Review: Sin City is still Killer, for Better or Worse.

In a market that’s over-saturated with dark and gritty comics and movies, it’s a treat to welcome back the Sin City franchise and watch it take all the rest to school. This isn’t just another “dark and edgy” comic book film – it is one of the founding fathers of the style, and daddy’s finally come home.

What sets this film apart before it even starts rolling is the recognition and respect for its creator. Frank Miller’s name is not only on the poster, but above the title. This isn’t Christopher Nolan’s Batman, where he assumed he knew better than Bob Kane and mumbled his name occasionally and out of obligation. This isn’t the Marvel Cinematic Universe patting the comics creators on the backs but doing so only when it’s convenient. The simple act of remembering where the stories come from makes this film unique, and I hope it’s something that more comic book movies start doing in the future.

Credit where it’s due, this movie knows where it came from and what it is.

Unfortunately, the odds are still stacked against this film no matter how much heart is put into it. With the exhausting trend of trying to make every pop culture adaptation dark and gritty regardless of whether it has any business being so, when something that actually should be grotesque, like Sin City, comes along, audiences are already faded and apathetic. Weirdly enough, the sex and violence are played too safe in this film. There are a few gross-out moments but nothing that actually shocks, although it’s hard to tell whether or not this is because of audiences becoming desensitized.

When it comes to visuals, Dame is a rare example of a film that is actually done favors by the 3D conversion: the crisp noir aesthetics have even more “pop” and lifelike definition. It is rare to watch a movie where I can actually feel the care and love put into the shooting and editing. I didn’t actually watch this movie, I stared at it. This might be the most visually beautiful film I’ve seen so far this year.

Like I said. I STARED at…this movie.

The on-point casting also helps this movie shine – not only does every actor look like the drawings from the comics come to life, but they sound like it too. Hearing Mickey Rourke rumble out Marv’s inner monologue is a treat even with how laborious the writing is: narration in film noir is meant to heard and not read, after all. But the trouble is, the characters seem like flanderized versions of themselves. Frank Miller has become a fanatical Republican in more recent years, which makes him less able to understand the citizens of his own crazy, rotten town.

Some recasting for Dame was necessary due to both continuity as well as the passing of actors whom appeared in the first film. Josh Brolin in the role of pre-face change Dwight is an ambivalent choice: he is dangerous, but lacks the charisma that made Clive Owen fun to watch in the first film. The hulking bodyguard Manute is played by Dennis “President Palmer” Haysbert, replacing the late Michael Clarke Duncan, but even with Haysbert trying his very best, he’s just not scary enough. Manute is supposed to be a terrifying presence and Dwight his charming foil, and with the new actors, those dynamics are switched around. Their story with the conniving femme fatale Ava, played by Eva Green, left me questioning myself as a woman who likes Frank Miller’s works. Are any men out there really dumb enough to fall for Ava’s by-the-numbers feminine manipulation? It’s forced and silly even for ultra-violent noir. Green is a beautiful woman, but she was too hammy even for the standard of Miller. She’s more of a Bond villain here than when she actually played one.

Just close your eyes and think of Clive Owen.

This movie saves the best for last by concluding with Nancy Callahan’s story, in which she finally gets the nerve to take on the big bad Senator Roark. Jessica Alba’s return to playing Nancy is a reminder that occasionally, Miller can write compelling, and daresay strong, female characters. Alba’s performance is visceral, playing on adult anxieties about loss and violence. Her vengeance-fueled journey is suspenseful, and Nancy becomes the one character in the whole terrible city that we can really root for. Most satisfying of all is that this time around, she does not need rescuing.

A Dame to Kill For does manage to earn back it’s place in the hearts and minds of its fans, although it does so with some bumps along in the ride.