The Corner Penthouse

Today, I'll take a look at the V For Vendetta 4K/Blu-ray Combo Pack, which was recently released just in time for the 5th of November. Read on to find out more about it...


Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, V For Vendetta (2006) is set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, where a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) is rescued from a dire situation by a masked vigilante (Hugo Weaving) known only as "V". Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks and takes over the government-controlled airwaves, urging his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with fear, cruelty and corruption.


I was always under the impression that V For Vendetta was a slick action film. Perhaps the trailer, embedded at the end of this review, helped to instill that impression upon me. While the film has a couple of slick fight scenes, it is, by and large, a drama that runs for a bit over two hours. I tell you this because I know that some people may not care much for long movies with a lot of talking, and they may go into this movie thinking that it'll be like The Matrix - a film Warner Brothers' marketing department made sure to mention at every opportunity. If you do stick with it, you will find an enjoyable, albeit cliched, film that hits all of the beats you'd expect for it to, but still provides an enjoyable ride along the way thanks to the performances by all involved.


The only real criticism I have of V For Vendetta is that parts of the story don't hold up to scrutiny. Without going into spoiler specifics, we see Evey abducted by one person, having her hair cut off by another, and yet in the end, we're lead to believe that's it's a third person that abducted her all by themselves. So, who were the other two people? It's hard to believe that they were working with the third person. Also, V has a shrine to a certain woman, but he could not possibly have gotten all of those photos of her with which to make that shrine.


V For Vendetta looks great in 4K, definitely better than any previous release, but don't expect to be blown away like with other recent Warner Brothers 4K releases. The film has a rather natural appearance, without any bright vivid colors to provide the "pop" that you're used to with a 4K picture. That's not to say that it looks bad. As I said, this is the best presentation of the film and is a highly recommended upgrade. This just won't be a film that you'll use to show off your 4K setup.


V For Vendetta is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 2:12:33. Audio languages include English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Polish, and Thai. The film includes English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, and Thai subtitles.


Here's a list of all of the bonus features that can be found on the 4K UHD disc. Surprisingly, these are "new" and have never appeared on the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases.

• James McTeigue & Lana Wachowski in Conversation (13:18) - A new conversation between the director and the co-writer/co-producer that touches upon various aspects of the film.
• Natalie Portman's Audition (14:06) - Explore the depth of Evey's character with Natalie Portman's never-before-seen audition. The 4:3 VHS-quality audition footage is presented in a 16:9 frame with movie clips for the scenes: "Shadow Gallery", "V's Kitchen", and "Deitrich's Town Home".
• V for Vendetta Unmasked (23:28) - A vintage featurette, that aired on TV back in 2006, presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Also included in the 4K UHD + Blu-ray Combo Pack is a second standard Blu-ray disc (originally released back in 2008), which contains the movie and all of the bonus features listed below. Audio languages include English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Japanese. The film includes English SDH, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles.

• In Movie Experience Director's Notebook: Re-imagining a Cult Classic for the 21st Century. - Director James McTeigue hosts interviews with Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, producer Joel Silver, and others for this Picture-in-Picture track.
• Designing the Near Future (17:16) - A look at the artistic process of creating the frightening future world of V.
• Remember, Remember: Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot (10:18) - The history behind the story of Guy Fawkes.
• Freedom! Forever!: Making V for Vendetta (15:57) - The cast and crew of V for Vendetta reveal the intense filmmaking process.
• England Prevails: V for Vendetta and the New Wave in Comics (14:40) - The origins of the original V story is illuminated.
• Natalie Portman SNL Rap (2:34) - Saturday Night Live rap starring Natalie Portman.
• Cat Power Montage (2:02) - Cat Power song played under images of the film.
• Theatrical Trailer (2:24)
• Soundtrack Album Info - One still image with poster art giving details on the soundtrack album.

A digital copy code voucher is also included in the standard two-disc black UHD Blu-ray case. The first print run includes a shiny slipsleeve, which, surprisingly, features different imagery than the case underneath. Usually the artwork is the same on both.


V For Vendetta is available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo Pack and is a recommended upgrade for fans of the film. The soundtrack album is available on Audio CD and Digital MP3.


All images were taken from the IMDB gallery of the film. The item was provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.