Roberto Rodriguez disappoints again

Rating: 2/10 (17 August 2005)

After hearing the buzz made about Rodriguez' film 'Sin City' and seeing Tarantino's name on the film I decided to give the man one more chance to impress and once again I was extremely disappointed. Rodriguez stuck to his usual all style no substance approach but failed in even the style category. The stories in this film (there were three) were so shallow and contrived the it was impossible to take this film seriously. The dialogue was melodramatic and forced. Taking in this in to account I guess a case could be made that this is a comic book film meant to entertain. If that is the case it failed in that aspect as well. The characters and what occurs to them are such a farce that Batman and Spiderman seem like realists pictures. the only case to be made is that it is visually stunning, which I did not think it was. THe cast is the last thing that could save this movie, but ultimately some key miscasts (Brittany Murphy as the street tough New York waitress/hooker) cause it to be painful. I guess in some recess of the mind this could be considered a black comedy. If Robert Rodriguez' plan was to make a film so bad that the audience just had to laugh at it, then bravo. Otherwise, this film does not need to be mentioned in any respectable circles. I wish the director would stop incorporating Quentin Taratino's name in his garbage.