Courtesy of Warner Bros.

BERKELEY, Calif. – All too often, films portraying harrowing visions of the future do so through the veil of far-flung technological advancements and space-age gimmickry, turning Orwellian prophecies into gleeful science-fiction kitsch.

“V for Vendetta,” a big-screen adaptation of Alan Moore’s seminal graphic novel, pulls off the amazing feat of offering searing and pointed political commentary in the context of a Friday-night action flick.

The film tells the story of V (Hugo Weaving), a masked marauder modeled after would-be terrorist Guy Fawkes (Clive Ashborn), who is willing to resort to vigilantism to liberate the English people from the fascist regime to which they have fallen victim. Along the way, V forges an unlikely relationship with Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman), an ordinary woman whom he rescues at the risk of his own capture. Evey becomes a fugitive for her involvement with V, and she stays in hiding with him to protect both their identities. Through the eyes of an outsider, we see a complex portrait of a man who is unapologetic in both his commitment to his cause and his ruthlessness to kill those who stand in his way.

The relationship between the two characters feels real and natural thanks to stellar performances from the film’s lead actors. Portman, in particular, brings a human face to the central drama, all while sporting an English accent that’s a marked improvement over the one she used in “The Phantom Menace.”

The screenplay, penned by the Wachowski brothers (“The Matrix” series), takes minor liberties with its source material to create a taut and entertaining experience that blooms after a somewhat dizzying first act. Perhaps the Wachowskis’ greatest contribution is turning “V for Vendetta” into a provocative parable for today’s political climate, while adhering to the spirit of Moore’s novel.

“V for Vendetta” makes overt references to America’s involvement in the Iraq war and the collapse of the country into a no-man’s land ruled by anarchy. Even more provocative is a speech V gives to Evey where he defends his recent destruction of a British landmark. V describes his act as a symbolic attack and notes the power that blowing up a building can have on the world.

The film manages to walk along the razor’s edge in these instances with a quiet grace, showing its willingness to break from convention and its intent to challenge audiences with a character who is too complex to fit the comic hero mold. Similarly, Finch (Stephen Rea), a government agent hot on the trail of V’s every move, is an unusually sympathetic character who seems to operate on the basis of fear of his superiors rather than a commitment to their chauvinistic principles.

The totalitarian state the film portrays is a mixture of Nazi Germany, “1984” and Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil,” with a dose of post-millennial xenophobia. “V for Vendetta” was originally slated for a Nov. 4 release date to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of Guy Fawkes’ botched attempt to destroy the houses of British Parliament. Ironically, its release on March 17 feels just as appropriate, arriving a week after a renewal of the Patriot Act, with support for the war in Iraq hitting record lows. When was the last time a comic book movie felt so keyed-in to its time with so blatant a political agenda?

Eerily relevant political timing aside, “V for Vendetta” enters theaters on the crest of a new Renaissance of high-profile comic book films, ushered in by the success of “Batman Begins” and “Sin City.” The film holds its own amongst its formidable company, boasting a surprising amount of substance behind its slick exterior. With a story of human compassion at its heart, “V for Vendetta” is at once a sobering and uplifting movie-going experience.

-‘V for Vendetta’ is currently in theaters.