TMP RATING: 4/5

REVIEW:

Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite to bring Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels back to the screen. Weaving together two of Miller's classic stories with new tales, the town's most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more notorious inhabitants.

To say I've been waiting for this film for a very long time, would be a massive understatement. It got to the point where I believed this film would never actually happen. So when I finally saw the trailer was released, that spark of excitement I had inside for nearly a decade glowed brightly yet again. And I have to say, it was well worth the wait.

A Dame to Kill For was a very good graphic novel, and I was curious on how well it would translate to the big screen. And they did so very well. It helps that the screenplay was written by the creator of the graphic novels...the one...the only...Frank Miller. And who better to adapt the source material than the man himself.

The stories pacing is very reminiscent of the first film. Very fast, intense, sitting on the edge of your seat kind of vibe is felt throughout. And that is truly what is needed for a film like this. And that is pretty much where I'm going to stop on the story front. Because all you need to know is that it is very faithful to the original material, and for any more details beyond that...you just need to get up off your ass and watch this movie.

The acting in this movie is superb. But with a cast like this film has, I wouldn't expect much less. Many characters return from the first film, including Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, and Jessica Alba to name a few. And the new comers bring a new element of excitement that I wasn't expecting.

The one person who really stand out in this movie, in my eyes, was Eva Green. The first movies I saw her in was The Dreamers, and Casino Royale...and I was not a big fan of hers at all. But she shows in this film that she has definitely gotten her acting chops up to par over the years. What she also shows in this movie, is that she still doesn't mind showing her body at all. She is nude a WHOLE BUNCH in this film. So much so, that I'm surprised that there were any scenes thrown in when she is clothed, because she only manages to stay in those clothes for about a minute. I'm not complaining, but damn...the only other time I've seen this much nudity from one character, outside a porno, was the 30 minute rape sequence in the original I Spit on Your Grave.

The production design of the film is what really has drawn me to the world of Sin City. The fact that it is all shot digitally, on green screen, really allows them to tweak the image in post, to truly bring out that graphic novel feel to it. It is the only comic book movies I've ever seen, that actually look like a comic book.

The usage of 3D in this film was only an obvious direction for them to take. From watching the first film, you can tell that they had 3D in mind, just might not have wanted to go that far with it. But the 3D effects really work for me. No gags to see pointless to me, and the ones I would normally bitch about, just help to add to that surreal comic book feel. I can only hope that sometime in the near future that they will go back and convert the original over to 3D.

The direction, art design, and editing all play a part in creating the final amazing images we got the pleasure to see put on the big screen.

Overall, I think this in an amazing movie. I only wish we didn't have to wait so long for the film to come out. I truly believe the film what have played better if it had come out closer to the original. Sure, it still plays well today to the fans, but more people might be able to identify with the material if it was more in the public eye. Comic book nerds have been waiting with anticipation for this film, but the general public had no idea this movie was even coming out. And they were shocked when the trailers started popping up a few weeks before its release. And they had mostly forgotten about the original. So my advice to the filmmakers, is don't wait so long for the release, and learn how to market your film a little better. I recommend this film for everyone to watch.

Till Next Time Kiddies...

-RJ