2006 / James McTeigue > I generally tend to like 1984-esque storylines, especially when done with such high production value on multiple fronts (i.e., not Equilibrium, which wasted both Bale and Watson’s acting talent). V, fortunately, was good at worst on most fronts, but fairly disappointing due to the not-too-subtle liberal ideologies that permeate it. Yes, I understand this was written to criticize Margaret Thatcher, not George W. Bush, but the comparisons, in this day and age, are absolutely inevitable. And while there are amazing possibilities in fusing social commentary with entertainment, V fails primarily because the story becomes so one-sided that it loses its credibility as time goes on. Thankfully, if you can turn a blind eye to its hard-handedness, the film does stand well on its own as bonafide, if fleeting, entertainment.