Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Much
like the original Sin City, “A Dame to Kill For” is a
hyper-stylised, hyper-violent and hyper-macho brute of a film. But
while it's predecessor was a fresh and modern re-jig of film noir
tropes, this sequel lacks the pizazz and power that lent it's
forebear such elemental thrills.
In
the decade since director Robert Rodriguez and comic book king Frank
Miller exploded their innovative visuals onto our screens the
cinematic landscape has caught up: the stunning graphic style that
made the original so distinctive has been aped so many times (not
least by that other Miller adaptation, 300) that this second outing
lands with a less of a bang and more of a “been there, done that”
thud. Sure it's
as crisp and bloodied as ever, but it's just not special any more.
This
wouldn't be much of an issue if the plot and narrative had something
new and interesting to offer, but it doesn't. Despite the over the
top excesses, the sex and violence all just seems a little boring
this time round, with Miller and Rodriguez recycling most of the
characters and many plot points from the first film and in the
process the gritty thrill has been substantially watered down.
In
fairness, the splintered narrative holds together
fairly well, splicing together three tales of debauchery, pain and
misery – two taken from Millers comic book pages, while a third
(The Long Bad Night) is a new addition written especially for the
film. Joseph Gorden-Levitt proves to be the freshest (and best) part
of this new gambling-gone-wrong plot with Powers Boothe offering
great scenery chewing value as primary antagonist Senator Rourk.
Eva
Green also tries hard as Ava, the titular dame, a psychotic femme
fatale who makes the men around her crumple into heaps on the floor.
However her pivotal role is poorly written and ends up descending
into farce with scene after scene of titillating nudity with little
of any actual value to say about her as a character. Likewise, the
majority of the women in the murky depths of this world are sorely
under sold, standing around in skimpy outfits with little or no
dialogue while the male characters go about their business around
them.
Elsewhere Mickey Rourke and Jessica Alba are fine, reprising their roles from the first film, and, barring a fairly thrilling shoot-em-up finale, not really offering much new to expand their characterisations from what we already know.
Not
terrible, but it is a bit of a let down and an exercise in style
with little in the way of substance. Fans of the first film and the comic books may
find something to like here, especially in The Long Good Night
segments, but for the most part it's like a picture that has been
photocopied too many times - you can see where it came from, but
you'd probably much prefer the original.
2/5
**This article was written for York Nouse**
2/5
**This article was written for York Nouse**
