Sin City: A Dame To Kill For

Details: By Loron Hays; 22 August 2014

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Sin City: A Dame to Kill For - Movie Review

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Sex. Violence. Crisp cinematography. Frank Miller’s black and white comic canvas with splotches of color from time to time. Welcome back to Sin City. It’s been nearly a decade since last we walked its violent stylized streets. And how well you enjoyed the first one might very well determine your enthusiasm for its followup. This time Robert Rodriguez and Miller are co-directors as they guide you along its pulpy streets and alleys and their kinky nihilism knows no bounds.

While Sin City: A Dame To Kill For isn’t a disappointment, its three-vignettes woven here aren’t nearly as sharp as some might be expecting considering the decade wait for another entry. It feels more depraved; more damning; and definitely less cohesive than the original. Stylistically, it fits into the visual mythos of the original film but, now that the hyper stylized look is not new, the film may not strike the same chord of chaos in audience members. However, in a world where most films look the same, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For should get props for daring to go to extremes.

Green screens still provide the noir-like backdrops in Basin City, the vilest of seedy dens, and the kinky sense of cinematic psuedo-unreality is still provided by high-definition digital cameras. The edge as outlined by Hunter S. Thompson; however, is just a bit closer this time which may put off some people. Others will appreciate the disrobing. Speaking as the film’s target audience (a male), all is easily forgiven when Sin City newcomer Eva Green struts her curvaceous stuff across the screen. She owns the picture and other newcomers can only bow at her feet.

Green sumptuously become her character and her impact certainly adds to the overall acting ensemble, including Jessica Alba as an exotic dancer, Bruce Willis as a detective, Mickey Rourke as an amnesiac, Rosario Dawson as THE femme fatale, and Powers Boothe as a corrupt senator.

The other newcomers - Josh Brolin inheriting Clive Owen’s role, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a gambler, Lady Gaga, Christopher Lloyd, Dennis Haysbert, Juno Temple, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven (in the role originally played by Michael Madsen), Stacy Keach, and Christopher Meloni - continue to add grit and dementia to the mean, mean, and meaner still streets of Basin City.

Unfortunately, the violent and seedy stories are narrative mash-ups, meaning Sin City: A Dame To Kill For is a sequel and a prequel for no real reason. Some aspects of the narrative even take place during the events of the original one. Hard to follow? Not really. But there is a sort of disjointedness to the story that makes the largely visceral experience a bit uneven.

Rodriguez and Miller prepare us for story setups that don’t have palpable payoffs; the journey is worth the trip but, in a critical sense, things could have been a bit smoother. Edited together by Rodriguez, we are at his mercy and he bounces us around in a jingly-jangly manner with only Miller’s stories and comic book look as rewards. This is a bleak world and it continues to grow darker with these sexploits. A little more shine in some of the spit would have been preferred.

Rape. Murder. It’s just a shot away. Mick Jagger said it best. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For echoes those feelings nicely.

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MPAA Rating: R for strong brutal stylized violence throughout, sexual content, nudity, and brief drug use.
Runtime: 102 mins
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
Writer: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin
Genre: Action | Crime
Tagline: There is no justice without sin.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Here we are pal. All of sudden this doesn't look like the brightest idea you ever had, huh?"
Distributor: Weinstein Company
Official Site: http://sincity-2.com/
Release Date: August 22, 2014
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: November 18, 2014
Synopsis: The town's most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more reviled inhabitants.

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Sin City: A Dame to Kill For - Blu-ray review

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - November 18, 2014
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Three-disc set (2 BDs, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; Digital copy; DVD copy; Blu-ray 3D
Region Encoding: A

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 transfer. 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. 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.

Supplements:

Commentary:

No

Special Features:

Like the movie's vignettes, all of the extras included are on the short side. There's a weird 16-minute "All Green Screen Version" that snips out the special effects, shorts on the stunts and makeup, interviews, and a trailer -- for the original 2005 film. It’s not a massive release but it works. 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.