Aptly named

Rating: 7/10 (21 September 2018)

Plot; Three tales crisscross in the hellish landscape of the titular town.
Though my initial visit to Sin City back in 2005 left me wanting, I've always felt compelled to revisit it thanks to its reputation as one of the all-time great comic/graphic novel film adaptations. What struck me this time were not the visuals--the film's calling card--but the pace. Though it runs a touch over 2hrs., it moves at a breathless clip. And by that I mean its narrative locomotion, as it's not action heavy. Oh there's a lot of violence, but it lacks anything really approaching a traditional Hollywood action scene. The aforementioned visuals are really immersive and director Robert Rodriguez and his team--like Zack Snyder w/his adaptation of Frank Miller's 300 a few years later--do a great job of bringing the graphic novel to life.
Of the three tales that make up the film, my favorite was the one focusing on Marv, played brilliantly by Mickey Rourke. His performance here is award-worthy and his tale is the most engaging. The middle story is fine, but suffers a bit by comparison. The third tale--which is a wrap around--ends things on a strong note, w/Bruce Willis giving one of the stronger performances of his career. If I had a criticism it would be that I think it would've worked better had the action and violence not been so stylized, though perhaps that's simply in keeping w/the book, which I haven't read.
Though I felt like I needed a shower after it was over, I did enjoy this return to Sin City and I leave w/a much greater appreciation for it this time around.