I think it was probobly as good an adaption of the source material as possible. Saw it just last night.
The Good:
The "twist". I almost thought it'd be "too much" for the movie version. However, it was every bit as shocking to the movie goers as it was for me when I read it years ago. However, while there were quite a few hints, the collective "ghasps" and "what the hell's?" I heard from everyone around me meant that the vast majority of the people didn't pick up on it.
Natalie Portman in little school girl outfit. Mmmmmm
The Dialogue. Ya, the frequent and almost improper use of "bollucks" was frustrating at times, but for the most part it stuck to Alan Moore's style of victorianesque "old english" writing.
V. The mask was great and they really nailed the charachter.
Updating it for current times. This novel was started in the early 80's and finished in the late 80's. The sotry took place in 1998 in the novel. I think they did a pretty good job
updating it and using current events ("America's war") instead of the source material (which was Germany winning WWII and nucular holocaust killing pretty much everyone but England)
The Bad:
It almost seemed that the "Matrix" style fight scenes were forced. Just because you can make cool special effects shots doesn't necissarily mean you should. However, my roomy thought these were the only redeaming qualities of the flick (besides the aforementioned Natalie Portman/schoolgirl outfit)
The people I were with didn't get the referances to "the fingers", which means the tools of this totalitarian government (which in the novel are eyes, voice, ears, fingers etc.) weren't properly fleshed out. I got it, but if you hadn't read it, you may not have.
No mention of Anarchy whatsover. The whole point of the book isn't the Vendetta, it isn't just waking up the people to the realities of their totalitarian society, and it isn't just about overthrowing said totalitarian government: it's about putting the power back in the hands of the people and having them govern themselves willingly.
"People should not be afraid of their Governments, Governments should be afraid of their people".
Good flick, B+
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"The Rich are there to take all of the money & pay none of the taxes, the middle class is there to do all the work and pay all the taxes, and the poor are there to scare the crap out of the middle class." -George Carlin