V for Vendetta Review

Hollywood's latest trend in taking comic book classics and transforming them into mediocre box office hits further reinforces my theory that comic books are the single-most underrated medium to tell a good story. The recently released V for Vendetta, based on Alan Moore's comic book from the mid 80s, although translates beautifully from four-color newsprint to big screen, will leave many simpleton viewers (and critics) dumbfounded. For the few of us who aren't afraid of independent thought influenced by challenging or different points of view, this movie will be one of our all-time favorites.

The movie, set in the not-so-distant future, portrays a big-brother government that has forced its citizens into quiet conformity through the use of curfews, councils and book bans. The hero is a mask-wearing, revolutionary terrorist who plans to blow up the English Parliament in hopes of giving freedom back to the people. As the tale develops, the history of this dark, alternate future unravels and we soon discover that these events drastically affect the present situation and further propagate the need for change.

There's no doubt that the idea of a terrorist hero will make many people cringe. V is portrayed as a freedom-fighter in a post-apocalyptic time when fear of terrorism has reached hysteric proportions. Although the themes of the movie may seem anarchistic and V's Shakespearean, theatrical dialogues concerning revolution and freedom may bore some people, the truth is that the movie presents ideas, not just images. We're continuously presented with the fact that we need not be worried about who is behind the mask, as his true identity is not important. The message lies within the ideas he represents. A man is just a man, but a man who represents something more, something larger than what he is, can never die or be killed.

There is true substance here, although many won't see it. Many audiences will downright hate this movie. Revolutions start small and often die off as fanatic lunacy and although this very country was founded on fanatic ideas raised by a thoughtful few, somewhere along the line, we've forgotten that. This movie could very easily be taken as anti-patriotic, however upon further contemplation; you'll find it's the most powerful form of patriotism that has ever existed in hearts of man: The need to change the world for the sake of freedom, often in the form of defiance. Viva La Revolution!