Grade-A Grit

Rating: 9/10 (9 April 2005)

Sin City reminded me of only one other film I've ever seen: Kill Bill, vol. 1, which ranks as one of my all-time favorites. The founding mythologies of the two movies are completely different, and I prefer Tarantino's Shaolin legends to Miller's noir graphic novels--but not by much. There's an awful lot to fall for in Sin City, from the ridiculous cars to the even more ridiculously alluring women.
The best thing about the movie, though, is the three leading male heroes, two of whom are just as cold-blooded as their depraved and just-as-memorable foils, who gleefully inhabit depths of the human soul usually only hinted at by movies. Willis, Rourke, and Owen each give memorable performances that force you to accept the moral logic of Sin City, which despite the consistent displays of gore shines through every scene of the movie. As with Kill Bill, anyone who tells you that this movie is itself morally bankrupt or meaningless simply wasn't paying any attention.
If you've got the stomach for it, and are willing to suspend your disbelief and accept Miller's gritty universe, you absolutely won't regret spending your $9 to see Sin City in the theater.