V for Vendetta (2005)

Director: James McTeigue
Stars: Hugo Weiving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves
Runtime: 132 minutes

Synopsis: In a future British tyranny, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow it with the help of a young woman.

Performances: 4/5
Screenplay: 3/5
Costumes/Makeup: 4/5
Editing: 2/5
Cinematography: 3/5
Score/Soundtrack: 3/5

Verdict: From the Visionary minds of Alan Moore and David Lloyd comes the story of a Victim. A Victim with a Vision. A Victim in search of Victory against a Vile regime. A Victim on a Vendetta. A Vigilante.

Having read and absolutely loved the graphic novel very recently, I decided to revisit James McTeigue's adaptation of it. And while I did enjoy it the first time I watched it a few years back, it does not compare to the much, much superior source material. And that's not saying that film is bad. The ideas may not be as well fleshed out but they're still there. Hugo Weaving's performance is exceptional, especially considering the fact that he's wearing a mask at all times. His take on the character of V is one that understandably resonated with a lot of people, me included. John Hurt is also great as the powerful tyrant Adam Sutler. For me, the only performance I couldn't buy at all was Natalie Portman's, who, to be fair, wasn't given much to work on. The movie's flaws rather lie in it's bland and quite frankly dull execution. It really does feel like a mid-2000s forgettable action flick at times, and a melodramatic tale at others. It honestly doesn't really offer anything new in terms of film-making or screenwriting, and that prevents it from being as great as the concept behind it.
If you still haven't, I highly recommend checking out the "V for Vendetta" graphic novel rather than the film. I hope it gets another adaptation at some points, preferably in the form of a mini-series similarly to "Watchmen". There's so much to take from the story and I don't think that a 2 hour film can ever cram all of them in. 

FINAL GRADE: V/X