V For Vendetta

Rating: B-

V for Vendetta raises many moral questions. It's one of those movies you might have to see at least twice in order to keep all the names straight, and just so you can really get a grip on what's going on. It's brought to you by the Wachowski Brothers that brought you the mind bending Matrix Trilogy. V for Vendetta is the story of the mysterious V (Hugo Weaving), who uses terrorist tactics to fight back at the year 2020 totalitarian British society. John Hurt is the ruler of the country, and he envokes Adolf Hitler very well. There is a very apparent social commetary throughout the film. The "mainstream media" is used to spread disinformation to the public. The rulers want control over the people, and V represents the ideal that will shake that control. He rescues a woman (Natalie Portman) and decides that she could be his greatest ally, if he can trust her.

The questions the film raises are about V's methods of bringing about change. No question, the dictator is not the way to go, but blowing up buildings and killing folks is not exactly the way to do things, but then you start to harken back the beginnings of this country, and you start to wonder, if our forefathers hadn't been "terrorists", would we be free now? It's the type of delimma that will have you tossing and turning the night after you see the movie.

Hugo Weaving does a great job behind the Guy Fawkes mask. His voice is very distictive, and his work with is daggers is stuff of legend. Portman is extremely strong in this role. Yes, they shave her head. Get over it. There's much more to her character than just razor stubble. She's small and fragile like a child in V's arms, but when she stands for her beliefs, she towers.

While not for the kiddies (a good bit of violence, the bright red blood sprays liberally during the fight sequences), V for Vendetta is a good film for most of the family to see and then discuss afterwards. Pay attention as the story unfolds. There are a few points that are breezed over, but there are important points that will be missed by the casual observer.

The first "big" movie of 2006, V for Vendetta stands up well to the spring movie scrutiny that preceeds the May movie blowout. A good start to the 2006 movie season.