Very Original

Rating: 8/10 (30 March 2005)

Got lucky and scored a free pass to a sneak preview of this Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller collaboration. From the start, I knew it was going to be very interesting 'cinematicly'; shot mostly in a 'black and whiteized' color film, with some elements left as true color. The substantial use of voice overs to narrate the characters thoughts. All contributed to the 'feel' of the film. I was pleased with the results. For me it made the film take on a more'graphic novel' look than a typical action movie; which is what (I guess) they were going for. The story is set in Basin City, thus the title baSIN City. A play on words I enjoyed. Taken further you could make it Base Sin, and what is more base of a sin than murder, which is what the movie is about; murder, revenge and justice. The plot is weaved around 3 separate story lines, so be prepared. They don't flit from one to the other, but are shown mostly in total, then weakly tied together. The script is very Film Noir with a good dash of sarcastic edgy humor thrown in. The acting is solid, but no real standouts to me. I feel that was the way RR/FM wanted it. The F/X were fabulous. I loved the splashes of color used in spots standing out amongst the gray gritty city. Overall I found the movie an enjoyable and Original movie experience, one well worth seeing. 8/10