Perfect Comic Adaptation Is Not Enough To Save This Disappointing Film

Rating: 4/10 (21 August 2005)

Sin City is a film based on Frank Miller's black and white graphic novel of violence, sex, and dark humor. The whole movie is shot in black and white with the exception of a red car, and some yellow, or blue here and there. It is a word for word adaptation of the novel and told from a narrative perspective. Now this is the most stunning looking film I've seen in a while and the most perfect comic book adaptation I've ever seen. This doesn't necessarily make the film good. No the film actually turns out to be quite bad.
Sin City is comprised of 3 of the many tales Frank Miller has written and with the exception of Mickey Rourke's story they all fall flat. All the stories are are constant decapitations, drinking, swearing, stabbing, shooting, and sex. After a while it just gets old, and dry.
Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Rosario Dawson, and Bruce Willis help lead the stories. They all do a fantastic job except for Clive Owen who just doesn't seem gritty enough for the role he plays. Willis plays Hartigan, a roughed up ex-cop. He nails it by one, looking like it, and two sounding like it. Mickey Rourke plays Marv a kind-of "giant", and sure knows how to play a big killing machine. Rosario Dawson plays a hooker with a heart of coal and plays it perfectly. Clive Owen plays some regular guy who seems to never be able to kill anybody and can't act his way out of a paper-bag in this one. All together though it combines to create one hell of an acting performance. This movie is not for the kiddies but that shouldn't matter because don't even bother going to the store to get it for yourself because this one should be left on the shelf.