Comic book movies are all the rage these days in Hollywood and superheroes are omnipresent. The Sin City graphic novels are a little different: they don't contain heroes but anti-heroes.
The dark world of Sin City borrows heavily from the world of Film Noir. This cinematic style was codified in the 40's and 50's in films with femme fatales, shadowy cinematography, and men who's souls were on the precipice, forced to gaze into the depths of their darkest desires and dreams. "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" is no exception to these conventions and codes of the film noir world. But it also adds its own alluring twist on the established norms by making a highly stylized and comic-book-like texture to the already heavily stylized landscape. "Dick Tracy" comes to mind as a predecessor. But the world of this Sin City installment, like its previous one, is sultry, seedy and seductive in ways that almost push it over the top.
There are a few different, sometimes intersecting story-lines. The most riveting for me starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a card-shark who never loses a game. But, his inability to lose puts him in a dangerous position with the local crime-boss who will do anything to establish his power game in this God-forsaken town.
This is not as good as the original in the series and a lot of the story will have you scratching your head in puzzlement. I liked the acting: there are charismatic turns from Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, and Dennis Haysbert. This is definitely not the best film of the summer and will probably be forgotten in a couple of weeks. But it has its rewarding moments and has the potential to keep you slightly spell-bound for a couple hours with its visual splendor and dark artistry.
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