V for Vendetta
A pretty young revolutionary is swept up in a plot to blow up Parliament.
'œYou thought Star Wars was about Bush? Mere child's play,' said Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel. V for Vendetta's political messages are so blatant that by the half-hour mark you'll be rolling your eyes. Screenwriters Andy and Larry Wachowski paint a bleak future in which homosexuality is illegal and every newscaster is Bill O'Reilly. Only V, the masked hero who is equal parts Zorro, Guy Fawkes, and the Phantom of the Opera, can fight the power, with his chosen sidekick, the beautiful Evey (Natalie Portman). His plan to blow up the buildings of Parliament makes him a terrorist in the eyes of the government, but a freedom fighter to the people. Yes, it's a shame that director James McTeigue lacks the subtle touch, said Peter Travers in Rolling Stone. But at least the film 'œactually has ambitions.' The Wachowskis pump energy into every scene, from the most violent to the most meditative. Unfortunately, they couldn't re-create the mind-blowing power of The Matrix, said Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times. Not only is the philosophy behind this movie self-contradictory, but the rules for its fictional world are borrowed wholesale from George Orwell's 1984: The food rations are inedible, television is ubiquitous, and the dictator's face is plastered all over town. That's 'œthe kind of homage that would make some people call their lawyers.'
Rating: R
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Is New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s plan for free buses realistic?
Talking Points A transit innovation or a costly mistake
-
5 side hustle ideas to supplement your budget
the explainer Almost two-thirds of Americans are looking to get a second job in the next year
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser