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| year: 2014 rating: *** |
That’s the kind of pulpy camp delivered in Frank Miller’s graphic novel Film Noir purgatory, which is extremely graphic. But all the limbs flying and blood gushing, bathed in a surreal backdrop even stranger than Mickey Rourke’s abundant Dick Tracyesque jawbone, doesn’t seem very real, and that’s a good thing – escapism reigns in SIN CITY.
Consisting of three intertwined tales, the best has Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Johnny, a young idealistic card shark who takes on the super nefarious Senator Roark (Powers Booth) – learning all about luck and experience the hard way. The main story centers on Brolin, who falls desperately hard for the DAME TO KILL (and/or die) FOR... Although Eva Green’s Ava isn’t entirely spellbinding, and it’s never really clear what the fuss is about. And least entertaining for last: Jessica Alba as Nancy, a stripper with a heart of golden vengeance, headed after the Senator, who has more than earned his villainy at this point... he's the Bill to Kill. Meanwhile, Rourke's muscular Marv serves as bodyguard for the vulnerable and needy.
The action scenes are fun, involving, explosive, and completely over the top. But in a world where excess is commonplace, it all makes perfect sense even though the characters, intentionally befitting their dime novel personas, aren’t as memorable or significant as the trouble they quickly get into and out of. In this particular venture, once again directed by Robert Rodriquez and creator Frank Miller, it's more about the path than the journey.
I finally got around to buying this and watching it. Now I loved the first movie, and loved the original Sin City comic books even more. What you couldn't get in the second movie no matter how hard anyone could have tried was the first time you saw the first movie and thought, "Wow, this movie looks EXACTLY like the comic book." - The first half of watching the original Sin City for me was just how blown away I was how it looked just the comic book, but everyone was moving and talking but looked like it was just on the page. So I loved the first one, and heck I even dug (although maybe the only person on this planet that did), THE SPIRIT, but I was fairly disappointed in this movie, and it was definitely the part with Jessica Alba...Nancy, that was pure torture. BUT I dug James Brolin (why no Clive Owen this time??), Mickey Rourke seemed to be going through the motions this time unlike his kinetic ball of a locomotive in the first one. Powers Booth is SO DARN GOOD at being so DARN BAD, Gordon-Levitt one of my current favorite actors (Not a fan of the younger crowd of interchangeable Hollywood types but I dig Levitt) was cool. Not because of this film, but Willis is wearing thin on me, every time I see him on screen nowadays I want to punch him in his pooch.
ReplyDeleteAlright babbling aside: This movie really needed to be tightened up. Unlike the first one where the multiple story lines were coherent, slim, and mean. The story lines in this movie just seemed sloppy and half-assed retreads and all over the place. Again, every time I saw Willis, "Come on Nancy. Oh Nancy. Nancy Nancy Nancy, blah blah blah." - it took me out of the movie. At least dress up Samuel L. in an SS uniform to add some comic relief.
I was disappointed. Especially since A DAME TO KILL FOR was my favorite of the Sin CIty comic book series.
Another great review James.
Another great review James.