'Sin City' Satisfyingly Exceeds Expectations

MPAA Rating
R

Running Time (min.)
126

Genre
Crime/Action

Studio
Dimension Films

Release Date
Apr 1, 2005

There are 2 things that weigh heavily on my decision to watch a movie or not. 1) Critics, 2) the trailer. Seeing as the only movie critics I listen to come on a show that I rarely have the time to watch, many times I have to critique the trailer in order to decide. Now, I had heard of the movie awhile before it's trailer began to show, and I have to say that I was very excited. The cast was amazing with Bruce Willis (never to old to be in an action movie), Clive Owen (under-appreciated), Jessica Alba (the easiest woman to look at on the planet), among others. Then I find out Robert Rodriguez is directing and Quentin Tarantino is involved, how can I not watch this movie.

The movie is based on three Sin City graphic novels, written by Frank Miller who also has a co-directing credit on the movie. The film starts with Yellow Bastard, starring Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, and Nick Stahl. Willis plays an aging detective on his (what was supposed to be his) last day on the job. He is tracking a kidnapped girl (who Alba plays later on in the movie) who has been taken by the Sin City Senator's (Nick Stahl) son. The second story, The Hard Goodbye (my personal favorite) stars Mickey Rourke as Mrav who has just had the night of his life witha girl named Goldie. The next day he awakes to find Goldie dead, and the police chasing him, which is when the ass-kicking begins. Elijah Wood co-stars in this story, and I won't give up his role because I want you to be as shocked as i was, but it's pretty clear that this was an attempt to break away from his almost gay role (did you see how Frodo and Sam kept staring at each other in the last one) as Frodo in the Lord of the Rings. Then there is The Big Fat Kill, starrring the second best actor to make it out of England in awhile Clive Owen (Jude Law is the best out of the recent crop) along with Ashton's forgotten ex Brittany Murphy.

For me, when the movie started it took me about 20 minutes to get into the movie. Partly because of the slowness of Yellow Bastard, and partly because of the colors. But by the time The Hard Goodbye had started and Mickey Rourke was done pounding the first batch of heads into the pavement, I was sold on what an enjoyable movie I was witnessing. Lets be real though: This is an action movie. No Oscars will be handed out for this movie. The script and the acting are made up of nothing more than action cliche. But who cares! Save all the good writing an acting for the chick flicks. I mean don't get me wrong, I love Oscar worthy movies too, but the man in me sometimes craves for a good action movie, and a good action movie is what Sin City is. And for all those fellas out there who don't have a clue: THIS IS NOT A DATE MOVIE! This is strictly a guy's movie, filled with more T&A than a gentically mutated J.Lo/Pam Anderson Superbabe, and more guns than Wrestlemania (Biceps-Guns get it). So if you and your buddies want to go have some fun watch it. But ladies stay clear.


B+