The Film
When Robert Rodriquez put Frank Miller's Sin City up on the big screen in 2005, it left viewers stunned -- in a good way. It also left them wanting more of the stylish, suspenseful, star-studded film. Rodriquez was ready to give the people what they wanted, but it was going to take some time.
Almost 10 years later, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For has an excellent cast and the same style as its predecessor. Then why is it such a dud?
Maybe it's because we've seen it already, as well as plenty of copycats. This one plays a bit like the latter. It's not awful, but just doesn't seem to pack the same punch.
Just know that if you had a hard time following the 2005 original, you'll be clueless from the get-go here. Sin City is required viewing. Otherwise, you're going to be lost in the tale of Marv (Mickey Rourke), as well as his bad plastic surgery. (Marv's, not Mickey's.) The film jumps right into his uber-violent tale and if you've got a weak stomach, it doesn't get any prettier from there. Shots to the head and decapitations abound. There's even a little eyeball on a thumb as the cherry on top. However, the way Rodriquez delivers it all is in Miller's style, making it sort of cartoony and kind of cool.
And if you don't like one story, there's another one around the corner. Like the original, Sin City: A Dame to Kill Fory is a series of five vignettes, but they're all intertwined with each other and/or the original film.
Besides Rourke, Jessica Alba is back to shake her moneymaker, Powers Boothe does his best bad guy, Rosario Dawson is a bad-ass beauty, and Bruce Willis returns from the dead -- sort of. If those characters aren't enough to get you to come back, the film adds in the likes of Josh Brolin (taking Clive Owen's role), Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Lady Gaga, Christopher Lloyd, and plenty of others.
However, quantity sort of messes with the quality this time around. The cast is absolutely the film's highlight, but most get little screen time. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For spends most of its 102 minutes trying to squeeze in a lot of stylish kills, leaving very little time for anything else.
The Picture
While the story may be lacking, the 1.85:1 image for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is a real looker. This is one movie that absolutely benefits from 3D effects. It has great depth and the flying glass, falling snow, rain and all sorts of cartoony gore really stand out. While sometimes those sorts of effects can come off as cheap, this film's style makes it all into a fun viewing experience. Black levels are pretty excellent as well, even with those effects. The occasional color burst adds pop to image and everything is insanely detailed.
The Sound
Like the image, this release's lone DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track manages to elevate the material a bit. Dialogue is always crystal-clear, even all of Mickey Rourke's mumbling. However, it's really the action that makes this section a standout. Cars revving and rumbling, punches, gunshots and breaking glass is plentiful and sounds fantastic in this immersive track.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
Sin City was an interesting cinematic experiment and it worked on every level possible. The sequel? Meh, not so much. Maybe it's because so much time has passed and so many films have passed in between. Maybe it's because Robert Rodriquez spends too much time chopping off heads in lieu of character development. Either way, you roll the dice when it comes to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. The AV, however, is a completely different story. It's a pure piece of delicious eye (and ear) candy. Just don't expect much else.
Product Details
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