[Mr 5 0]

'V' for Vendatta

Not bad but not really groundbreaking, either. It moved a bit slow and, like all these 'one man against the (totalitarian) state' films, the protagonist ('the self-named 'V' of the title) seemed a tad too invincible. A whole nation of police and military lackeys could't find him and or beat him when they found him? O.K., it's a movie. I get it. Suspension of disbelief and all that. Very well. Literate dialogue and some pretty fine acting by Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman and a host of British actors in lesser roles made the film worthwhile renting although, had I spent $8. or $9. in a theatre to see it, I would not have been pleased. Natalie Portman, even with a shaved head, manages to come off as cute and vulnerable but never as a bimbo or a prop for a guy. Good for her. I thought the big scene at the end (which I won't describe here) was almost anticlimatic and took too long to accomplish.

I didn't care for veiled references to the 'government' (presumably, considering the current state of things, the British Blair and American Bush administrations) as 'manufacturing 'enemies' and faking 'threats to national security' when any rational person here or in England should realize by now that Islamofascist terrorism is quite real and hardly 'manufactured'. 9/11 happened. It was not an government 'plot'. Islamofascist nuts such as Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have made public vows - many times - to 'destroy' the U.S. and 'western culture'. They are very serious and have the money (from oil sales) and, more importantly, the will to do so, and are trying all the time, as the recent British arrests of terrorist wannabe's demonstrate. Yet, few British or American citizens have had any of their freedoms curtailed. So much for the 'totaltarianism' aspects of either the current U.S. or British government.

'V' is set only less than a few decades from now (2020) and anything is possible in the unknowable future, but the Nazi-ish British government (presumable elected) the film portrayed (in a very recognizable London - not 'sci-fi looking' at all) seemed to be pushing 'security for freedom', which is a favorite canard against actually fighting terrorism, domestic or foreign, of the anti-war left, making me a bit skeptical of what the writers/producer were trying to say. Terrorism is O.K. if you don't like your government? Government lies to you and every announced threat is just a government scam to take away your freedom? Who believes that nonsense beside the hard-left loons that populate some 'liberal' political websites? Still, the 'political' aspect of 'V' seems to have captured some people's imagination. That's not so bad, I guess, but I'm just not one of them.

The hero of 'V' seemed to be awfully good as using terrorism tactics, which bothered me. Yes, I know, his cause was pure and just, yada, yada, yada but the idea that you can blow up large buildings and only kill the 'bad guys' inside is ridiculous and 'V's ability to change much by taking on the police-state thugs a few at a time, in alleyways, always in the night, is also one of those script ideas that play well on film, as 'V' decapitates and kills numerous bad guys with his quick moves, swords and knives, a la Jackie Chan, but I found that tactic hard to take seriously as a realistic way to overthrow a well-armed rogue government. But that's just me.

Maybe I'm too analytical but I didn't see much in 'V for Vendatta' that I haven't seen before in some other movie...only the actors and the just-slightly-in-the-future London setting change. Sometimes the villians are murderers/drug dealers or 'the mob' and the heros are cops (one older, one young and either a hunky guy or pretty woman) or a 'freelance private detective' but it's always good against evil, the basic plot of most adventure stories and 'action' films. That's fine and as 'V' is a high class production, so, if you haven't seen many examples of this film genre before, you may be impressed, as there is something for almost everyone within the plot - and it's farily well executed.

As I stated earlier, 'V' is a decent rental but nothing terribly new, except that a lot of folks will be learning something about 17th century British history - and Guy Fawkes. That's not a bad thing. Natalie Portman has finally put her phoned-in 'performance' in Star Wars' out of most people's minds. Hopefully, for good. She can act. Props to Natalie Portman, too, for going almost hairless for a movie role. That takes guts for an attractive actress in her mid-20's (actually, Natalie is 25). Not too much vanity there, which is rare in Hollywood, where your appearance is often your ticket to fame

My favorite line: When 'Evey' (Natalie Portman) asks 'V' (Hugo Weaving) who he is and 'V' replies: "Isn't that a rather foolish question to ask a man wearing a mask?" It was, and I like droll humor. BTW: 'Evey' replied: "I guess so". Perfect!


I give 'V' 2½ 'Mr. 5.0 stars'. Worth a rental.