V for Vendetta never struck me on an emotional level and it is a bit heavy handed though presumably the graphic novel was pretty close as well, but the performances from both Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman are strong.
V for Vendetta
(2006)
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller, Drama, Action
Warner Bros. | R – 133 min. – $24.99 | November 3, 2020
Date Published: 10/31/2020 | Author: The Movieman
|
|
|||||||||||
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
Note: The screen captures were taken from the Blu-ray disc and do not represent the 4K Ultra HD transfer.
THE MOVIE — 3½/5 |
|
Plot Synopsis: Following world war, London is a police state occupied by a fascist government, and a vigilante known only as V (HUGO WEAVING) uses terrorist tactics to fight the oppressors of the world in which he now lives. When V saves a young woman named Evey (NATALIE PORTMAN) from the secret police, he discovers an ally in his fight against England’s oppressors. Quick Hit Review: V for Vendetta is a movie I saw in theaters back in 2006, likely on opening weekend given it the script was written by the Wachowskis who still held my interest even with the less-than-stellar conclusion to their Matrix trilogy a few years prior. My initial reaction then was I felt it was rather underwhelming, an opinion that held for its Blu-ray release and even now, re-visiting after 10+ years. V for Vendetta is hardly bad, in fact it’s directed with style by James McTeigue in his directorial debut whose career has been sporadic (he did start out as a first assistant director on The Matrix Trilogy and Star Wars: Episode II), subsequently helming Ninja Assassin, The Raven, Survivor and Breaking In, the latter of which was an okay time-waster of a thriller. I guess I appreciated that he tries to balance style and story, though in the end doesn’t fully succeed in either. In any case, as well directed V was, I can’t say anything really stood out in terms of the action or even drama and instead the biggest takeaway was some solid performances from Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving, who was most impressive since 99% of his screen time was completely behind a mask (some scenes were with James Purfoy before he was replaced a few weeks into production). Although V for Vendetta didn’t exactly strike me on an emotional level, it’s still finely produced and acted with a decent script by the Wachowskis based upon the popular graphic novel from Alan Moore (who went uncredited) and David Lloyd. If for whatever reason you haven’t watched, still worth checking out, and there are some themes that apply today, no matter which side you’re on. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3½/5 |
|
This release comes with a slip cover and, a nice surprise, the inner artwork is different. Inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Also included is the original Blu-ray disc. 4K ULTRA HD: Natalie Portman’s Audition Tape (14:06) shows why producers picked her for the role of EV. V for Vendetta Unmasked (23:28) is a making-of with the filmmakers and cast. BLU-RAY: Designing the Near Future (17:15) – A look at the artistic process of creating the frightening future world of V. Remember, Remember: Guy Fawkes and Gunpowder Plot (10:17) delves into the history of Guy Fawkes. Freedom Forever!: Making V for Vendetta (15:57) – The cast and crew reveal the intense filmmaking process. England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the New Wave in Comics (14:40) is on the origins of the original V story. Natalie Portman SNL Rap (2:34) is a segment with Portman rapping. Cat Power Montage (2:02) is a song played under images of the film. Theatrical Trailer (2:24) |
VIDEO – 4½/5 |
| Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases V for Vendetta onto 4K Ultra HD where it’s shown in the original theatrical 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 2160p high-definition transfer. The picture here, while not entirely stunning, looks pretty good in 4K resolution; detail is sharp and well defined throughout and being this is a rather dark looking movie to begin with, in keeping with the dystopian future setting, you do get some pops of colors but most everything is somewhat tamped down. |
AUDIO – 4½/5 |
| The movie comes equipped with a new Dolby Atmos track and even though it’s not overwhelming and probably only has a slight more depth compared with the Blu-ray’s Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, this is still impressive nonetheless. Dialogue comes across with great clarity and there every channel is fully utilized, particularly during the scenes of explosions early on and during the fiery finale. |
OVERALL – 3¾/5 |
|
Overall, V for Vendetta never struck me on an emotional level and it is a bit heavy handed though presumably the graphic novel was pretty close as well, but the performances from both Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman are strong. |