2K Replay: V FOR VENDETTA

 by Adam Riske

Nominated for “Worst On-Screen Hairstyle” (Natalie Portman) at the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. She lost to Tom Hanks for The Da Vinci Code. I agree with this win.

• Best Scene/Moment: The two scenes where someone makes Natalie Portman “Egg in a Basket,” which consists of a slice of bread with a hole cut in the center, placed in a buttered skillet, with a fried egg in the hole. It looks delicious. I love breakfast more than most things.

• Best Song (tie): “Street Fighting Man” by The Rolling Stones and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture (Finale)”

• Best Merch: A “V For Vendetta Movie Promo Mask 2006 Cardboard Flat” for $34.99. I mean, seriously, what other merch from this movie would you possibly want over your own Guy Fawkes mask? The only problem with this is the stick makes it look like an ice cream bar so now I just want to eat this, which I won’t, but the fact that crossed my mind bothers me. On the other hand, what better way to remember remember the 5th of November than eating cardboard?

• Director Grade: V for Vendetta was directed by James McTeigue.
Great Movies: N/A
Good Movies: N/A
OK Movies: V for Vendetta, The Raven (2012)
Bad Movies: Ninja Assassin
Unseen By Me: Survivor, Breaking In
Overall Grade: C

• Double It with This 2006 Movie: Children of Men

• Year 2006 Movies to Trailer Before Them: A Scanner Darkly, Superman Returns, X-Men: The Last Stand

• Ella McCay or V for Vendetta? Tie. V for Vendetta is “better” but I enjoy watching Ella McCay more.

• Mall Movie? Borderline yes. V for Vendetta feels more elevated than the usual comic book movie but it’s still a comic book movie and those just feel right playing at the mall.

• Only in 2006: I thought Natalie Portman looked better with a shaved head.

• Scene Stealer (tie): Roger Allam (who looks like Sam Neill and Tim Curry had a baby with a punchable face) and Stephen Fry.

• I Miss: Movies where people wear Guy Fawkes masks onscreen. It’s amazing how emotive that mask is even though it’s stationary. I would’ve loved to have seen a person in Guy Fawkes mask in other movies (like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or Love and Other Drugs) and everyone just go with it and pretend like it’s a normal dude.

• I Don’t Miss: The scenes with Stephen Rea. I have nothing against Stephen Rea, but his scenes are such a drag and primarily there to provide plot details.

• 2006 Crush: Natalie Portman.

• 2026 Crush: Natalie Portman.

• What I Thought in 2006: I don’t remember really except I saw it in IMAX and that I must have been impressed with it since I’ve owned the DVD since 2006.

• What I Think in 2026: I liked it in fits and starts. The chemistry between Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving (who’s terrific here) is what works best. There’s too much cutting to cops figuring it out and it screws up the movie’s momentum for me. I’m not a big fan of dystopia movies either, so V for Vendetta holds me at arm’s length a bit but it’s decent.