Sin City (1 & 2)
SIN CITY (18)
D: Robert Rodriguez (& Frank Miller)
Buena Vista (Elizabeth Avellan)
US 2005
124 mins
Action/Crime
W: Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez [based on the
comic book series by Frank Miller]
DP: Robert Rodriguez
Ed: Robert Rodriguez
Mus: Robert Rodriguez, John Debney & Graeme
Revell
Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan), Devon Aoki (Miho),
Alexis Bledel (Becky), Rosario Dawson (Gail), Benicio Del Toro (Jackie Boy), Michael Clarke Duncan (Manute), Carla Gugino (Lucille), Rutger Hauer (Cardinal Roark), Jaime King (Goldie /
Wendy), Michael Madsen (Bob), Brittany Murphy (Shellie), Clive Owen (Dwight), Mickey Rourke (Marv), Nick Stahl (Roark, Jr.) Bruce Willis (John Hartigan), Elijah Wood
(Kevin)
On style alone, this is arguably the finest comic book
movie ever made.
A trio of stories takes place in crime-ridden Basin
City, featuring corrupt cops, cannibalistic killers, gun-toting prostitutes and more.
The stories don't quite interlink in the way Pulp
Fiction or other similar films do, with the main character from each vignette having his own story to tell.
Mickey Rourke is the standout of the cast in the first
(and arguably best) of the three stories, The Hard Goodbye, in which he plays a facially-disfigured maniac framed for murdering a prostitute, seeking revenge for those who were really
responsible.
The second story, The Big Fat Kill, sees the
gun-wielding prostitutes of Old Town battle the mob following the death of a corrupt cop in their city limits.
The third tale, That Yellow Bastard, is a
wrap-around, starring Bruce Willis as one honest cop who takes the fall for a corrupt politicians perverted nephew, released from prison just in time to protect a girl he once saved
from being targeted once again.
Robert Rodriguez' vision of using a green screen
visual effects technique to build the fictional world are brilliantly realised, as is the utilisation of black & white photography with flashes of colour.
An iconic piece of pop/cult cinema.
8/10
SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR (18)
D: Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller
Dimension/Miramax/Aldamisa (Robert Rodriguez, Aaron Kaufman,
Stephen L'Heureux, Sergei Bespalov, Alexander Rodnyansky & Mark Manuel)
US 2014
102 mins
Action/Thriller
W: Frank Miller [based on his comic book series]
DP: Robert Rodriguez
Ed: Robert Rodriguez
Mus: Robert Rodriguez & Carl Thiel
Mickey Rourke (Marv), Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan), Josh
Brolin (Dwight), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Johnny), Rosario Dawson (Gail), Bruce Willis (John Hartigan)
When the original Sin City burst into cinema screens in summer
of 2005, it was a breath of fresh air for the comic book subgenre, mixing film noir stories with a stylish backdrop, whilst staying true to the original source material.
The stories in this sequel may be based on those from the
graphic novels, but the format feels tired and the CGI effects far less polished. It also came out far too late after the original film, when superhero films were practically ten-a-penny down at
the local multiplex.
If you don't compare it to the first film, it isn't terrible,
but the interlinking stories don't interlink (two of which were set before events in the first film) and the main thread, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a not-so-lucky gambler feels quite
pointless. The world of Sin City, with heroic vigilantes and corrupt lawmen is a universe which could go on to make a great cinematic franchise, but on this evidence, it's best to leave it
grounded. Watch the first film, by all means, but you wouldn't feel too disappointed if you gave this one a skip.
4/10
