Little Style, No Substance

Rating: 2/10 (19 March 2006)

I went to this film with little in the way of expectation; having been witness to the spiritless abortions that came of previous Alan Moore adaptations, I could hardly walk into the theatre expecting a cinematic masterpiece, could I? My pessimism was not unwarranted. This film was a soulless abomination in nearly every sense of the word. The severity of my feelings may have something to do with my fondness for the original work in all honesty, but I also genuinely feel as if this film is ultimately insulting to the audience in a way that I found deeply depressing - where once we had a story of personal responsibility, the film takes that responsibility away from the characters (and thus, the audience) and perhaps that has something to do with the medium; The comic engages and encourages the reader to think for themselves, the movie is spoon-fed rebellion for the people of today that just can't be bothered to think for themselves.
Ultimately, the only scene in this film that has anything resembling a genuine emotional impact is the one about Valerie, and I don't think it's a coincidence that it's the only scene largely untouched compared to the original material. More shame, because that simply serves to highlight what a wonderful film this could have been, had they only stuck to the source material.
Stop rewriting Alan Moore, people.