Customer Reviews
Unpleasant, but not in a good way - By: Dr. Richard Daystrom, 14 Jun 2008 
I enjoy the sub-genre of apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, or dystoptian future fiction, so seeing this V for Vendetta was a no-brainer for me.
Unfortunately, the things I found distasteful about this movie outweighed any of the positive aspects that other viewers have mentioned (e.g. cautionary tale, visuals, etc.).
The comparisons to Orwell's 1984 are appropriate, but Orwell's motives were far more interesting: a committed socialist who warns of a state in which even his own ideals are misused to abuse the population. The same book coming from a committed fascist would not have seemed so sincere.
Portman's Evey is tortured by someone who believes he is teaching her a lesson & seeks her submission & service. Imagine being abducted & tortured by someone who later revealed that it was for your own good & it was only a ruse to convince you of their rightness. Literature that deals with this behavior is usuallly concerned with sociopaths & killers. Psychologists tell us that some victims of abduction & abuse can indeed demonstrate a loyalty to their abuser.
I doubt that extolling a torturer was the intention of the film-makers, so for me their otherwise good intentions were seriously marred by what is on screen.
The cardboard cutout stereotype of the perverted religious figure was hackneyed a long time ago. I guess the best I can say of that image is that I am thankful that we still live in a tolerant society where such stereotyping is permitted, even if it is obvious & sophomoric.
On a lesser point, I felt that Portman's performance was bland & unconvincing, & I think it wasn't necessary in such an international near-future to have her try to approximate an English accent. I found the accent distracting.
This one is worth a rental, or loan from the public library.
A naive waste of talent and resources - By: Neil STUART BANKS, 15 Dec 2007 
I'm sure that there is a good film to be made on the heroic struggle of a lone hero inspiring a mass revolt against a fascist regime in a near-future Britain but this definitely isn't it. A feedom fighting character based on Guy Fawkes is, even for a graphic novel, a complete slap in the face of history. Fawkes was a mercenary explosives expert who was hired by Catesby & his Catholic terrorist confederates to murder the Protestant King & Government. Had Fawkes succeeded, the Catholic administration would not have introduced sweeping reforms to human rights & freedoms, quite the contrary. If you centre the script on an historical character, albeit one that inspires the major protagonist, at least do your research. Had the film not used the Guy Fawkes motif, it would at least have got to first base but would have remained very much in the shadow of 1984 & Edge of Darkness.
This is happening today people - WAKE UP!!!! - By: Cyber Vigilantes, 05 Nov 2007 
A tremendous film for the times we live in today. Although it is set in the future the paralllels to the propagandised society in which we live today are clear for those who are paying attention.
Real-life Iraq footage is used in the film to convey to the people that they are at war against an unseen enemy & the government will supposedly protect them. - at the same time the government develops biological weapons to use on its own population - backed up by alll the bigbrother- cctv- surveilance techniques that are been enforced upon our society today.
The deep meaning behind this film cannot & should not be ignored. If we alll stand up against the lies & fearmongering, our very numbers can create the change that needs to happen if humanity is to survive.
Don't believe me? watch it & see..... you'll be shouting BS at evert TV news broadcast too!!!
Remember, remember the fifth of Novermber... - By: S. Bialas, 04 Nov 2007 It is nearly the 5th of November now, so rather an appropriate time to write a review about the V for Vendetta.
If you already are a fan of Wachowski brothers, then there is obviously no need to convince you about the value of their productions. The brothers made an excellent job showing the reality we share in a rather metaphoric or even a farfetched manner. In their newest production this is not the case. Their message is far more literal & much closer to home.
Although the story takes us to not so distant future, we can easily substitute Chancellor Adam Sutler with at least a few names from our current history. This is, in my opinion, the greatest power of this film. It shows where it alll leads. By 'alll' I mean actions of governments. It helps to explore possibilities which far too few people dare to consider. This is a dire warning urging us to consider in what reality we may alll wake up one day, if we do not become a little bit like V.
There is a happy ending in this film. However, I feel that in this story it is rather justified. There is some hope in the future as long as people choose to act. I highly recommend not only watching this film, but also exercising one's imagination & drawing as many paralllels with the current situation as possible!
Comment
A must see1 - By: D. Burt, 04 Nov 2007 This is one of my favorite movies of alll time. It is right on the mark with what's going on in the world right now, from the government control of the media down to the fear they impose on their citizens in the name of security. It's a great move for people who have the eye's to see what's reallly going on. Highly recommended!
