In 2005, “Sin City” firmly cemented itself in my list of all time favorite movies. Knowing immediately it was the time of film that would flirt with a sequel, I waited in anticipation for nearly a decade. The wait ended in 2014 with “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.”
Once again, Frank Miller would partner with director Robert Rodriguez to bring the neo noir style graphic novels penned by Miller to the big screen. The pairing of the two men is a thing of true cinematic beauty.
While not a direct sequel, “Dame” is another group of Miller’s stories with many of the characters from the original alive and well and several new ones introduced. Some parts take place prior to the events of the original “Sin City” and others occur as far as several years after.
The elements that made the original such a masterpiece are all infused with the same fervor – taut and hipster character narrations, a black and white backdrop infused with random and vibrant splashes of color, plenty of gore and mayhem and virtual non stop comic style action.
In addition to its unique and unheralded presentation and format, the original “Sin City” won with its cast.
While full of big name stars (Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Benicio Del Torro, Elijah Wood – to barely scratch the surface) each actor was not only a near perfect representation of the comic character they portrayed, none was so big as to take the glitz and glamour away from the Sin City backdrop itself.
While an equally impressive cast appears in “Dame,” this time the story seems to center more on the stars themselves and it makes the movie not nearly as good.
Greats like Mickey Rourke, Powers Boothe, and Jessica Alba reprise their roles from the original and are equally as affective as they were nine years ago, while new faces like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin, and Christopher Meloni range from slightly out of place amidst the carnage of Basin City to flat out awful at times.
Brolin in particular is simply a bad actor. In “Dame,” Brolin plays Dwight McCarthy – one of the primary characters in the original that was played superbly by the talented Clive Owen. Brolin plays Dwight in the years leading up to the original and just completely fails at all levels to pull the role off.
Likewise, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays hotshot gambler Johnny. While stars of the original Willis, Rourke, and Del Torro show homage to Miller’s work by becoming one with the story, Gordon-Levitt gives off an almost selfish “look at me” type vibe with every line he delivers. Johnny just doesn’t seem like he belongs in the bowels of Basin City.
Also consistent with the original is the assortment of unusual characters played by recognizable faces. Dennis Haysbert of 24 fame takes the role of bodyguard Manute (replacing the late Michael Clarke Duncan) and Stacy Keach hides behind the monstrous face of crime boss Wallenquist.
Gorgeous Juno Temple makes a brief cameo (and should have been in it more) while Christopher Lloyd, Ray Liotta, and even Lady Gaga appear as minor and unnecessary players.
As always, Basin City and its stories include a bevy of beauties to sooth the eyes. Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, and Jaime King reprise roles and play them very well.
Joining them is Eva Green, who plays the titular Dame in question .
Green is great as the seductive siren Ava Lord. Her character is simply mesmerizing with bright red lips and sultry green eyes – the type of character that’s what the Sin City franchise is all about.
“Sin City” blew me away in 2005, and if you loved it as much as I did you will probably feel the same as me in that “Dame” isn’t nearly as good but its still okay.
I guess now the wait is on for the inevitable next release. Let’s hope it comes about sooner than 2024.
by – Matt Christopher
