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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 3936
Released: August 1, 2006 |
| Our Price: $5.88 |
| Used Price: $1.98 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man (Hugo Weaving) known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself - and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.
Description of V for Vendetta (Full Screen Edition):
"Remember, remember the fifth of November," for on this day, in 2020, the minds of the masses shall be set free. So says code-name V (Hugo Weaving), a man on a mission to shake society out of its blank complacent stares in the film V for Vendetta. His tactics, however, are a bit revolutionary, to say the least. The world in which V lives is very similar to Orwell's totalitarian dystopia in 1984: after years of various wars, England is now under "big brother" Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by John Hurt, who played Winston Smith in the movie 1984), whose party uses force and fear to run the nation. After they gained power, minorities and political dissenters were rounded up and removed; artistic and unacceptable religious works were confiscated. Cameras and microphones are littered throughout the land, and the people are perpetually sedated through the governmentally controlled media. Taking inspiration from Guy Fawkes, the 17th century co-conspirator of a failed attempt to blow up Parliament on November 5, 1605, V dons a Fawkes mask and costume and sets off to wake the masses by destroying the symbols of their oppressors, literally and figuratively. At the beginning of his vendetta, V rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from a group of police officers and has her live with him in his underworld lair. It is through their relationship where we learn how V became V, the extremities of the party's corruption, the problems of an oppressive government, V's revenge plot, and his philosophy on how to induce change.
Based on the popular graphic novel by Alan Moore, V for Vendetta's screenplay was written by the Wachowski brothers (of The Matrix fame) and directed by their protégé, James McTeigue. Controversy and criticism followed the film since its inception, from the hyper-stylized use of anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt government and the blatant jabs at the current U.S. political arena, to graphic novel fans complaining about the reconstruction of Alan Moore's original vision (Moore himself has dismissed the film). Many are valid critiques and opinions, but there's no hiding the message the film is trying to express: Radical and drastic events often need to occur in order to shake people out of their state of indifference in order to bring about real change. Unfortunately, the movie only offers a means with no ends, and those looking for answers may find the film stylish, but a bit empty. --Rob Bracco
Beyond Vendetta
The graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd | 
More by Alan Moore | 
From Graphic Novel to Big Screen |
More by Natalie Portman | 
More by Hugo Weaving | 
More by the Wachowski Brothers |
V for Vendetta (Full Screen Edition) Reviews:
One of my favorite films! 
2009-12-16 - If you have enjoyed the film in the past or a first time viewer this is a great blue ray film to own. You get the cool fights and explosions with the high def graphics that really make a difference. It has a big cast if your familiar with the British acting scene. It touches on the old subject of take a stand against something that's not right, but a cool and new futuristic spin. It was taken from a graphic novel series so it has a real dark feel. I love this film and highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good action packed movie with a drama backbone.
VENDETTA 
2009-12-07 - A very apt movie for the current times.An upgrade on 1984 that presents the important message with pieces of warm emotion ie love and music !
Provocative and unconventional
2009-12-06 - V for Vendetta is a visually striking, politically challenging, memorable film. Natalie Portman plays Evey, a very vulnerable "everywoman" who gets caught up in forces she doesn't understand or appreciate. Portman is in almost every scene, and for much of the film is the only character you can truly see (there either are no other characters, or other characters are masked). For those who only remember her as Padme in the Star Wars films, she has a chance to show a much broader range of abilities, and is impressive.
The plot draws heavily on contemporary themes, including uneasiness over Britain's very highly developed video surveillance system as well as the US Patriot Act limitations on civil rights. Add in some not-so-veiled references to Guy Fawkes, and movie trailers that gave away much of the action, and you have a film in which you know how it turns out (you think), but are constantly wondering how it will get there. The visual images, the political issues, and the unease stay with you long after the film is finished.
Excelent movie, blu-ray mid-quality
2009-12-02 - I just got this movie a couple days ago, watched it during the weekend... I had forgotten how much I liked this movie. If you like conspiracy theories complemented with good action and a touch of "super hero", this is a great movie for you. The dialogs are superb and the actors really stand up to their characters.
If you have read the original graphic novel, you will find some differences in the movie, I guess this is expected as with all recent movie adaptations, but just be aware of that and do not hate the movie for it.
Blu-ray definitely has better exponents of its image capabilities, but this one does not let you down, just do not expect something like you see in Batman The Dark Knight, it is more like Batman Begins in Blu-ray.
Sound wise I cannot tell much, as my sound system is not that great, but I can tell that all dialogs, knife throwing/stabbing and explosions sounded very good, at least for me.
All in all, I had a great experience with this movie, I expect to watch this again very soon.
Black and white attack on Bush 
2009-11-19 - The original Graphic novel this was based on is one of the smartest and best stories written last century. It's ig iea stuff examining the extremes of government and policies. It has no 2D characters but instead flushes out and makes you understand even if you don't like) all of them. It's timeless and never needs to be "updated" because it's about ideas that are still there today and were there long before the book was written.
This film claims to be an update on said story. But aparently update means they must skew a balanced look at polotics as a concept into an onslaught on the bush campaign. On top of that they took all these full developed characters and turned them into the very black and white nazi liek characters Alan Moore intentionally didn't write in the book.
This is a terrible movie that degrades everything the book stands for.
