Brilliant! Can't Expect Anything - and keeps surprising with excellence!

Rating: 9/10 (4 April 2005)

SIN CITY was absolutely amazing. I was really looking forward to it for the past six months, kept my expectations low, and begged my friends to come see it with me. In the end, they thanked me, for showing them the best movie in the last 2 years.
After the year of sequels and hits (2003) we thought it would be a while for good movies to come out. There were the Matrix sequels, Terminator 3 and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King that stole the year so much, our standard of movie watching went up a bit too much. But alas, there's Sin City this year, already the best movie of 2005 and here's why: The first ingredient to the formula of an excellent movie was novelty. A black and white movie, in the 21st century, with random bright colors showing up for visual effects was superbly done considering the entire movie was shot in the studio in front of a green screen. The second ingredient was random animation, which possibly made production easier since it was mostly B&W. The animation also kept a viewer's attention on, and the enthusiasm to wonder whats gonna happen next...
The third, and primary ingredient for most movie watchers to enjoy: the star cast. The casting was just excellent and could not have been better. Bruce Willis, my favorite actor since the Die Hard days, finally got a break in this movie. He was a sentimental father-figure character, very similar to Hostage, but a better portrayal. He needs to bring back his cold MF attitude which we hope to see in Die Hard 4.0 where he returns as John McLane. In Sin City, he plays Hartigan, a boy scout cop who goes by the book and upon saving a 11 yr old from being raped by a Senator's sick son, goes to jail for 8 years. Upon release and hoping the girl he saved has become a bookworm, finds out she's a stripper! Now, that role is beautifully played by Jessica Alba (who would look prettier without the blonde hair-dye). Nancy, the smarter than others stage dancer who loves to do lassos and a no-nude clause in the contract makes sure she has clothes on up and down. Contrary to the posters and trailers, she wasn't there all that much.
Nick Stahl was also impressive in his role as Junior/Yellow Bastard. Post-Terminator 3, this has been his first major appearance, and playing a negative character (with nasty makeup on) sure added diversity to his career as an actor.
Another major character in the movie was the street gangster Marv, played exceptionally well by Mickey Rourke in what I would call his come back movie. The overdose of makeup and disguise ensured he did not show similarities to Bruce Willis, and an appearance to make him less human and more Jurassic. But that appearance suited the character well. Disgrunted by the killing of his one night stand hooker lying next to him, he vowed revenge on whoever did it and ran across all over Sin City in that pursuit. The hooker was played by Jamie King, who actually had nothing to do but say "I want you" and "I need you." However, Jamie King played another role of the hooker's twin sister, a concept that managed to not ruin the movie. The hooker's name was Goldie, and was appropriately shown to have golden blonde hair in the black and white picturization, which was not shown on her hot headed sister character. Overall, Mickey Rourke kicked ass! The supporting cast also couldn't fail. Carla Gugino as Marv's parole officer (with nothing to hide) did a decent job, but her nudity clause could distract a male viewer from her role. Elijah Wood, as the Harry Potter-looking cannibal killer Kevin who never spoke also did a good job with his tiny and silent Martial Arts kicks. Rutger Haur, also deserves recognition for the 5 minute role of a corrupt cardinal who shared Kevin's appetite. Michael Clarke Duncan too played a role only he could play, of a mercenary leader who wanted the Old Town girls to obey the mafioso. Old Town girls were merely prostitutes, with guns and other weapons for their own protection, and an understanding with the police and the gangs on how to run their businesses. Headed by a leather-clad Gail (played exotically well by Rosario Dawson), and protected by the Japanese assassin Miho (a mute n' cute Devon Aoki).
Not to forget, Clive Owen and Benicio Del Torro also deserve acclaim for their performance. Owen played Dwight, a photographer with ties to the Old Town and will beat up anybody who comes in his way. When a cop Jack Rafferty (Del Torro) tries to mess with his new bar-maid girlfriend (Brittany Murphy, in her dumb blonde, less character role), Dwight ends up in a brawl with Jack and friends, and with assistance from the Old Town girls, manages to put them away. Clive Owen is indeed James Bond material and I'd really look forward to seeing him in that role. Del Torro also excelled as a sex-starved cop.
Alexis Bledl took a leap from her Gilmore Girls role, and did an OK job. However, Josh Hartnett stole the show in the beginning and end as a cold-hearted, smooth-talking hit-man. Marley Shelton, all she had to do was look pretty, smile and blush. The visual effect-laden colors took care of her appearance.
Overall, I gave Sin City a 9/10, and I look forward to a sequel which is speculated. Revived Careers: Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Carla Gugino. Escalated careers: Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Josh Hartnett.