Bold and Mesmerizing! By Far the Best Comic Book Film Adaptation Ever Made!

Rating: 9/10 (2 April 2005)

Sin City has to be one of the most inventive films I have ever gazed my eyes upon. The minute it starts, it reels you into a world full of blood, mayhem, sex, black-and-white imagery and a hell of a lot of cigarette smoking. Along with being the most inventive and cool film of the year so far, it is also the best. Based on the provocative graphic novels by Frank Miller(also the film's co-writer/co-director), Sin City is so full of life you will probably have to see it twice to grasp it's greatness.
The movie is built solidly around 3 1/2 stories. The first (well 1/2 a story) is the three minute opening scene of the film. It features a love crossed woman (Mary Shelton) and a mysterious man who comes to her rescue (Josh Hartnett). The other three stories (which take place after an amazing opening credit sequence) are when the movie really starts to get interesting. The first is about a hardened super-hero-ish criminal on parole, Marv (Mickey Rourke) who has a one-night stand with a hooker, Goldie (Jamie King), and wakes up later that night to find her murdered. Marv goes on a mission to avenge her death by the hands of an eccentric mute cannibal rapist, Kevin (played by Mr. Frodo himself -- Elijah Wood) and a corrupt Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Roark, (Rutger Hauer -- in a scary role.) Interfering with Marv's plans are his lover, Goldie's, hooker friends led by Goldie's sister Wendie (played also by Jamie King) and Marv's parole officer (played by Carla Gugino). This is my favorite segment of the three.
The second (and longest) story involves a battle between a good guy, Dwight (played by Oscar nominee Clive Owen) and a corrupt police lieutenant of Sin City, Jackie Boy (played by Oscar winner Benico Del Toro) which starts as a dispute over a cocktail waitress at a bar, Shellie (Brittany Murphy). This battle involves conflict from the government, mafia, hookers (Alexis Bledel and Rosario Dawson), a nasty female assassin named Miho (played by Devon Aoki) and a crazed gang leader (The Green Mile's Michael Clarke Duncan). This segment involves a scene directed by Quentin Tarantino, in which Dwight has a conversation with a corpse in the front seat of a bright red 65' Cadillac.
The third and final story of this film-noir saga, involves one of Sin City's last clean and honest cops, John Hartigan (Bruce Willis) and his mission to save a beautiful young stripper, Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) from a deranged mutated yellow-skinned kiddie rapist/murderer named the Yellow Bastard (played by Carnivale's Nick Stahl). The Yellow Bastard's father is the Senator of Sin City, and brother of Cardinal Roark. In this segment, Hartigan was framed for the rapes and murders of the Yellow Bastard and tries to clear his name, while the Yellow Bastard, Senator Roark (Powers Boothe from HBO's Deadwood) and Hartigan's old partner Bob (Kill Bill Vol. 2's Michael Madsen)try to stop him.
Sin City is excellent in so many different aspects, but it also has some flaws. Some of the film's story is hard to follow because there is so much of it. They literally jam back 2 ¾ hours of material into a 2 hour and six minute film. Although most of the acting is spot-on in Sin City (Willis, Rourke and Owen are spec-tac-ular in the three lead roles -- especially Rourke), some people like Brittany Murphy and Brittany Murphy (whoops did I mention Brittany Murphy?) suck more then a vacuum cleaner. Thank god she had a minimal role so she didn't ruin the movie for me. Brittany Murphy does a poor job, but the villains in the film (Powers Boothe, Michael Madsen, Elijah Wood (oh no, Frodo!), Rutger Hauer, Michael Clarke Duncan  and especially Nick Stahl and Benico Del Toro)are too perfect for words.
All in all Sin City holds the title for me as the best comic book film adaptation of all time. It's a terrific film filled with wonderful surprises and I'd recommend you all to see it (just don't bring kids 11 and under  parents be forewarned it contains sexual situations, gratuitous nudity and extremely graphic and creative violence.) I reserved a spot for Sin City on my end of the year top 10 list. Bring on Sin City 2, with three more stories from Frank Miller's graphic novel series. Grade: A-
MADE MY TOP 300 LIST AT #126