Saw V for Vendetta last night. Good stuff. Very pretty to look at, mostly for the sets and the colors; "crisp" is the only way I can think to say it. The cast did a good job, too. Agent Elrond was just rich as V and Natalie Portman didn't let her spotty accent get in the way of properly emoting. I was also a big fan of Stephen Rea (as Finch, the cop) and Stephen Fry as Gordon Deitrich.
One of my favorite bits was the way they used archival footage to represent the history of the world that had led them to their British totalitarianism. In a movie that's supposed to be a realistic representation of possible future facism, it was an interesting touch to ground it in the present like that. Or, you know, the footage was just cheaper than filming new stuff.
If you've read the comic the movie's based on, though, you should expect that a bunch of stuff got changed. I mean, stylistically it's spot on. The story was simplified and the details were greatly changed but the structure was, overall, the same. However, rather than being presented mostly from the points of view of a legion of vile government men and their wives, we're narrowed down a bit more onto just Finch and shifted a bit more onto V and Evey. I don't think that's anything to complain about - the diffuse perspectives would be awkward, I think, given the time a film has in which to present its subject. Probably the one thing that I really missed didn't actually occur to me as absent until a good three or four hours after the movie was done - none of the Vicious Cabaret song showed up in the movie.
So, that's V. Go and check it out.
Comments (10)
Yeah I was all Jazzed about it until I saw the preview and realized there would be no dorky "Here mousey mousey"
Posted by Zach | March 18, 2006 5:39 PM
Posted on March 18, 2006 17:39
My review of the movie here on my blog.
Secondary review over on Barbelith.
I liked it...but read the reviews. They give my full opinion.
The lack of "do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" annoyed me.
Posted by Bard | March 19, 2006 12:31 AM
Posted on March 19, 2006 00:31
I liked it; found it to be a little verbose.
But there are not many movies where the protagonist dies.
Posted by gus | March 20, 2006 7:44 AM
Posted on March 20, 2006 07:44
I don't know, I've seen a lot where the protagonist dies. *shivers as he thinks about Dancer in the Dark* The movie was quite good, but you had to expect verbosity when the Wachowskis are involved, no?
I really liked it a lot - you know a movie is good when it's 2 1/2 hours and it feels like a 1 1/2 hour one. Granted, my experience was not tainted by any prior knowledge of the subject matter and how it was changed, rearranged or excised, but so what? :) Most of the viewing audience won't either, and as a standalone it was very well done. Crisp visuals, VERY good pacing (usually the hardest thing to get right from what I've seen), good handling of what could have easily become a mess of random information and characters. Good stuff.
Has anyone ever done a study to see how graphic novel to movie adaptions fare compared to regular comic book to movie adaption? There have been some TERRIBLE movies based on comics, but I can't recall one based on a graphic novel that wasn't good.
Posted by The Last Oni | March 20, 2006 9:48 AM
Posted on March 20, 2006 09:48
The Bard - I think V's appeal to the people through his huge "mail campaign" was a pretty good signal that he wasn't for anarchy, but overall I see where you're coming from in those reviews.
The Ogre - You're 100% spot on about the time; just flew by for me. Excellent pacing.
I'm not sure where you're drawing the graphic novel/comic line, though. I mean, most of what we call "graphic novels" (V included) are collections of individual comic issues. I'm guessing you mean "adapting this comic character into a movie" vs. "taking this particular story and turning it into a movie." Am I on target?
If so, I think it's about 50/50. Sin City and V were specific stories that came off great, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell are ones that came off badly. (I haven't seen From Hell, but people I trust tell me it sucked.)
For general comics, Spider Man (& 2), X-Men, Superman I & II, Batman & Batman Begins were all good, Superman III & IV, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin and Catwoman were awful. Hulk and Daredevil were a mixed bag.
Then you get movies like X2 or Constantine which are based loosely on a particular story from the comics but twisted and changed. X2 was awesome as hell, Constantine was cool but not really Hellblazer.
So, yeah, for my money it's pretty much up in the air every time. Really looking forward to both Superman Returns and X3, though.
Posted by Jason | March 20, 2006 3:41 PM
Posted on March 20, 2006 15:41
Well some were based on stand-alone type things, such as The Crow. X2 was based largely on God Loves, Man Kills though also on the comics in general. If we are talking about comic book movies, Hellboy rocks. There, I said it. Supposedly the director's cut of DD is much better thqat the theatrical, but I've not seen it. I was thinking of graphic novels more in the shorter, more-focused and self-contained varieties. And lastly, do you know why Constantine was so good? Rachel Weisz.
Posted by The Last Oni | March 20, 2006 7:17 PM
Posted on March 20, 2006 19:17
But there are not many movies where the protagonist dies.
Well, now that my V experience is officially ruined, who's up for some pop corn?
Posted by Bekah | March 22, 2006 4:35 PM
Posted on March 22, 2006 16:35
I am!
But crackjacks would be even better!
Posted by Jason | March 24, 2006 3:26 PM
Posted on March 24, 2006 15:26
Re: "From Hell". It sucked moose meat when I tried to think of the movie as a duplication of the comic book; it was pretty good when I accepted it on it's own terms.
==Ed
Posted by eef | March 26, 2006 3:38 PM
Posted on March 26, 2006 15:38
Hhm. Well, haven't read the comic on that one, so maybe I'll check it out, next time I want to see a movie about Jack the Ripper.
Which is more often than you'd think.
Posted by Jason | March 27, 2006 7:22 PM
Posted on March 27, 2006 19:22