Nearly nine years after the first installation of the “Sin City” movies came out, auteur Frank Miller and directing partner Robert Rodriguez have given us another cinematic gem.
Full of blood, sweat and tears, “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” will surely not disappoint viewers. Following the same style as its predecessor, “A Dame to Kill For” is an action packed gun-slinger with comic book graphics and the drama of an old-time noir cop movie. This jaw dropper stars Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke and Josh Brolin, among others. While it has its shortcomings for a analytical movie watcher like me, for most action fanatics out there, this film will make your day.
Set in Sin City, where criminals run the streets and cops are puppets to corrupt politicians, viewers see the grittier side of the human spirit: drunkards with the chivalry of knights, strippers with the virtue of saint and politicians with hearts as black as coal.
“A Dame to Kill For” is a prequel to the first “Sin City.” I felt it delivered well in its attempt to support what happened in the first movie. Viewers follow a multitude of characters, each working on different goals but with the same motivation – revenge.
Although many of these characters were present in the 2005 film “Sin City,” it is not entirely important to have seen the first film. If you have seen “Sin City” though, you might be more blown away by this second installation.
This movie is a spectacle to watch with riveting performances from the leads and some cool writing.
Miller and Rodriguez pulled out all the stops to make the cinematography as dark and gritty as the comic book. Most of the movie is shot in black and white with single characters or even single body parts or outfits being the only thing in color, giving each character his or her own moods and demeanors.
There is also a tendency to make blood or other liquids in the movie, such as liquor or tears, bright white, which was odd at times, but in the end draws the eye to the spot the directors want. The aesthetics make this movie hard not to love.
“A Dame to Kill For” was definitely a fun film to see. Even though it was close to two hours long, it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. You will laugh, you will cry and you will most definitely cringe, in the best possible way.
All in all, this film was worth both the wait and the money. I wouldn’t recommend going to see it with your grandma, but if your grandma is into that kind of stuff, who am I to judge?
“Sin City: A Dame to Kill for” is rated R for strong, brutal-stylized violence throughout, sexual content, nudity and brief drug use and is playing at Conway’s Cinemark Theatre.
