--- title: "V for Vendetta: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/v-for-vendetta/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/v-for-vendetta" critics_score: 52 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # V for Vendetta (2006): what the critics said Critics' score 52 from 14 reviews: 5 positive, 2 mixed, 7 negative. The reviews are sharply divided, with negative responses outnumbering positive ones and little agreement on whether the political ambition pays off. Praise clusters around the cast, particularly Hugo Weaving’s masked performance, while several critics find the images striking even when the storytelling falters. Supporters value the film as a talkative political mystery rather than a straightforward action thriller, finding substance in its questions about liberty, totalitarianism and resistance. Reservations centre on ponderous dialogue, uneven pacing and a confused fit between political ideas and action spectacle. The disagreement goes beyond execution: RogerEbert.com welcomes the ambiguity around terrorism, while The New Yorker sees a celebration of terrorism and destruction. Even the ending divides opinion, with Radio Times praising its execution and relevance and The AV Club finding it sentimental and too tidy. The spread is wide: what persuades some critics strikes others as muddled or politically unconvincing. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3.5/4. 16 March 2006. The critic praises the film's ideas and literary quality over typical graphic novel adaptations, noting its intriguing ambiguity about terrorism and totalitarianism. He singles out the strong supporting cast and Hugo Weaving's performance behind the mask for praise, while criticizing the ending's focus on architecture over people. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/v-for-vendetta-2006) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Rating B. 14 March 2006. The film is a compelling, visually striking political mystery with big ideas about integrity, liberty, and political change, though it stutters in delivering them fully. It loses its way with big-budget action mechanics, ponderous dialogue, and a too-tidy sentimental finale, but the critic singles out a long monologue sequence depicting the protagonist's awakening as simultaneously uplifting and harrowing. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/v-for-vendetta-1798201553) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2006. The film is the best screen adaptation of Alan Moore's work yet, a talky and deliberately paced political thriller that challenges viewers with its ideas rather than action. It singles out for praise the powerful gut-punch episode involving Evey's ordeal, which survives largely intact from the comic. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/v-vendetta-review/) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 3/5. The critic sees it as a mix of audacious and clunky, praising the stunningly executed and relevant ending while noting issues with accents, predictability and an empty atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-qa8xhf/v-for-vendetta/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2006. Festival review. The critic notes it starts promisingly with interesting ideas about totalitarianism but succumbs to hokum, silliness and an uneven mix of pulpy action and politics. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/v-for-vendetta/4026168.article) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 17 March 2006. The critic finds the film muddled and derivative, questioning whether its masked avenger is a terrorist or freedom fighter in a story that updates the comic with contemporary political allusions. She singles out the weak script and direction for complaint, noting it fails to cohere despite its ambitions. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/movies/who-is-this-masked-avenger-guy-fawkes-count-of-monte-cristo-or-a.html) ## Variety — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2006. Festival review. The critic finds the adaptation visually striking but ultimately flat and hampered by indigestible dialogue and weak pacing, suffering from issues similar to the later Matrix films. She singles out the strong cast for note but criticizes the helming and lack of chemistry between leads. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2006/film/markets-festivals/v-for-vendetta-2-1200518521/) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 March 2006. The critic dismisses the film as a dunderheaded fantasia that celebrates terrorism and destruction, criticizing its flat characters and pseudo-philosophical dialogue. He singles out the violent action sequences for some visual praise but notes the overall lack of excitement and coherence. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/03/20/blowup-5) ## Time Out — TJ Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic finds the film soporific and unpersuasive despite its anti-establishment themes, criticizing the pacing, exposition and visuals while noting decent performances. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/v-for-vendetta-1) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 17 March 2006. The critic calls the film valueless gibberish, a boring and baffling adaptation of the graphic novel that fails to capture its style or interest. They single out the unconvincing design, fight scenes and clichéd elements for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2006/mar/17/1) ## Eye for Film — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 March 2006. The critic praises the film as a surprisingly low-key mystery thriller and character drama with a subversive political message that justifies the actions of its terrorist protagonist in a recognizable dystopia. Weaving's masked performance as V is singled out as extraordinary, while Portman's Evey is noted as the weak point due to script issues. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/v-for-vendetta-film-review-by-anton-bitel) ## Collider — Nicole Pedersen Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2006. The film is a smart and timely sociopolitical commentary and a good popcorn movie, likely the best adaptation of Alan Moore's work to date. It succeeds as a dark and engrossing fairy tale updated for a post-9/11 world, though purists may miss some elements from the source graphic novel. [Read the review](https://collider.com/dvd-review-v-for-vendetta/) ## Paste — Robert Davis Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2006. The movie succeeds despite its muddled ideas thanks to Natalie Portman, who reflects V's humanity and helps make the vague philosophy palatable. It has a purity of spirit but lands closer to the confused philosophy of Fight Club than more poetic rebellious films. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/v-for-vendetta) ## The Skinny — Caroline Hurley Rating ★★. 16 April 2006. The film simplifies the graphic novel's complex story into a basic fantasy thriller with a strong British cast, resulting in a confused message and lost visual pace. It succeeds most in the realistic and powerful depiction of Evey's imprisonment. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/v-for-vendetta) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/v-for-vendetta.md