Only negative comment - It stops!

Rating: 10/10 (22 November 2005)

There have been many attempts to turn comic books in to film but all of them, including X-Men and Spiderman, have not been worthy of their original format. Sin City is the first film that has been completely loyal to its comic book and do itself justice. Frank Miller was on board for this film to make sure this film stuck as close to his Sin City graphic novels as possible and it is probably because of this that the film and Robert Rodriguez met their aims.
Sin City contains three of Miller's short stories and this does a great job to break the film down in to digestible chunks for the viewer; preventing boredom and allowing for the action never to let up. All three stories are very well written and are full of wit, action and great performances. A great theme throughout the film is the traditional image of a man fighting for and protecting a woman. Two of the short stories are about a man doing anything to keep a woman alive and the other story is about a man finding the truth behind who killed his only love and avenging her death. This gives Sin City great romantic undertones and gives this immensely dark film a glimmer of positive energy.
What sets Sin City over its peers is the fantastic comic noir style as it immediately draws attention and gives the film something new to offer. The fact that this film appears so colourful despite the fact it is mainly in black and white is a testament to the imagination and imagery that occurs on screen. The clever inclusion of certain objects and features being presented in colour is done very effectively and further shows how loyal to the comics this film is. The scenery in the film is amazing. The neo urban feel is very complimentary to a place called Sin City and is definitely not a wasted effort. This film perfectly demonstrates the importance of effort as Rodriguez and Miller pay great attention to detail and do very well not to turn Sin City in to just another big budget romp. Anyone looking for thrills will be immediately turned on by this film as it has pounding music, spectacular special effects and intense set pieces. The gruesome imagery gives the film its shock value and enhances the rousing nature of the film. Never will there be a film as entertaining as this.
Sin City's most memorable feature is the characters (almost all played by a known actor) as they all have such strong personalities and are so offbeat and edgy. By far, the best character is Marv (Mickey Rourke). His dialogue is by far, the most entertaining and assists in formulating a likable yet psychotic character. Mickey Rourke is an actor who never achieved his potential but it appears Sin City may have resurrected his career after giving such a fine performance. There is a huge contrasting element within Marv's character in that he is bitter and twisted, but cares for anyone who shows him an ounce of affection. This is what makes Marv such a complex character that you can't help but be taken in by him. Watching someone bust heads with such attitude is always a pleasure to watch. Bruce Willis as Hartigan is the other stand out performance. His tired cop character is a great development from Willis' Die Hard days and his narration over his scenes is very compelling. His character's determination to save and protect Nancy is very admirable and, like Marv, means he has the audience's immediate care. The rest of the cast all do very well and all provide great intense performances. It is impossible to comment on everyone's performance as the film is such a big ensemble.
With awesome imagery and adrenaline pumping scenes, Sin City is uncompromising and relentless in forcing the audience to enjoy themselves. Outstanding on every level, Sin City is the best film of the century so far and will take some beating.