A valiant effort

Rating: 7/10 (20 November 2017)

This is hard one to describe. Looking at it coldly, it's overlong, messy, and sometimes frustratingly confusing, and yet I came out of it feeling thoroughly glad I'd seen it. I haven't read the graphic novel - as with V for Vendetta, I wanted to enjoy the film for itself without it having to live up to the original in my mind - but I look forward to doing so. From my scant knowledge of it, it sounds like a very difficult thing to adapt into a film, and I think that this actually does a reasonable job. You can feel it straining to contain its content at times, particularly in the first half, but once it gets into its swing, it begins to enjoy its own chaos, and feels more fluid. This is a flawed effort, but no less entertaining for it. It's not quite funny enough to make laughter possible, and not quite dark enough to feel truly desolate, but the balance, whilst not mind- blowingly feels-inducing, is effective, and generates a atmospheric integrity that lends weight to proceedings. The characters are intriguing, if occasionally confusing, and I appreciated the fact that I didn't recognise many faces, as this allowed characters without a greatly developed backstory to have independent weight. There are some fine performances: The Comedian stands out, as does Rorschach, despite appearing disconcertingly to use the same voice modulator as Bale's Batman. It's just a shame that the ultimate villain reveal is rather obvious from early on. Overall, despite its problems, this is a worthwhile watch because it feels like it was made with genuine heart. There is a sense that it is not quite good enough to be an unqualified success, but it also film feels as though it admits its own difficulties - it doesn't take itself too seriously, giving itself the freedom to have fun. This bravery is commendable.