Don't know what the hype is about.

Rating: 5/10 (15 April 2005)

I honestly do not see what the big deal was supposed to be about this film. I've not read Miller's graphic novels (and apparently now I don't have to), but I am a fan of gritty, dark comic books. However, I think they may have lost something in the transition from page to screen.
The story, or rather stories, in the movie are not bad, but nothing particularly groundbreaking.
Hardigan's 'out for justice at all costs' storyline (That Yellow Bastard) is probably the best, in my opinion. Willis also turns in the best performance in the movie. Madsen, on the other hand, has the worst lines, both in this movie, and his entire career. Jessica Alba is cute, but I think she looks better in the Fantastic Four previews. Nick Stahl is uniformly if generically evil.
Mickey Rourke as Marv was a good choice, and I think Rourke is a good actor, but the lines he was given... ouch. His dialogue was clichéd and unbelievable. It looks good on paper, but spoken, it just sounds kind of stupid. As for the storyline, its pretty formulaic revenge fare, the highlight being the villain, Frodo Baggins as a razor-clawed-ninja-charlie-brown-harry-potter-cannibal (don't ask).
The final segment was my favorite, with Rosario Dawson and Clive Owen. But it had the worst line in the film. (RENEWED SPOILER WARNING) The "I thought she told me to stop, what she was saying was 'COP'" I wanted to shove knitting needles through my eardrums. I found this was a recurring problem throughout the film.
Having not read the comics, I don't know, maybe this is explained there, but I was left with several questions, such as: Why is Marv almost superhuman? Why can Dwight jump off a building ledge, land on his feet, and survive? I thought Sin City was not a superhero-type book. What did Shelly mean by Dwight's "new face"? Who the heck is "The Salesman"? Just a hired gun that specializes in seducing and killing women? Oh, and how do all those coats just happen to fit the gargantuan Marv? All that being said, I have to say I really liked Bruce Willis in this film. Of course, he had the best lines ("There's wrong, then there's wrong, then there's _this_" "When it comes to consoling 19-year-old girls, I'm about as useful as a palsy patient performing brain surgery with a pipe wrench.") but had some of the worst (talking to himself, calling himself 'old man', giving himself a pep talk while hanging from his neck). Also, the two thugs that Willis beats down (twice) are very watchable. I would actually watch the film again for these two.
I didn't love this movie, and I didn't hate it. I'm glad I didn't have to pay to see it. There seems to be some serious passion surrounding this film. I've seen numerous comments about "Best film of the year" and "Worst film of the year." Depends on who you are, I guess.
The violence and misogyny so berated by many reviewers did not seem so prevalent to me. Maybe because I wasn't watching the film looking for such 'flaws.' Yes, the movie was bloody, but it was either a.) inconsequential, b.) conducive to the story, or c.) comical, like kill-bill injuries. Yes, just about every woman in the film was scantily clad or nude, and either a prostitute or a stripper. But on the flip side of that, just about every man in the film was a psychopath, sexual predator, overtly violent, or a corrupt businessman, politician, or clergyman. The film is not misogynistic so much as misanthropic. Only a few people in Sin City have any redeeming moral values.
I give it 5 out of 10. I would watch it again, but I probably would never pay to do so.
~Pellucidar