original, sexy, and demoniacally excellent

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2005)

right from the opening scene this movie had me hooked. the story is not about the characters, but about the city they live in. it follows the lives of about four or five main characters, all whom seem to have one thing in common: Nancy Calahan. whether they actually knew her or just saw her dancing at the club, she is the one thing that ties their stories together.
like i said, right from the beginning, i was hooked. i'm a bit of a fan of both Rodriguez and Tarantino (even if Tarantino only directed one scene), so this was quite a treat for me. the style is simply amazing. everything about it just blows your mind. unfortunately, i've never gotten a chance to read any of the comic books...sorry, "graphic novels"...but watching this is enough to make me want to go out and buy anything i can get my little mitts on as long as it has Frank Miller's name on it.
Rodriguez's amazing adaption of this already outstanding story (or so i hear) is instantly among my top ten movies, and is certainly one of the best movies i've seen in months.
but the direction isn't everything, the actors were given the chance to show off everything they had. Mickey Rourke certainly gives one of his best performances as Marv the heart- broken bad ass. Bruce Willis also gives quite a spectacular performance. but i think my favorite was Clive Owen and his bright red Converses. he was lovably insane (especially in the car with Benicio Del Toro) and i think everything he did with the character was awesome.
all-in-all this is exactly what we movie lovers have needed for the past year or so. something original, inspiring, and something that's overall breathtaking. it does everything right, and waiting for the movie will be seem like heaven compared to the hell of waiting for the DVD.