Movie Reviews

V for Vendetta is the heartwarming tale of a near future where the government has taken an Orwellian turn for the oppressive extreme. Ironically, this time, John Hurt plays the oppressor instead of the oppressed. His government subdues all, except for the “terrorist” V, who decides he’s mad as hell and isn’t going to take it anymore. Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name, V is decent, but it’s disappointing in that it could have been a lot better.

The 2.40:1 image is pristine. There is essentially no grain, and there’s lots of detail. In other words, it’s pretty much what we’ve come to expect from HD DVD releases from Warner. Skintones and the colors throughout are excellent. Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 is here, of course, as is Dolby TrueHD 5.1. The mix, as you’d expect from a movie where stuff blows up, makes full use of the surrounds where it’s applicable. The dialogue is clear and never muddled. There is video commentary by the director, the main actors, and a few others. Then there are some featurettes on the look of the film, the comic on which it is based, and about the real Guy Fawkes, for those not up on English history, and, of course, a making-of short. Perhaps the most entertaining extra is a bit Natalie Portman did for SNL where she’s a gangsta rapper. It’s more amusing than you’d expect.