Sin City

First off, there's no questioning the absolutely stunning visual inky depths that envelope Sin City in noir-ish darkness. Rodriguez's interpretation of Frank Miller's Sin City graphic novels is undoubtedly hyper-stylised to the point of visual brilliance thanks to the mythical CGI gloom he conjures. Secondly, Sin City is hands down, without question the most faithful adaptation of comic book medium source material to date. In fact, adaptation might not be quiet correct, as adaptation implies alteration, and what Rodriguez has done is quite literally transfer Sin City to the filmic medium while keeping everything intact from its pulp fiction origins (hence the Frank Millers all over the packaging). However, its greatest attribute (fidelity) was the movie's biggest flaw on the big screen, as Miller's fractured tales of thugs/hookers/murderers/cops with hearts of gold in an otherwise morally bankrupt society lacked a narrative thread to link them together, being drawn from a number of different Sin City tales that didn't necessarily interconnect. However, fans of Rodriguez know that his films can play wonky initially but given time, and multiple viewings, they generally rise above their initial problems (Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Desperado, etc.). And, granted, Sin City, which was good, if not the best thing ever (as advertised), becomes even better upon subsequent visits. But, unlike, say the giant plot holes/problems in Once that were obscured by Depp's eclectic performances upon revisiting, Sin City's problems are still evident: the lack of a narrative thread to connect everything and some incredibly iffy dialogue that plays on Miller's page but clunks on screen ("Kill 'em for me, Marv, kill 'em good"). However, despite the film's flaws, it offers us Mickey Rourke's return to star form as the hulking Marv, reviving his stalled career with this performance and another awesomely bizarre turn by Benicio Del Toro as Jackie Boy. However, while the film is an undeniably cool visual accomplishment, the extras (well, extra, singular) are insulting. There's a barely eight-minute long "Behind the Scenes" featurette that is over before it begins. Taking another page from good friend Tarantino, Rodriguez's Sin City (much like the Kill Bills, which reminds me, where are those "special editions"?) is being released bare-bones initially, with more versions to come for fans eager to part with their dollars. Careful, Robert, greed is still a sin last time we checked. (Alliance Atlantis)