Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, 2014.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller.
Starring Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Jaime King, Juno Temple, Christopher Lloyd, Lady Gaga, Stacy Keach and Jamie Chung.
SYNOPSIS:
Some of Sin City’s most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants.
Perhaps it was comic book movie fatigue; perhaps it was sequel fatigue; perhaps it was a feeling of cash grabbing now that comic book films are the money making machines they are; or perhaps it was the fact that Robert Rodriguez’ last film was utter trash, but for whatever reason I was not looking forward to Sin City: A Dame to Kill for. Then I re-watched the first movie again (for the first time many years) in preparation for this sequel and I was reminded of just how great it was and a renewed sense of optimism washed over me.
From the first scene Rodriguez and Frank Miller (co-director and creator of the comic book) had me right back in the mindset I was in when watching the 2005 original and they never let me down. This is classic situation where, if you liked the first film then you’re going to like this new film; I can’t see anyone being split on the two unless you’re being particularly critical or have had judgment impaired by the recent ‘copy and paste’ efforts from Marvel and Warner Bros. which seem to pass for good comic book movies today. I’m not usually one to forgive a director for making a sequel which barely progresses from the original in terms of style and content, but the simple fact is that I’ve not seen a film so reliant on CGI which made my eyes pop and kept my cinematic mind spinning (figuratively speaking) like Sin City: A Dame to Kill for since its predecessor nine years before.
The several storylines are again deeply rooted in noir, this time around each has a femme fatale, the titular dames to kill; Miller’s screenplay is once again an homage to noir classics but always holds a modern edge which allows the film its freedom to be so brilliantly violent and relentlessly bleak, yet blackly comic at times, too. The cast is pretty much perfect with Mickey Rourke , Jessica Alba, and the gloriously evil Powers Booth slipping into characters effortlessly after the nine year gap, and new additions Eva Green and Josh Brolin providing beauty and brawn respectively to the film’s best storyline. Only Bruce Willis’ return seems needless and serves only to have his name on the poster, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt isn’t given enough to work with in relation to his talent, but these are minor criticisms.
Sure, the film pretty much looks the same as the first outing with its stark black and white pallet, digital snow, blood, bullets, arrows, cars (and pretty much everything else which moves), splashes of vibrant colours here and there, and it sounds the same with hard boiled dialogue, voiceover, tough talking, and classic film noir soundbites, but I will not knock the film if it works the second time around. What I liked about the first film I appreciate even more in this sequel; released in an era where comic book adaptations rule the box office with an iron fist and films are getting made with a PG-13 rating in mind (The Expendables 3 as a perfect example) here we have a comic book film made for adults, going hard R and never looking back. Even more graphically violent than the first film and filled with nudity throughout, this is the perfect antidote for anyone who wants ‘movie escapism’ but not at the cost of having everything look the same as what came out last week because it’s safe and easy. One has to give Rodriguez and Miller credit for sticking to their creative vision and not giving in to making a sequel which dumbs down and tones down.
One aspect I feel compelled to mention is the 3D. Usually I try to avoid 3D screenings at all costs but as 3D was the only option, this is the version I was forced to see. With the exception of last year’s Gravity, I’ve not felt 3D has added anything to a screening I’ve seen until now; the film was shot in 3D which, at first I assumed was yet another cash grab (cynical, aren’t I?), but the 3D adds a layer of depth which truly works in the world of Sin City and serves to enhance the false backgrounds, CGI sets, and artificial nature of the production. For the first time since 3D has become the norm post-Avatar, this feels like a comic book brought to life as a movie, not a movie merely based on a comic book and certainly not a gimmick. Maybe it’s partly to do with the black and white presentation where the film doesn’t suffer from losing so much of its colour once the glasses go on, but the way Rodriguez uses the depth which 3D brings in his film is just how the technology should be used.
So go and see Sin City: A Dame to Kill for if you’re seeking an cinema experience where no punches are pulled, no corners are cut, the men are tough, the women gorgeous, and where the sin of the city is present in every scene. Not only is it the best comic book film of the year, it’s one of the year’s best big budget films, too. Expectations be damned, Rodriguez and comic book films are back on top form.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Rohan Morbey – follow me on Twitter.
