Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)

Directed by: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
Country: USA

Movie Review: Frank Miller, the author of the graphic novels, and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez gather again for the sequel of the much-appreciated “Sin City” from 2005. The sumptuous visuals make part of this new adventure, but it doesn’t cover up the plot’s deficiencies and an unchangeable mood that has its benefits at the first glance, losing strength in the final parts. A lot of frustration can be seen in Sin City’s characters, ending up in a spiral of violence and revenge. The film is a combination of uneven little stories that sometimes fail to cause a beneficial impact. The luckiest gambler, Johnny, decides to teach a poker lesson to his estranged father, the powerful Senator Roarke, whose evilness is feared in the city. He doesn’t mind to risk his life but at least will be remembered as the man who defeated Roarke, twice. Private detective Dwight McCarthy is tempted by his manipulative former lover, Eva, who is only moved by material possessions and thirst of power. Fortunately he will get the help of his buddy beast fighter, Marv, and another former lover, Gail. In the last segment Nancy Callahan tries to cope with the death of John Hartigan, now turned into a ghost unable to calm her down. She will try to avenge his death by killing Roarke with Marv’s help. Despite the positive threatening aura hovering every scene, the far-fetched action never satisfied me completely. The problem of “Sin City: a Dame to Kill For” was giving us the same atmosphere and visuals of the original, without putting much effort in the stories or causing surprise with its characters. I still think it can be entertaining; however what we get is clearly style over substance.