moving were the Valerie & Ruth subplot. It gave the movie a lot more depth and a better message.
It doesn't make up for the faults of this movie. It may not be as bad as the other Moore adaptations but it still doesn't say much. It could have had potential but it was never used. Instead it's a sorry looking attempt at a critical view of this world. An empty shell.
It doesn't make the thought of Watchmen being made into a movie a very uplifting experience. A. Moore's comics might just be too difficult to make into a movie.