Not a fan of graphic novels or a super movie buff, but thought it was great!

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 2005)

Perhaps I can give more of an average-Joe perspective. I was never into graphic novels, and I'm not a hardcore film buff as many people on this site probably are. I pretty much didn't know what to expect, although I had heard that the movie was based on a graphic novel. I had read that the director dropped out of the Director's Guild in order to credit Miller and have Tarantino contribute, and I thought that was pretty cool. Oh, and I also knew it was going to be in black and white with a few snippets of color, and people were questioning how well that would come across. I saw Sky Captain on DVD a couple weeks ago, and I think I went to do the dishes or something while it was playing, so apparently that attempt didn't grab me. So I guess I came in with a fairly open mind and not much thought beforehand.
Then the over-the-top violence starts, and I immediately realized it was stylized a la Kill Bill. Personally I really don't like violence. I hate the fact that you can have shows all over TV depicting murders and autopsies and child rapists and whatnot, but show a nipple and it's the end of humanity. I don't like violence that attempts to portray real life, but this was clearly not that. Since I knew it was based on a graphic novel I "got" that aspect of it. My girlfriend didn't understand that at first, and had her mouth covered in horror, while I'm laughing out loud. She liked Kill Bill, and was able to settle in once I explained that it was in a similar vein.
I'm probably the demographic that the industry types were unsure about, and yet I thought it was an absolutely great movie. I saw it days ago, and I'm still thinking about it. The in-your-face style and raw relentlessness was a refreshing treat. I was so engrossed in the story it never occurred to me that there was CGI. Marv has to be my favorite character in years, and I can't say enough about what a wonderful job Rourke did. My review lacks the eloquence of many who are used to writing such things, but this movie rocked. That's the kind of pure, stylish entertainment you hope for when you go to the theater, and so rarely get. With caveats about the violence, I've recommended it to everyone I know, and I really hope it does even better once the word of mouth gets around.