Movie Review: V for Vendetta

Pleasantly surprising.

Yes, most of the characters are as deep as a saltine. Sure, there are plot holes you could drive a train through. Naturally, the message is as subtle as a jackhammer. Certainly, my analogies are trite and cliche.

But I have to give the movie some credit. It satisfied my intellectual arrogance with quotes from Shakespeare and Thomas Jefferson, music by Tchaikovsky, cultural references beyond the grasp of a vapid teenager, and a hero that pulled off the unobtrusive use of the word soubriquet. The heavy historical influence drove me to read about Guy Fawkes.

Evey and the Inspector weren't exactly complex, but they were developed characters. Despite the 2.5-hour length, I remained interested and compelled throughout. While this movie has plenty of flaws, they weren't enough to get in the way of my enjoyment. There's a good dose of swashbuckling action, a clever scene or two, a fanstastic explosion, a little bit of revolution, and some really bad guys that get their comeuppance.

Tiny bit of a spoiler to follow.

Two things I was quite happy with were 1) they resisted the temptation of making Natalie Portman's character into the action sidekick, and 2) V dies heroically. He isn't saved from the brink of death by love. Furthermore, despite the fact that he becomes a martyr for his cause, the movie refuses to draw Jesus parallels. (Yes Matrix Trilogy, I'm talking about you.)

As far as comic book movies go, this one ranks right up there with the original Batman, and that's high praise from me. While this movie lacks a performance like Jack Nicholson as the Joker, it makes up for it with a higher level of sophistication. And although it doesn't have Mary Jane in a wet t-shirt, it (thankfully) also lacks the smarminess of Spiderman.

Easily the best movie I've seen in 2006. Ok, that's not saying much. But I enjoyed watching it. It has a very broad appeal that can be enjoyed on different levels, so I'd recommend it to nearly anyone. Compared to the usual crap churned out by Hollywood, V for Vendetta is a pleasant surprise.