Sin City: Please don't suck, please don't suck, please...
I'll review the actual movie later this weekend after I've seen it, but in the meantime, I'll share the writeup I did for a friend who asked what the movie was and why I cared about going to see it...
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The creator of the comics is Frank Miller, best known for his 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' graphic novels (which I got to read back in college and got thoroughly hooked on -- probably have reread them more than any book I own). Those remain an utterly brilliant take on Batman (and Superman), taking well-worn characters and doing something interesting and moving with them. This movie is three stories based off his Sin City comic series.
Sin City is an intentionally amplified film noir sort of setting. I've only read a couple of them. Very dark, stylized look, drawn in black and white; characters that seem to all be crooks, antiheroes, prostitutes, or all of the above. Miller does the drawing and inking as well, so it's very much his creation all the way through.
It's not the work of his I'd have chosen to see filmed, but it's interesting to see how directly involved he was. Usually the original writer gets no say at all in a film version and just has to watch in horror as the plot gets reworked to Hollywood conventions (Neil Gaiman has referred to there being a script for 'Sandman' around where the character is sort of a superhero, which he has no rights or control over...). In this case Miller was right there, directly involved, and the look of the movie is strikingly like his original comics (down to makeup to turn some of the live actors into Miller's stylized
versions). Robert Rodriguez actually quit the Director's Guild so that he could circumvent their rules and list Frank Miller as co-director.
It's not going to appeal to everyone. It's over the top tough guy cliches. But it's done with flair and I love the daring liberties they took with the visuals. I really hope it doesn't suck. :)
Best advance warning is a RottenTomatoes.com quote from a reviewer who didn't like it:
"You know you’re gone beyond run-of-the-mill movie violence you need to use the plural for 'castrations.'" -- Jeffrey Westhoff, NORTHWEST HERALD (CRYSTAL LAKE, IL)
Now, either that makes you go buy a ticket for 'Beauty Shop' (also out this weekend) or think "Hell, yeah!"
Some pages from the comic:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1593072937/ref=sib_fs_top/104-9907671-6589539?%5Fencoding=UTF8&p=S00C&checkSum=BABocL7OFAShJXvCjaCFm%2B8NxzCXPorAQ2OiyxllU54%3D#reader-page
Trailer for film (trailer 1 is best, IMHO -- some of the shots are directly from the comic, brought to life) :
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/sin_city/
-=-=-=-=-=-
The creator of the comics is Frank Miller, best known for his 'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' graphic novels (which I got to read back in college and got thoroughly hooked on -- probably have reread them more than any book I own). Those remain an utterly brilliant take on Batman (and Superman), taking well-worn characters and doing something interesting and moving with them. This movie is three stories based off his Sin City comic series.
Sin City is an intentionally amplified film noir sort of setting. I've only read a couple of them. Very dark, stylized look, drawn in black and white; characters that seem to all be crooks, antiheroes, prostitutes, or all of the above. Miller does the drawing and inking as well, so it's very much his creation all the way through.
It's not the work of his I'd have chosen to see filmed, but it's interesting to see how directly involved he was. Usually the original writer gets no say at all in a film version and just has to watch in horror as the plot gets reworked to Hollywood conventions (Neil Gaiman has referred to there being a script for 'Sandman' around where the character is sort of a superhero, which he has no rights or control over...). In this case Miller was right there, directly involved, and the look of the movie is strikingly like his original comics (down to makeup to turn some of the live actors into Miller's stylized
versions). Robert Rodriguez actually quit the Director's Guild so that he could circumvent their rules and list Frank Miller as co-director.
It's not going to appeal to everyone. It's over the top tough guy cliches. But it's done with flair and I love the daring liberties they took with the visuals. I really hope it doesn't suck. :)
Best advance warning is a RottenTomatoes.com quote from a reviewer who didn't like it:
"You know you’re gone beyond run-of-the-mill movie violence you need to use the plural for 'castrations.'" -- Jeffrey Westhoff, NORTHWEST HERALD (CRYSTAL LAKE, IL)
Now, either that makes you go buy a ticket for 'Beauty Shop' (also out this weekend) or think "Hell, yeah!"
Some pages from the comic:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1593072937/ref=sib_fs_top/104-9907671-6589539?%5Fencoding=UTF8&p=S00C&checkSum=BABocL7OFAShJXvCjaCFm%2B8NxzCXPorAQ2OiyxllU54%3D#reader-page
Trailer for film (trailer 1 is best, IMHO -- some of the shots are directly from the comic, brought to life) :
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/sin_city/