"Tell anybody the truth and they're dead!"

Rating: 8/10 (21 August 2005)

Robert Rodriguez is an ambitious filmmaker. He's done an old west trilogy, he's done 3-D kids movies, but his crowning achievement thus far is Sin City. Not just story wise, but visually and technically, Sin City is a triumph. The glossy, rich look that this movie possesses is something to behold. The use of black and white gives depth to the story and lush look that will not doubt be copied in the future. Most of Sin City was done in front of green screens with the backgrounds added later, much like Sky Captain was, and the transition to finished product is wonderful to see. Based on the graphic novels, as in illustrated comic books but could also apply to the very adult content of the stories, by Frank Miller, Sin City translates three of Miller's stories into the film, held loosely together by a running storyline. The stories pretty much follow a standard formula: an unlikely hero gets in disturbing trouble and they have to fight their way out of it. Greed and power are overlying themes throughout Sin City, often ending with violent results. Bruce Willis plays a detective with a bum ticker, Jessica Alba plays a stripper, Rosario Dawson plays a commando hooker, Brittany Murphy plays a waitress, Mickey Rourke plays an ex-con who is on a mission for survival, Clive Owen and Benecio Del Toro play opposite each other for one storyline, and Elijah Wood plays the most disturbing character in the movie, the mute Kevin. This is only a partial list, it's a fun game to watch Sin City and try to figure out where you've seen each actor on the screen before. Rodriguez shares the directing credits with Frank Miller, as the movie takes it visual style straight from his books, and Quentin Tarantino, who directed one scene. The movie bogs down in it's length, as three of Miller's stories are condensed into this two hour movie. This lead to some confusion on which character was which and why they were doing the things they were doing. The movie would have benefited from disposing of one of the three stories and saving it for the inevitable sequel. The stunning visuals however overcomes any qualms I had with the plot. The violent nature of the movie will detract some viewers, and that's OK. This movie was not made with the casual viewer in mind. Sin City is best viewed when the viewer is prepared for horrifying violence and beautiful black and white photography.