Matisse van Rossum’s review published on Letterboxd:
I watched V for Vendetta with some friends because it was the 5th of November and they insisted and I didn't have anything better to do. I had only seen it once before, when it came out in theaters. I remember not really liking it very much back then, but also I was 12 so some of it probably went way over my head. I liked it a little better this time, but for some reason, it still didn't really leave an impression on me.
When I watch V for Vendetta, I feel like I'm watching a spectacle film. It's got some great visual moments, some really fun action scenes, and the domino scene is really cool, especially considering the insane logistics that went into setting it up. But at the end of the day, that's all I'm really left with. The rest just feels kind of hollow, and I'm not really sure why. It could be the 133 minute runtime or it could be the least engaging performance I've ever seen from Natalie Portman (and yes that includes the Star Wars prequels). Hugo Weaving is great at what he does, but I even found it hard to relate to V or to even sympathize with him. I just found myself having a hard time caring about the story in general. I understand the motives, but everything just feels so underdeveloped that I just couldn't bring myself to care. I haven't read the graphic novel, but I know it's touted as one of the greatest of all time, and having read Watchmen, I don't doubt it. Alan Moore is great at what he does. But I do know that the Watchmen film fell far short of what Moore intended to convey in the novel, so I'd be very willing to believe the same happened with V for Vendetta.
It's a fine movie. It's a good action film, so action fans should enjoy it, other than the fact that it's a little long. But if you're looking for something more than action, you may be disappointed like I was. It's fun to watch for the most part, but just leaves me feeling slightly empty every time.