Nine years after they collaborated on Sin City, comic book artist Frank Miller and maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez reunite to co-direct this eye-popping sequel.
Shot in stark black and white with occasional invasions of colour, the imagery replicates the textures and noir-inflected backdrops from Frank Miller’s graphic novels. The four vaguely interconnected pulp fictions are set in the ever-nocturnal streets of the titular city. The denizens breathlessly stumble from one vignette to the next.
Reprising their roles from the first film are the scantily-clad barroom dancer (Jessica Alba), a prostitute with the proverbial heart of gold (Rosario Dawson), the spectre of an embittered cop (Bruce Willis) and Mickey Rourke as the fearless avenging angel. The primary villain is a corrupt politician (portrayed with sadistic glee by Powers Boothe).
There is an abundance of violence including the hacking of heads and limbs. Unfortunately, the cartoonish carnage comes at the expense of plot and narrative momentum. Clearly, Rodriguez and Miller opt for stylistic razzmatazz over thematic substance. If only for its visual virtuosity, it’s worth plunging into the hard-boiled world of Sin City 2 : A Dame To Kill For.
