Sin City was based upon a graphic novel by famed comic writer and artist Frank Miller. It’s like a modern Film Noir directed by Robert Rodriguez and Miller with the help of Quentin Tarantino.

The first thing that hits you is that Rodriguez really tried to capture the look of the novel. Thus it’s shot in black and white with bright colors thrown in like a woman’s red lipstick and dress.

The Noir elements are there right from the start. The main characters each do a voice over on their thoughts. The black and white highlights the shadows and darkness which are symbolic of the stories. There’s also the heroes who stand alone against the powers that be and dangerous women.

There are several different stories in the movie from Bruce Willis as John Hartigan a former policeman that got framed because he went after the son of a powerful man. There’s Mickey Rourke as Marv who had his favorite hooker killed and wants revenge. Finally, there’s Clive Owen as Dwight who killed a crooked cop and gets caught up in the middle of a gang war. The stories all revolve around the corruption of society and how the powerful believe that they are above the law. Those plots bring about plenty of action with gun play, beatings, car chases, crashes and more. I think Rourke’s character stands out the most. He’s got a huge blockhead, has some of the best hardboiled dialogue and kicks plenty of butt. Owen is a close second.

All together it’s a powerful mix that really brings to life Miller’s work.

A dedicated detective rescues a nine year-old girl from a serial pedophile, who happens to be the son of an influential senator. There is also a boozy, chain-smoking hulk that wants to protect a bawdy district, usually policed by the prostitutes themselves. How these two storylines intersect is somewhat of a mystery to me after a first viewing. Let's just say that this story was not crafted by Chandler or Hammett. It is animated storyboarding that is from a graphic novel; it is gross, salacious and violent beyond almost anything else I've seen on film (more than "A Clockwork Orange"). I bought this DVD because I'm a "Film Noir" fan, and it was highly rated. Well, tastes differ. If this were a book, it would be porn.

I'm one of those freaks that collects steelbooks.

I thought this one had an amazing cover for it, turns out that blue bar across the top with the bluray logo is actually printed onto the steelbook.

Every other one I've purchased that bothered to slap that up there, it was a sticker so it didn't mess up the cover. This one definitely won't be displayed anywhere and I'll be shelling out the extra for the version with Jessica Alba on it.

Ahh man, what a weird thing to be addicted to collecting.

Sin City (2005) - Dir: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
3.5 Stars. Robert Rodriguez helps Frank Miller bring his graphic novel to life with style and blood. Based on a few stories from the graphic novel series, they employed an all-star cast to help bring it to life. Set in Basin City, they uses The Yellow Bastard, which has Hartigan (Bruce Willis) tracking down the Mayor’s son, Roark Jr. (Nick Stahl). He is a child rapist. His partner, Bob (Michael Madsen), doesn’t help in saving a young Nancy as Hartigan pushes forward. Hartigan is framed for the crimes and sent to prison, where he becomes pen pals with Nancy. Once out, he must save the grown Nancy (Jessica Alba) from Roark Jr., who is now a yellow monster. The Hard Goodbye follows the seemingly indestructible Marv (Mickey Rourke) as he goes on a rampage after his prostitute girlfriend, Goldie (Jaime King), is slaughtered by the glowing eyed Kevin (Elijah Wood). He kills everyone in his way until he gets to the top, Cardinal Roark (Rutger Hauer). The Big Fat Kill has Dwight (Clive Owen) shacking up with Shellie (Brittany Murphy). Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro) shows up wanting some love for him and his crew. Dwight puts him in his place and follows him to Old Town, which is run by Gail (Rosario Dawson) and her prostitutes. They kill Jackie Boy and find out he is a cop, which escalates a war with the mob run by Maunte (Michael Clarke Duncan), who wants Old Town for himself. It’s bookended by the strange and murderous The Salesman (Josh Hartnett). Like Pulp Fiction (1994), all the stories are parallel or intertwine, going back and forth in time. Stylistically the movie was praised, as they made it black and white and brought out color when needed for blood, cars, eyes, skin tones, etc. Shot primarily on green screen, they created the city around the characters and were able to give it a graphic/comic feel. Most critics applauded the movie for it’s visualisation of pulp noir, while others panned it for it’s lack of humanity. All the characters, even the ones that the viewers can relate to, were cold-blooded killers. Like noir movies, they had their own code of ethics but were more brutal. Regardless, it’s a visual feast that’s worth checking out. It might not be everyone, but it’s a fun ride.

>>> The header of this product is listed as DVD for some reason, despite being a review of a BD purchased via Amazon. Go Figure. >>>

Frank Miller is a favourite of mine, so I am pretty biased. The books the film is based upon cannot in the strictest term be called 'comics'. But this is heaped into the category of 'comic book film'. And you know what, for some reason that doesn't bother me.

Miller, who has always been known for shaking up our perceptions on the definitions of what can be expected in the comic book medium, stuck gold with this solid serialized title. With this film, director Robert Rodriguez redefined what a comic movie could be. And with this version of the BD, they both have redefined the comic book home experience.

Packed with featurettes, a sharp 5.1 soundtrack, snarky and witty commentary, and some 20 minutes of additional movie, there's not much to not like about Sin City at all. Hell, Rodriguez even puts a favourite recipe (apparently one that helped him get through the filming process) in the mix, a simple breakfast taco with homemade attentions- and I tried it; it is a simply divine way to spice up an early morning. How many other BDs, let alone DVDs, give you THAT kind of bonus features?

We know the count. Sin City was a highly regarded "neo-noir" TPB series and a highly praised film. Awards, all-star ensemble cast, lots of action, strong and sexy women, lots of action, gore, and lots of action. Frankly, if you are a fan of gritty comics at all and have no knowledge of Sin City and do not own a BD player... well, there's a good suggestion for your first two purchases.

It's dark, twisted, violent, and quite possibly one of my favourite films of all time.

"Frank Miller's Sin City" is a world where the heroes can take a whole series of punches as well as deliver them, where justice has nothing to do with either mercy or the cops, and the system is crooked from top down to pretty near the bottom of the barrel. The dames are still worth dying for and some of them might even be angels or goddesses, but others can defend themselves quite well without anyone's help. Still, this is a world where protecting women is hard-wired into the psyches of guys like John Hartigan (Bruce Willis), Marv (Mickey Rourke), and Dwight (Clive Owen). If you fail to protect a dame, then somebody has to pay and in a way that will make the scum bucket think Hell is heaven when you finally let them go straight to there. This movie is rated R for "sustained strong stylized violence, nudity and sexual content including dialogue," but that is most assuredly an R that is a whole lot closer to NC-17 than it is to PG-13.

I am not particularly happy that when I bought "Frank Miller's Sin City" on DVD as soon as it came out that it was the stripped down version and that a few months later, in time for Christmas no less, we finally get the "Recut, Extended, Unrated" DVD set. But studios are making money off of this double-dipping and if I could hold off for years on "Titanic" I should have been able to do the same thing with this one, so shame on me. But the good news is that (a) I did not have to pay for the upgrade and (b) the difference between the two DVDs, without the discount, is only ten bucks and you will more than get your money's worth here because to ease our collective pain Robert Rodriguez made sure that this 2-disc set goes the extra mile. That is clear as soon as you open up the box and discover it includes a mini-version of Frank Miller's "The Hard Goodbye" (my "mini" I mean the book is slightly larger than the size of a paperback novel). This is a good choice not only because it is the first "Sin City" graphic novel, but also because it is about Marv and as Marv Mickey Rourke steals this movie from Bruce Willis and the rest. So already you have account for a good chuck of the extra ten dollars you are spending and then we get to the super-loaded two DVDs.

Disc 1 contains the original theatrical release (uncut, unextended, rated). Your other "Sin City" DVD is made superfluous because this has three commentary tracks: co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller talking primarily about working with the actors; Rodriguez and special guest director Quentin Tarantino (eventually) talking more about the technical aspects of the film; and an audio track of the reaction of an audience in Austin to a screening of the film. The featurettes cover how Frank Miller was convinced to make the film, getting Tarantino to play with shooting a film digitally, and then separate looks at the cars, props, special effects and costumes of the film. There is then a "Sin-Chroni-City" interactive game that looks at how the three novels that make up the first "Sin City" movie cross each other, and the teaser and theatrical trailers. The two directors having a conversation while screening the film is the best of the extras on this disc, simply because I like the stories of the production a bit more than the details on how the film was made, but both are excellent commentary tracks.

Disc 2 offers the recut and extended theatrical release and it is not the deleted scenes being worked back in for the "extended" part that matters here but rather the "recut" part. That is because Rodriguez has recut the movie into the three graphic novels, "The Hard Goodbye," "The Big Fat Kill," and "That Yellow Bastard," along with the short story "The Customer Is Always Right" from "Babe Wore Red" and the epilogue Rodriguez and Miller came up with for the end of the film. With the movie broken up this way it is even easier for you to watch a "chapter" with Miller's graphic novel in front of you to see the extent to which they actually did shoot the book on this film. Of course the special features on this disc include new installments of Rodriguez's 15-Minute Film School and 10-Minute Cooking School (breakfast tacos). There is also a performance by Bruce Willis with a band at the "'Sin City' Live" cast and crew party at Antones filmed by Rodriguez with the digital camera. For cinema buffs the two treats are the movie in high-speed green screen, so you can see how they actually shot everything (tip of the hat to Rodriguez for protecting his cast on the brief nudity in this version), and a 14-minute uninterrupted take from Tarantino's segment (Dwight and Jackie Boy in the car on the way to the tar pits) that allows a great look at how actors and directors work when shooting digitally.

I already thought "Frank Miller's Sin City" was a five-star movie that not only sets the standard for what film noir will be in the 21st century but also advances the cause of digital filmmaker. That it brings Miller's characters and story to life while remaining faithful to his artistic style is a bonus for those whose introduction to "Sin City" was the graphic novels, but that was what Miller and wanted and what Rodriguez delivered with his little test run. If you held out on getting this movie on DVD until the special features version was available it was well worth your wait, and if you have been duped into giving the studio even more of your money for this upgrade you will at least have the satisfaction of knowing that Rodriguez delivered for you as well.

Sin City is a hyperstylized piece of greatness. Co-directed by Rodriguez and Miller, the film is action packed, highly stylized, and very riveting. It's also an anthology movie! The film consists of a prolouge, three short stories, and an epilogue. There are many many huge name actors in this movie, so watch it to catch them all but I don't want to list them all. The three leads of each story, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis give some of their best acting in their whole careers. Rourke especially! The first story focusing on Marv is definitely the best, but everything is great in this flick. I have come to detest Rodriguez's reliance on cheap digital effects in his current films (Machete, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) and feel they are missing what his older films had, pure raw unabashed bloody squibs and firey blanks flying left and right. This film however is easily Rodriguez's best work. This film had to be done the digital way, all with green screens and digital effects. It's completely appropriate because it blends with the film's style so well. This film is the kind of film that current day Rodriguez excels at.

The Blu Ray looks amazing too. You get two cuts and a TON of bonus features. Seriously, no director's DVD releases are as in-depth as Rodriguez'. I got this for $5 on Black Friday and would definitely say it is a must own for any Blu Ray collector! I put this movie off for nearly a decade and am happy to say I have finally seen it. I look forward to the sequel and the TV series as well! I may read the graphic novels now too (I never read them but know other works by Miller, Batman, Ronin, Wolverine, etc.) I might have to say this release and movie gets a flawless: 10/10

This version can be found on the 2 disc edition on Sin City on disc 2. There are 6 separate stories- "The Hard Goodbye", ""The Yellow Bastard"1&2, "The Big Fat Kill" & "The Customer is Always Right" 1&2. Yellow Bastard 1&2 were combined as was "The Customer is always Right. The 2 disc edition has the theatrical version and the 2nd disc has both the 6 complete stories in the classic cinematographic version and a complete naked Green screen -(Film with out chroma key and plain green background. You can purchase the 2 disc used for $4 or buy this version for $80. These 2 bits of additional information are very important. There happens to be an audience reaction track on both of the special editions but even more important is that this three disc set is in French with the written language on the box itself and per directions. You will need a player that can play PAL as most region free players feature. So, you will need a region free player. I found a very reasonable region free player from "I View" for about $30 on Amazon but that was 18 months ago. Good luck, they are out there and there decent.