Ekibitz.com
August 9, 2006
Joseph Gillespie

V for Vendetta is, simply put, an amazing movie. This film has action, romance, comedy, and it's all held together with a griping story. The synopsis is simple, not far into the future the British (America is basically gone) goverment has taken more control over it's people than should be allowed. As such, one man hopes to incite a revolution, and restore freedom to the country. V for Vendetta does one thing that I wish so many other movies would do, it starts right in the action. You don't get 15 minutes of narrated backstory as random images and credits pop on the screen. No, within 5 minutes one of the lead characters is already in a dangerous situation, and action ensues. I love that. Thankfully, the pace of the movie almost stays that solid for the duration of the film. There are a few spots where it seems to slow down more than required, but it's not often enough to make any real mention of.

One thing that I am simply amazed by is the acting portrayed by Hugo Weaving (V). Through the entire movie, he's wearing a full costume and mask. Yet, via movements and words, you can actually feel the exact emotions V is feeling, without the use of any facial expressions. Quite impressive in my opinion. Natalie Portamn (Evey Hammond) gives an excellent performance as well. Accurately portraying the character of Evey as a normal everyday citizen transformed into something more by the events that happen to her. V for Vendetta has a lot of characters, and giving a good back story on all of them is no easy task. However, by the end of the film, you'll understand and feel for every character in the film. Simply an amazing result of the great script and acting in this movie.

Ok, let's move on and take a look at the action in the film. A lot of the films scenes are very reminiscent of the The Matrix Trilogy, I'm sure in part do to the film having a lot of the same staff. That's not a bad thing though, as the action in the Matrix movies was awesome, so it is in V for Vendetta. V for Vendetta involves a lot of guns, knifes, and hand to hand combat. All of it is wonderfully choreographed and executed. V for Vendetta is not just an action movie though. In fact it contains a great deal of intellectual content that really makes you think about the state of the world today, and what it could become. But that's not the only point of the film. The underlying connection between the characters and their development is also beautifully performed in V for Vendetta.

V for Vendetta is, however, not perfect. There are quite a few "movie mistakes" in the film, though most only noticeable by those who are looking for them (having seen the film multiple times, I began to notice). V for Vendetta is also a little lacking in the consistency area. The movie seems to jump around a bit more than I would like. It doesn't "flow" well in certain sections. It's not too bad overall, but falls short in some areas.

One thing that I really liked about V for Vendetta was the ideals that it puts on the table, for you to take or not. The movie, much like The Matrix, nevers tries to explicitly tell you what's happening and exactly why and how you should feel about it. It puts some various concepts on the screen, and lets you decide why, and how. This is something that is greatly lacking in most modern day movies. The constant flashbacks to scenes 20 minutes ago, and the over explantive ending found in todays filsm is thankfully nowhere even hinted at in V for Vendetta.

Overall V for Vendetta is an excellent film that should be seen by all. Even if your not into action, there's plenty of deep storyline to keep you interested. V for Vendetta is a breath of fresh air in the movie industry, bringing something new and interesting to the big screen.