THERE IS NO JUSTICE WITHOUT SIN.

This adaptation of a graphic novel is a first in the way that the creator actively worked with the director on the visual style of the film. There are four stories, all set in the rainy, dark and unforgiving place called Basin City. Everything is so grim-looking, so noir, that it’s borderline comical. The violence is incredibly brutal, but the impact is muted because of the artificial depiction of it. The animation looks amazing… but what we have in the end is endless variations on torture, maiming and car chases, and the film’s visual style and clever touches can’t quite make up for that. Mickey Rourke stands out in the cast as a tough guy.

2005-U.S. 124 min. B-W/Color. Widescreen. Written and directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez. Graphic Novels: Frank Miller. Cinematography, Editing: Robert Rodriguez. Cast: Bruce Willis (John Hartigan), Clive Owen (Dwight McCarthy), Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan), Benicio Del Toro, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King… Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Elijah Wood, Michael Clarke Duncan, Josh Hartnett, Rutger Hauer, Michael Madsen.

Trivia: Rodriguez quit the DGA when they wouldn’t agree to a co-director credit for Miller who hasn’t directed anything per se, but, according to Rodriguez, been a key partner. Quentin Tarantino also directed a scene. Adrien Brody and Johnny Depp were allegedly considered for parts in the film. Followed by Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014).

IMDb