Relentless

Rating: 3/10 (3 June 2005)

Sin City is incredible to look at. It's the boldest cinematic statement since early Coen Brothers. It's stark, compelling and the closest, most pure example of a graphic novel ever brought to life.
That considerable achievement aside, I hated it.
It's the story of a hard-as-nails hero, beaten and bloodied, who fights unspeakable evil in order to save the gorgeous girl, the flower growing in the gutter.
Then it's the same story. Over and over again, until I felt as relentlessly battered by the film as poor old Marv.
Yes, it's a little repetitive. Four stories are told - the story of tough cop Hartigan (Willis) bookends the stories of Marv (Mickey Rourke) and Dwight (Clive Owen). But essentially it's the same tale of twisted murderers, heroes who can take 20 bullets and still live and the most glamorous hookers you will ever see.
I have to give the film credit for staying true to the source material, unfortunately that material is moronically juvenile as this, with laugh-out-loud risible dialogue, and lots of adolescent-friendly scenes of girls with guns.
I just wish the same artistic vision could have been applied to a genuine noir classic novel. Sin City has all the cool of James M. Cain, but none of the soul. It's empty, it's shallow and a huge waste of talent.