A Great Landmark in Cinema History

Rating: 9/10 (2 April 2005)

I saw Sin City on opening night at my local theater. I was expecting something good and entertaining, but I my expectations were blown out of the water by this beautifully constructed, magnificently written, and awesomely acted piece of art.
First, I must talk about Robert Rodriguez. The man is not afraid to push boundaries and break rules, which has payed off well every time. This is, in my opinion, his best film, and I've seen them all. The directing here is next to flawless. Every frame of this film looks great. He can get his actors to do things you wouldn't expect from them. This is most obvious in Elijah Wood's role as Kevin. He is flat-out creepy as the cannibalistic Christian. Rodriguez's best film to date, and I'm praying for a sequel.
Next, the writing. Brilliant. Thats all I can say. Miller knows what he's doing when it comes to this. The characters are all well developed, the plots are new and unpredictable, and the violence isn't there for the sake of violence, it actually has something to do with the storyline. 2 thumbs up to Miller for this great story.
Finally, the acting. Every actor looks like his or her counterpart in the graphic novels. They are all brilliant, Miller and Rodriguez really lucked getting all these great actors. I must say I was blown away by DelToro, as always. He is so hate-able yet lovable as the corrupt cop Jackie-Boy. His speech in the car with Dwight is hilariously well done with the shifting voices. Rourke is does a bang-up, and I mean bang-up, job as Marv, the hardcore fighter out for revenge of his one true love. Jessica Alba doesn't disappoint either, which I was expecting. But I must say, my favorite here was Alexis Bledel. She is so convincing as a teenage whore who loves her mother. She is the most believable of all the actors here, and I can see her career flourishing in the near future. Hats-off to all on board here, you did a great job.
This is truly a comic book come to life. The dialog is laughable sometimes, but you must give them credit for staying so true to the films origins. The only word i can use to describe this movie is...fun. It is really just a joy to watch these actors and directors having such a great time making such a great movie. As an aspiring film-maker, movies like this are the reason I want to make films. It pushes the boundaries of what has been done before, and sets the bar mighty high for the next comic book-turned-film.
9 out of 10 stars here.