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V for Vendetta
I was a little wary of V For Vendetta.  After all, this film features lines like "Blowing up a building can change the world."  Yes that's true, but in this post 9-11 era, do we really want a hero who actually believes that and carries it out?  The films subversive ideals are cushioned somewhat by setting it 20 years in the future against a totalitarian regime in England.  It's not unlike the Phantom of the Opera, a man in a mask, hiding out underground, who falls for a young woman.  This film adds the terrorist, or, freedom fighter element though, and does a very good job of setting the plot along with showing the abuses of the government.  I did get the feeling that the film makers might want comparisons to today.  Natalie Portman does an excellent job here.  She is relied upon to carry the movie as Hugo Weaving never takes off his mask and has to use voice inflection and body movement to get his points across.  It is a wonderfully executed film that in the end, totally won me over!  I had, and still do have reservations about the subject matter, but this is a great film for starting debate and discussion.  I had both with other filmgoers after the film was over.  4 Stars Out of 5

Vacancy
Vacancy is a suspenseful, tense thriller that relies more on characters than gore.  The leads played by Luke Wilson and Kate Beckensale are characters you end up really caring about.  The ending is a touch weak, but the film as a whole is pretty good.
3 ½  Stars  Out of 5

Valiant
Valiant gets an A for effort, but doesn't quite deliver everything it aspires to.  I think it's supposed to help make kids aware of the job that carrier pigeons did in World War 2.  But the film tries to make nice and glosses over a lot of the actual facts.  I liked it, but I didn't love it.  There weren't that many laughs but the kids did laugh at the burp jokes.  3 Stars Out of 5

Van Helsing
Van Helsing starts out promising, but quickly degrades into a bombastic rush of action with a razor thin plot and bad computer generated effects that are overused.  For all of it's senselessness, it does reimagine the Frankenstein Monster in a way that I found entertaining, but it is almost an afterthought.  Dracula is the main bad guy here, with his wives who churn out alien-like pods that contain offspring.  They are all just unintentional parodies, with bad casting and atrocious accents the biggest problem.  I am a big fan of the original Universal monsters, and I wanted to like this movie, but in the end, it is a loud assault on the legacy. 
2 ½ Stars Out of 5

Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj
If you've seen the trailer for National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj, you've seen all of the good parts.  This is a painful, limp, tired Revenge of the Nerds or Old School redo with the old competition between fraternities plot.  Except this movie has no laughs.  Not one.  If you liked Van Wilder, stay at home and watch the DVD, or better yet, watch a funny DVD…rent Animal House.  1 Star Out of 5

Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair shows us that Reece Witherspoon can act. She was pregnant while filming this movie, and it's not always covered up that well. But she shows that she can do more than the light comedies she's known for. She is tremendous. The look of the film is magnificent, and the supporting cast is also very good. The film does bounce around a bit, it suffers from trying to cram too much into it. But overall the movie succeeds.
3 ½ Stars Out of 5

Vantage Point - Sony - Rated PG-13
Vantage Point has an all star cast, but is gimmicky and far fetched.  It suffers from ham fisted direction and a story that repeats the same thing, told over and over from different points of view, each adding an element.  Problem is, after the sixth or seventh time, it gets boring and monotonous.  I couldn't wait for it to end!  2 ½ Stars Out of 5

Venom
Venom is about a big guy with a scar on his face who gets bit by snakes that come out of a voodoo woman's suitcase and turns him into a homicidal maniac corpse.  Yes, it's that good.  1 Star Out of 5

Venus
In Venus, Peter O'Toole shows why he was nominated for Best Actor, and why his performance is what makes this such a good movie.  He is spectacular as an aging actor who forms a plutonic relationship with a much younger woman.  Venus is a very, very good film.  4 Stars Out of 5

Vera Drake
Vera Drake is a movie with a difficult subject. The title character is truly likeable. She has a heart of gold. She's your sweet Aunt that would do anything for anyone. She's the neighborhood abortionist in 1950. Imelda Staunton plays the part with finesse, and feeling. Look for an Oscar nomination for her. She is terrific.
4 ½ Stars Out of 5

Veronica Guerin
Despite a very strong performance by Cate Blanchett, Veronica Guerin tries to make a saint and martyr of the real life journalist, while unintentionally making her seem superficial and unthinking. The script is incredibly weak, and this film plays more like a cheap melodrama than what it aims for.3 Stars Out of 5

View From The Top
View From The Top gets on the taxi way, and never takes off. This ends up being a bland waste of a ton of star power. This took two years to be released, and like airline food, this didn't age well. There are a few laughs present, mostly from Mike Myers, but aside from that, you can deposit the rest in the airsick bag and hand it to the nearest stewardess.
2 ½ Stars out of 5

The Village
I think The Village is a victim of misleading marketing. If you go thinking you will be scared out of your wits, you will be disappointed. It really isn't a scary movie at all. Yes there are a couple of jumps, but for the most part, this is a great character movie that moves a little slower than most with a twist ending that for me was very satisfying. The acting from a great ensemble cast was subtle and measured. Newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard was absolutely amazing. Don't go to this movie expecting a scare fest…go expecting a rich movie that has a lot of depth and is a very satisfying experience.
4 Stars Out of 5

Volver
Volver is a fun, imaginative, engaging movie with an outstanding performance by a very enjoyable Penelope Cruz.  The supporting cast also works wonders.  It's a departure for director Pedro Almodovar from his previous work, but Volver is a delight.  4 Stars Out of 5