V for Vendetta (2-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)

So, the other night I happened past "Larry King Live" as King is chatting it up with George W. Bush and wife. When asked about his approval rating he says it doesn't bother him. Larry gets a confused look on his face and asks, "It doesn't bother you that more than half the country disagrees with what you are doing?" (Not an exact quote) Bush simply looks on and says, "No." He is quite confident in his statement and non-wavering.

Then I watch V for Vendetta on DVD that same night, it is the second time I have seen it and after being blown away the first time I was able to evaluate it on another level. I can't say I was surprised by what I saw, but after hearing that interview with Bush it did hit me a little harder than I thought it might as I see a world in which the government does not represent the ideals of the people. The government in V imparts their own ideals and set of values, and thanks to threats of terrorism and disease they scare their citizens into falling into line. Scary? Coincidental?

Yes, it is a little scary. No, it isn't coincidental. While the special features on this DVD don't exactly drop your jaw you are going to get enough out of them to get a little history lesson as well as learn a little about the filmmakers' motivations despite the fact that once again, as with The Matrix DVDs, the writer-producer Wachowski brothers are nowhere to be found. Are they prolific? No, their absence is increasingly annoying.

V for Vendetta stars Hugo Weaving as the masked warrior/vigilante/terrorist known only as V. Dawning a Guy Fawkes mask, V makes his presence known as he blows up the Old Bailey, rescues a young woman named Evey (Portman), gains her confidence and begins a plot to eradicate those that have wronged him with a resounding crescendo that will see the Parliament building blown to bits in the final act. V for Vendetta is not necessarily an action film, although it has some spectacular action in it. It is probably best described as a drama as V sets out on a mission of freedom all while creating current day parallels that will have your head spinning.

Don't go taking that terrorist bit above too seriously, V is no Osama bin Laden, then again he just might be... it depends on whose eyes you are looking through. This is probably the coolest thing about this movie. No matter what, the story remains the same, yet depending on your beliefs and values you are very likely to see several aspects of the film differently than the person sitting right next to you. This is a film that sparks conversation and equally entertains. Multiple viewings are a must and it makes for a fantastic DVD.

As for the DVD features, it is like I said, not a whole lot to talk about. The only reason I believe they made this a two-disc set is to decrease the compression on the actual film to make it look as good as possible and it does look good although I am chomping at the bit for the HD DVD version and it really does shock me it isn't being released the same day as the DVD.

You ask about special features? Well, there is a mini making-of featurette on disc one; a history lesson on Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot, a production design featurette, a look at the V for Vendetta comics and a mini music video on disc two. Really, this isn't much for such a complex film and a commentary is absolutely in order. There is certain to be another release of this DVD and I am hoping the major goods will be on the HD DVD release whenever that comes out. There needs to be a commentary with Portman, Weaving and director James McTeigue, I would include the Wachowski brothers in that statement but we all know they aren't going to contribute.

Overall this is a must own DVD... for the time being. There will be another release, but if I had an option to buy now or wait I would certainly buy now and most likely buy again when the newest version is released. You can pretty much bet your paycheck I will own a copy of the HD DVD once it is out, that is a guarantee.

Till then... Freedom Forever!