V for Vendetta

In a near future, the United Kingdom is ruled by right-wing religious zealots who wage war on Muslims, homosexuals and anyone who doesn’t buy into their fear mongering about terrorism. Then, a real terrorist arises, the mysterious V, and the country becomes the place the rightists had been warning about. V for Vendetta is strangely timely, though it’s based on a comic book from the early ’80s. Natalie Portman stars as Evey, a young woman who runs afoul of both the government and the terrorist, and has to decide which is worse. Gorgeously realized by first-time director James McTeigue, it’s a complex tale with a lot of unanswered questions, but in spite of its heady topic, it only makes a few forays into Dumbdownville. Supremely entertaining, V for Vendetta is proof that the big-budget blockbuster can respect an audience’s intelligence.