TNI Movie Review: Frank Miller's 'Sin City'

Frank Miller's 'Sin City' Movie Review
Reviewed By: "Warhead"

Background: As Frank Miller re-invented how we look at Super Heroes with the Dark Knight Returns for DC. Frank then brought non-super hero stories to fore front with Sin City in the early 1990's. Everything about Sin City was raw, brutal, stylish, and fun. Amongst the 10 different poly-bagged #1 issues the big boys were pumping out every month, Dark Horse Presents featuring Sin City was the book that always sold out at my local comic book every week it shipped.

Frank Miller then went on to do the unreachable sequel to the Dark Knight Returns for DC and the trips to Basin City were over. Last year, reports were coming in that Sin City was being made into a film by Robert Rodriguez with Frank Miller sitting on his shoulder like a mad cautious parrot protecting his creation.

Story Breakdown: The Sin City Books used for this film were The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard. The Babe Wore Red One Shot and it's characters were used to open and close the film and were pulled off decently.

First Story: The Hard Goodbye will show everyone how far someone will go to get to the truth. As Ron Perlman IS Hellboy, Mickey Rourke IS Marv. Excellent casting choice here and Mickey/Marv will definitely bring the audience into Basin City with style. The Hard Goodbye was the first Sin City story done by Miller for Dark Horse Comics and Marv is the icon for Sin City. The Hard Goodbye also features Elijah Wood as Kevin, a performance that is truly frightening.

Second Story: That Yellow Bastard features Bruce Willis as John Hartigan, a fairly good cop in a very bad town. Hartigan is finishing out his last day on the job when he starts to think about the one piece of unfinished business he has left, taking out a filthily child molester who happens to be the son of the Senator. Bruce/Hartigan is run through the mill as he tries to keep the last victim of "Jr." alive and safe. That's until the Yellow Bastard shows up. Bruce Willis will be remembered as being part of one of the most shocking endings to a story since he figured out he was DOA in the Sixth Sense.

Third Story: The third story in Sin City is The Big Fat Kill starring Clive Owen as a one of the last gentleman in Basin City as he takes Benecio Tel Doro/Jackie Boy head-on for the hand of Brittany Murphy, a bar maid at a local dive in Sin City. Dwight/Clive take their battle to the streets of Old Town which is policed by it's own kind of law and order. Devon Aoki as Miho will be quickly a fan favorite as she steals the show in this Sin City Tale.

Sin City is totally different from any movie you will see this year. Unlike other films which offer only eye candy: Sky Captain, Chronicle of Riddick... Sin City has real stories and characters that the audience who love riding shotgun with... Like the title says, this is Frank Miller's Sin City and many panel for panel scenes from the comics are in this movie in all of their violent glory. The narration, art direction, and dialogue are work very well with the Characters of Sin City and for the most part take Robert Rodriguez to a new level of film direction.

For those people who are not familiar at all with Frank Miller's Sin City Stories, it will be one of those movies that people will either Love or Hate. The on-screen violence will have many these movie goers squirming in their seats and others possibly leaving the theater. I knew what was coming, but the a three dimensional representation of the some of the screens will stick with you for awhile. As for those of you who are familiar with Frank Miller's Sin City, you will leave the theater slapped around and smiling.