Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) User Reviews

I don't see why everyone hates it so much.

[jessemorrison99 · 7/10 · 16 September 2014]

*Minor spoilers involving structure of the film, no plot points*

In short, it isn't nearly as bad as everyone is saying. Let me elaborate.

In case people don't know, the first Sin City from 2005 was based on the 1st, 3rd and 4th books in the 7 part series by Frank Miller. These follow the story lines of Marv, Dwight and Hartigan respectively. In addition to those, there are also a few shorts thrown in, either from the books or not. So, needless to say, Sin City and its sequel are both anthology films. If you want one single story that takes 2 hours, this may not be your thing.

Sin City 2 follows almost the exact same structure as the original, which I found nice. Sure they didn't do anything original with the structure, which was sort of playing it safe, but I liked it. It felt familiar and reminded me of the original which I loved very much. It begins with another short story, this time starring Marv. It rocks. It continues on with a new story not contained in any of the books. It stars Johnny, a gambler who "never loses". Mid way through, we cut to another story. This is the 2nd book, titled "A Dame to Kill For". If you've read this, you won't see anything new. Like with the first film, they essentially translated the story from page to screen, and it works for the most part. There was one detail I didn't like, but it doesn't last long. Then after that, we finish up the story with Johnny, and finally, we get to the revenge mission involving Nancy and her hunt for Senator Rourke. That's all I'll say about that.

Everyone is complaining about how the movie looks like a cutscene from a video game. They are sort of right, but not entirely. Even after waiting 2 weeks, I was unable to find a theatre in my city showing the film in 2d. It seems like this is happening more and more now. If you want to see an action movie in theatres, it's 3d whether you like it or not. Now, having not seen a 2d version to make a comparison, I can say that the 3d is most likely what makes it look so video game-y. I'm sure in 2d it'll look slightly better at least.

Update: I did see it in 1080p and in 2D, and it does look less like a video game cutscene. You can still tell that there's a lot of CGI, but it's done better than a lot of films.

Also, greenscreen sets have been used for over a decade now, I don't see why people are complaining so much. Everything is a CGI-fest these days, and this story, with a fantastic setting and extraordinary physics pulls it off nicely. You can tell, but it's far from awful.

Everyone is saying they loved the first one, but hated this one. I don't see how that's possible. They stuck very close to the original in most ways, such as cinematography, soundtrack, and directing, all of which were great (for a Sin City movie). Sure it isn't a masterpiece my any means, and it's not as good as the first, but it's super entertaining, very violent, and is sure to please anyone who enjoys the books or the first film. Forget all those jaded movie snobs saying it sucks. They're just focusing on all the negatives, and letting that cloud their vision of the awesome stuff.

Unfortunately they used all the best stories in the first one

[Vartiainen · 7/10 · 17 April 2015]

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is not a bad idea on paper. Frank Miller's Sin City universe is a rich and interesting setting, and as the first Sin City film proved, it translates to the silver screen beautifully. Unfortunately they decided to stick all the best stories into the first film, thus guaranteeing its success, but leaving the possible sequel without much material to use. Not that the stories used here are bad, they're just not as great as the ones used in the first one. Tellingly Miller was actually called back to write two new stories exclusively for the film. It shows.

However, there is one exception. The story named A Dame to Kill For. Considered to be one of the better stories in the original comic books, it's a good thing they still had one such story to wrap their movie around. And it is awesome. Just as good as the stories in the original film with same great quality acting, hardcore action and brutal visuals. No complaints.

The second adaptation story, Just Another Saturday Night, is really nothing more than an Ode to Marv (Mickey Rourke), and that's okay in my books. It doesn't have much of a plot, and the supporting characters are nonexistent, but it's a good opening piece.

The Long Bad Night, the first of the new stories, works because of its actors. Both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Powers Boothe have amazing screen presence and as they're pitted against one another throughout the night the stakes keep getting higher and higher, with satisfying results. A fine story and I could see this as an original Sin City story.

Nancy's Last Dance, our last story, is unfortunately the weakest story by far. They clearly wanted to give Jessica Alba something more to chew with her character, but it just doesn't have that edge. You don't buy it. Still not awful, merely average.

Aside from the material, the biggest problem is the common sequel problem where they want to do the same that worked so well in the original, but with more oomph. Here it means more colour spliced into the black-n-white, and it's very distracting. The original used colour carefully, for emphasis, for popping up important details. Here it seems that every single frame has a splotch of colour in it, usually for no reason, they just wanted colour in their frames. And thus the distinct visual style of Sin City is shattered.

All in all Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is not a bad film by any means. It's disappointing, certainly, but only because I love the first film so much, and wanted more of that greatness, no matter how impossible it is to achieve. Still, a great movie to check out if you're a fan, but don't expect miracles.

The narrative lacks rhytim, but it's always great to walk the streets of Sin City and not know what to expect around every corner

[fernandoschiavi · 7/10 · 15 May 2020]

Nine years after visually reinventing and presenting a new form of filming, directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller are reunited to adapt the graphic novel 'A Dame to Kill For' and also bringing elements of 'Just Another Saturday Night', a tale taken from Booze, Broads, & Bullets, sixth volume in the comic book series. Two stories are unpublished: 'The Long Bad Night' and 'Nancy's Last Dance'. Most of the cast returned to this sequence. Josh Brolin takes on the role of Dwight in Sin City 2, originally played by Clive Owen and Ava Lord, the title's Dame to Kill For - a role originally thought for Angelina Jolie - was played by Eva Green.

After the death of John Hartigan (Bruce Willis), Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) thinks only of revenge. She spends her nights dancing in the same bar, but now in the company of a bottle of drink, while taking courage to face the powerful Senator Roark (Powers Boothe). At the same time, Dwight (Josh Brolin) tries to help the enigmatic Ava (Eva Green) only to find himself betrayed once again by this fatal lady. Virtually destroyed, he will seek the help of Gail (Rosario Dawson) and his gang to face the beloved, while Nancy will have the support of Marv (Mickey Rourke).

Just as it was in the first film, this new journey through Sin City maintains the structure adopted in the comics and is composed of small stories that are told in parallel and without worrying about chronology - that is why Marv (Mickey Rourke) is there. return. The script seeks to divide the story again into three main plots, trying to maintain continuity with the events of the previous film. The big problem with this sequence is that the directors create an evident problem of rhythm, putting the climax practically in the middle of the work. The main narrative arc, which gives the film its name, is resolved quickly, when it could have been fragmented and interspersed with the other stories. The end result sounds like a great collection that does not necessarily follow a line of reasoning.

The short story that gives title to the film, 'The Dame to Kill For' is one of them and shows Dwight McCarthy who tries to forget his violent past, working as a private detective and leading a sober life. After saving the life of con artist Sally (Juno Temple) from being killed by businessman Joey (Ray Liotta), he receives a call from ex-lover Ava Lord, who had abandoned him four years earlier to be with a wealthy tycoon, Damian Lord (Marton Csokas). Ava Lord is a woman who, when she touches a man's heart, becomes her greatest desire. A predator that usually destroys lives, sometimes for power, sometimes for profit and sometimes for sport. Ava Lord knows this and uses her sex appeal to get everything she wants from men.

The directors and the beautiful Eva Green manage to impress the scenes with sensuality, a factor amplified by the plans in which we see her portrayed as a goddess surrounded by a whole mystical atmosphere. But there will certainly be a lot of people in the cinema who will see just one more macho movie there, wanting to boycott the work, after all, nowadays if any material produced does not fit the politically correct, that is, a censorship endorsed by the majority of the artistic class worldwide, it is doomed to fail, at least by critics. This segment is, without a doubt, the most involving plot of the work and manages to keep us immersed and curious waiting for its conclusion. It is interesting the mystery that was built at the beginning, in which we did not know whether Ava was telling the truth or not. Ava's nature is built slowly by the work and is revealed to be harmful with the passing of minutes. The controlled use of color is present in the eyes and lips of the seductress. Afterwards, the viewer is anxious for Dwight's revenge with the help of Gail (Rosario Dawson) and the Old Town prostitutes. We see a plethora of knives piercing brains, swords severing heads and a lot of digital blood in the best 'Sin City' style.

The segment 'The Long Bad Night' is one of the unpublished stories written by Miller especially for the film and that brings Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a mysterious young man who decides to show his poker talent at a table full of influential and dangerous people . In this plot we learn that Johnny has a personal difference with Senator Roark (Powers Boothe). This plot proves to be very interesting, but its outcome leaves something to be desired, making us wonder why Miller simply does not use the original material, instead of creating this new arc that starts well, but fails for repetition in its closure.

'Nancy's Last Dance' shows Nancy Callahan suffering from deep depression over the death of John Hartigan, four years earlier. She is obsessed with getting revenge on Senator Roark, until with Marv's help, she invades the senator's house to kill him and to realize her revenge. Nancy's bow is interesting and is what closes the film, while still being interesting, even if predictable. Chosen to defend a plot of bitterness and revenge, all Jessica Alba can do is to force a face of suffering while babbling her dialogues. Still, we have excellent scenes in the mansion invasion and even in the final confrontation with Senator Roark.

Time was one of the great enemies of The Dame to Kill For. The sequel happened too late to accompany the commotion generated by the first film, and too soon we tried to use nostalgia to its advantage. In addition, Rank Miller's script is simply unable to fill all the stories with enough content. They are fast, empty and pale before the central plot. 'Sin City, A Dame to Kill For brings us everything we love about the first one as fun dialogues, full of catch phrases, neo-noir mixed with graphic violence. Everything follows the same pattern. It is more of the same, with the difference that in this case the narrative lacks rhythm, as previously said, and the three stories are connected in some way, but they seem to be stories played at random many times. There are also no memorable and shocking scenes as in the first, perhaps due to the public being more accustomed to this type of violence in other productions in recent years.

Obviously the technical part is once again impeccable, as well as the direction, but it no longer brings innovations. It is certainly a story that will please fans of comics, since again it is an almost literal transposition of the dialogues of comics to the cinema and fulfills its role of amusement. However, for the vast majority of the audience, those behind a consistent plot, characters with whom it is possible to root and get involved, the conclusion is somewhat frustrating. Either way, it's always great to walk the streets of Sin City and not know what to expect around every corner.

Good and entertaining... but lacks the novelty of the first.

[Frogfisher · 7/10 · 20 August 2014]

A Dame to Kill for is by no means a boring or bad film. It succeeds as a satisfying sequel to the far more novel and perhaps stronger Sin City... it is bloody, violent, beautifully made, with cool deep voices, nudity and clearly fitting into the film noir genre. Where it falls short is in the charactersationssliding a bit, the strength of two original stories, the change in actors and the gap between the first and second film. There is also a desperate need for more iconic moments which the Sin City comics and the film has plenty of, but they never really come in A Dame to Kill for.

The characters seems less edgy, less strong charactered and some despite being far more stereotypical carries less of a punch. Especially Marv and Dwight who are the central characters fall a bit short. With Dwight almost feeling detached from the story he is the centre character of. I never thought I would find myself ever thinking that Owen over Brolin. Rourke however seems to have lost some of his edge again, but still causes plenty of mayhem. The new original story lines is probably as good as the rest, but it feels like we never get a very satisfying end out the first one of it especially because it plays as probably the most straightforward story with less of the iconic art work or stunning scenes put in it, it relies on Gordon-Hevitt's abilities more than anything else. The second original story however fairs better mostly due to Alba's dancing and Rourke's brute. If one has not recently seen Sin City and goes to see this it can be a bit hard putting things into place in it's sequel... most people benefit from having seen Sin City recently in order to truly enjoy the film's anachronistic narrative.

It is an awesome film, I will not argue against that, and it does give people more of what they want from Sin City. And there is maybe couple of camels to swallow. But I think in time when seen in union with it's predecessor and sequel(s) it will come out stronger than it might appear now.

I saw the 3D version and surprisingly it actually works well for the film, although I am sure the film would be just as good in 2D alone. It is worth seeing in the cinema, it has the scale/action/importance and beauty to justify that. It will not be remembered for it's visuals as much as Sin City, but it will be recognised for how it fits into the Sin City style.

Sin City 2 lacks punch but still offers gritty, visually stunning comic book fun

[Rickting · 6/10 · 29 December 2014]

After 9 years Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller finally made a sequel to their masterpiece from 2005, Sin City, and.... no-one went to see it. One of 2014's biggest and definitely the most surprising box office bomb, critics were also fairly unkind to the film. It's not as bad as some say it is, but it's best summed up as this: The Kick-Ass 2 of 2014. An enjoyable sequel which lacks the original's impact and misses the point, and struggles to hit a peak when the scene stealer from the first is off screen. In Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, we return to the nastiest, darkest and grittiest city in comic book movies for more brutal stories of justice, sin and moral corruption. In one Marv becomes an amnesiac, in another a cocky gambler finds himself in trouble when he beats the wrong man at poker, in another Nancy Callahan takes revenge on the man who caused the death of John Hartigan and another involves Dwight's encounter with a mysterious femme fatale played by Eva Green. What's noticeable about these stories? They emphasize action and that wasn't the point of the first.

Sin City was a great film because of its emotional power and characterisation. Here, mostly we're getting black and white shapes beating each other up like some generic beat em up flash game with little subtlety or grace. The script sags in places and the film refuses to focus on developing its characters or some sort of emotional impact. It never goes into unwatchable territory, but it's just curiously flat some of the time and it's hard to understand why. All you know is you'd rather be watching the first movie. It's still visually mind blowing and has some beautiful shots. It's well acted by its ensemble cast with Mickey Rourke and Eva Green being the standouts. There are many different voice overs but the film manages never to feel pretentious. You'll likely find yourself moderately enjoying it throughout without ever being particularly interested in what's happening. It's pretty safe to say Sin City 3 will not be happening after this, but the legacy of the original has not been tarnished.

6/10

Rodrigues rocks

[basslinemacho · 7/10 · 25 November 2021]

This is pretty much a rehash of the original Sin City, with a similar black and white, film noir look. Mickey Rourke is back as a Marv, and once again he gets to kick ass and kill bad people. Jessica Alba returns as Nancy the stripper, who, unfortunately never takes her clothes off; a major disappointment for this viewer. We do get Eva Green appearing nude on a few memorable occasions. Her acting ability is not on par with the rest of the cast, but her spectacular body more than makes up for that. Bruce Willis has little screen time and Rosario Dawson is once again the leader of the killer prostitutes. The violence is comic book style and the story line not as good as the first film, but I was nevertheless entertained by the movie.

Decent Sequel to Sin City

[ravipatel-67488 · 7/10 · 28 March 2022]

I watched this in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep so my perspective may be a little skewed, but I thought this was a pretty decent sequel to the original. Not as good, but definitely watchable.

Not as good as the first one but still very solid and entertaining

[troymerig · 8/10 · 21 August 2014]

Let me begin by saying that the first Sin City is one of my favorite movies of all time. I thought it was an absolute blast to watch, and the filming style blew me away.

A Dame to Kill For is the same type of movie as the first, but it is not executed quite as well. It may just be be cause the style lost some of its original appeal, but I thought it didn't live up to its predecessor. With that said, I still thought A Dame to Kill For was a great time at the movies. Everything about it was solid. It continued the action from the first and did not fail to keep me at the edge of my seat. And, Marv was his normal, b.a. self.

A Dame to Kill for consists of two story lines that are prequels to those of the first Sin City and one that is a sequel. I felt that it delivered very well in its attempt to support what happened in the first movie. I would recommend re-watching the first one so that you're fresh for this. Sometimes you can forget the names if you haven't seen it in a while.

Overall, this movie was great. If I had not seen the first Sin City, I would have been blown away.

I give it a 8/10. A definite must-see.

If you liked the first one, you'll like/love this one, too

[marginal1 · 19 August 2014]

I got to see an advance screening last night. If you're a fan of the first Sin City, you won't be disappointed. It's more of the same, but that's a good thing: hyper-stylized visuals, intense violence, plenty of splattered blood. Film Noir cranked up to 11.

Jessica Alba doing her stripper grind? CHECK. Mickey Rourke causing much harm? CHECK. Josh Brolin is new to the franchise and he is GREAT! JGL is new to the franchise and he is GREAT! But the film really belongs to Powers Boothe. He is just pure evil. If you liked him as Cy Tolliver in Deadwood you'll love him in this.

The only drawback is that the original Miho (Asian female killer) was apparently pregnant at the time of the filming of the sequel, so they had to replace her. That's kind of a bummer.

Fans of the comic / graphic novel will be happy. Fans of Robert Rodriguez will be happy. GO!

Everything you love about 'Sin City', you will love about this sequel - and Eva Green is indeed a dame to kill for

[moviexclusive · 7/10 · 23 August 2014]

Nine years is a long time to wait for a sequel, but in the case of Frank Miller's 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For', it's as if it was just yesterday. Yes, fans will be glad to know that the years since have not dulled the sensibilities of Miller or his co-director Robert Rodriguez, both of whom have returned to script and helm this faithful sequel - and by faithful, we mean that it is just as hard-boiled, gory, garish and violent. In short, if you did not like the first one, then there's no reason you should bother with this.

But for those who have been eagerly awaiting a return to the outlandishly scuzzy urban hellhole of Basin City (given the eponymous title for its collection of thugs, mugs, femme fatales and their criminal and moral misdeeds), you'll be glad to know that 'Sin City' is just as we had left it. Indeed, it picks up not long after where its predecessor left off, with one of the few good guys in the earlier film who was lucky enough to keep his head (pun intended) - the quintessential tough-guy of tough-guys in Basin City, Marv (Mickey Rourke).

Marv narrates from a first-person perspective the prologue which is as much introduction as neophytes will get to this portrait of urban dystopia. Awakening on a deserted highway outside the city, Marv recalls his altercation with a group of frat boys beating up a wino before he blacked out and his subsequent return to Kadie's saloon, where he keeps an eye on its resident stripper Nancy (Jessica Alba) whose tragic past was the subject of the previous movie as well as whose obsession for vengeance bookends this current one.

But Marv and Nancy ain't the only ones who are back; Senator Roark (Powers Boothe) returns to play the much-reviled villain of this chapter, the father of the notorious Yellow Bastard slain by Hartigan (Bruce Willis) before the latter met his own unfortunate death which Nancy spends the last tale trying to avenge. It is Roark whom Joseph Gordon Levitt's brash hotshot Johnny confronts one night during the former's backroom poker game, his arrogance leading not just to his unceremonious downfall but also the death of an innocent dancer Goldie (Jaime King) whom he picks up at Kadie's.

In between the two consecutive nights of poker which Johnny challenges Roark, Josh Brolin steps into the role which Clive Owen previous inhabited as private investigator Dwight McCarthy, whose former lover Ava (Eva Green) reaches out to save her from an abusive husband Damian (Marton Csokas) and his henchman named called Manute (Dennis Haysbert, who replaces the late Michael Clarke Duncan). As it turns out, Dwight is being played by the diabolical and seductive Ava, who as it turns out, is the titular dame that is easily the most compelling and intriguing object of this whole enterprise.

We don't blame Dwight for not having the resolve to simply walk away from Ava; wielding femininity like a trap, she also ensnares deputy police chief Mort (Christopher Meloni), despite being forewarned by his associate Bob (Jeremy Piven). Dwight's subsequent journey of redemption offers a detour that brings back Rosario Dawson's Gail, madam to Old Town's band of lethal prostitutes, including the Japanese longbow- wielding assassin Miho (Jamie Chung, replacing the original's Devon Aoki). It's easy to take it for granted, but you have to give credit to Rodriguez for his sheer effort at reuniting such an ensemble group of cast and characters to ensure that his sequel does indeed feel, look and tell like one.

In part of course that has to do with the way the 'Sin City' movies are structured; and like its predecessor, this one weaves several of Miller's lightly entangled tales into a larger narrative piece, with loose connections between the characters of each individual vignette. Of these, the centrepiece is also the most fascinating, in large part due to Green's scene-chewing performance in various states of undress - but nudity aside, she is sexy, funny, dangerous, wild and in two words, compulsively watchable.

The suitably menacing Boothe is an excellent complement, singlehandedly the reason why the segment with Levitt as well as his showdown with Alba manage to pop off the screen. But it is still a weak finish, in part because Alba remains a pretty but pretty empty actress, unable to convey the angst and anger tormenting her character as she struggles to muster up the courage to pull that trigger on Roark despite seeing him every night at the club where she gyrates. Rourke plays the tough-guy with the soft spot like the back of his hand, but his on screen appearance still makes him one of the most iconic denizens of the city.

And on their part, Rodriguez and Miller demonstrate the same faithfulness to the latter's illustrations, so that just like the last movie, this one unfolds in the same graphic-novelly way. The dynamic signature visuals are still intact - high-contrast black and white, with occasional splashes of saturated colour for emphasis - but so is the deliberately ham-fisted dialogue that is meant as a hark back to the neo-noir thrillers of the 1940s and 1950s. As we said before, in terms of style and tone, it is as if we never left 'Sin City' despite the nine-year gap.

That may sadly not be enough to win over converts, as 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' may very well be a victim of its own predecessor's success which has inspired other such adaptations like '300', 'Sucker Punch' and even Miller's own 'The Spirit'. Yes, this sequel doesn't so much as improve on the earlier film as recreate and recapture the same noir-ish nihilism. No matter, familiarity after a close-to-a-decade absence still feels both fresh and comforting to us at the same time, and we suspect fans of 'Sin City' will feel likewise.

Poor Sequel

[utgard14 · 4/10 · 23 October 2014]

Sin City was one of my favorite movies of the 2000s. A fun, creative film noir cartoon with unique visuals and a style all its own. The first problem you run into with this sequel is that it offers nothing new. It's a stylistic retread of the first movie, only less impressive. The visuals copy the first movie but somehow seem cheaper. The makeup effects aren't as good either, with Marv's jaw easily twice the size of the last movie. The action is weaker, with no memorable sequences and a final showdown that is derivative of the first movie. The other big problem is that the writing is very poor this time and the stories don't flow well together. The Dwight story is lame. The Johnny story is pointless. The Nancy story is impossible to take seriously, especially the ghost parts. Sadly, this movie is boring, listless, and disjointed. It's a movie that didn't need to be made. Still, it's always nice to see Eva Green naked. That's something that never gets old.

For all the wrong reasons...

[jarthur0111 · 8/10 · 22 August 2014]

OK, maybe this movie isn't aimed at "mature" audiences, but for adults looking for a trashy good time at the movies then you won't get a movie any better than this. If you want to see unrelenting brutality & most of Eva Green you will get your money's worth & then some.

Green totally owns the "Dame" role that she was perfectly cast for. When her story ends the movie does drop off (fortunately her story is most of the movie).

The "Sin City look" is enhanced by 3D (I normally avoid 3D) & rates as one of the best uses of 3D I've ever seen. Fans (like me) of Miller's "A Dame To Kill For" comic book will be thrilled at it's obsessive loyalty to word & frame screen treatment. It looks fantastic! (Maybe, I mean to say that Green looks fantastic. It's both.) I don't get all the criticism of how this "look" has grown tiresome --not for me in 3D.

All the actors in big roles to small look like they are having a sinful amount of fun, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt is almost as strong as Green in a new role in one the new stories written for the movie. If you saw "Looper" (or "Inception") you already know that JGL can play a tough guy despite his physical size.

Make no mistake this movie is a feature length Roadrunner cartoon for adults --emphasis on "adults"--with all of the ridiculous action & over- the-top violence that only a cartoon can get away with because of the way it's rendered.(No kids, please: there is just enough gore that isn't so cartoonish to make it unfit for children.)

Like the first Sin City 9 years ago, this new Sin City is B-movie bliss. (I still don't like Jessica Alba as "Nancy".)

Death is Just like Life in Sin City

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 8 November 2014]

Marv (Mickey Rourke) is unconscious on a highway surrounded by corpses. When he awakes, he has amnesia and tries to recall his last steps from the Kadie's saloon on the Saturday night. He recalls that he found four playboys burning a homeless man alive and defended the poor man. Marv hunts them down and kills the group.

The cocky gambler Johnny (Joseph Gordon Levitt) hits jackpot in slot machines in the Kadie's saloon and invites the waitress Marcie (Julia Garner) to go with him to play poker game against the powerful Senator Roark (Powers Boothe). He wins the game and suffers the consequence of his arrogance.

The private detective Dwight McCarthy (Josh Brolin) is contacted by his former lover Ava Lord (Eva Green) that asks to meet him at the Kadie's saloon. Ava asks him for forgiveness for leaving him to marry the wealthy Damian Lord (Marton Csokas). However her strong chauffeur Manute (Dennis Haysbert) takes her home. Dwight snoops around Ava's house but is found and beaten by Manute and the bodyguards. When he returns home, Ava is waiting for him naked in the bed and seduces him again. Then she tells that Damian and Manute torture her and soon she will be killed. Once again Manute takes Ava with him and hits Dwight that invites Marv to help him to rescue Ava. Damian denies the accusation but Dwight beats him to death while Marv tear Manute's eye out. But soon Dwight finds that he was lured by Ava that shoots him. Marv rescues Dwight and takes him to the Old Town where Dwight finds his former lover Gail (Rosario Dawson) that helps him to recover while Dwight plots revenge against the manipulative Ava.

The neo-noir "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" by Frank Miller is the sequel of the 2005 movie. Again the movie is so violent that becomes caricatural. There are basically three subplots entwined at the Kadie's saloon. The first with Marv is pointless and ultra-violent. The second one with the cocky gambler holds the attention but disappoints in the end. The third is the best one with a private detective under the spell of a wicked femme fatale that is unable to resist to her charm. Like in the first movie, the black and white cinematography is stylish. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sin City: A Dama Fatal" ("Sin City: The Fatal Dame")

Bland.

[nagybalu · 4/10 · 15 November 2014]

I'd like to begin by saying the original 2005 Sin City is one of my favorite movies. The way it was put together, the cinematography, the characters, the dialogue...everything. It was truly a breakthrough film. This sequel however is a letdown. It's not the type of letdown where the product can't match the hype, it's just everything I enjoyed about the first movie turned over. Yes, A Dame to Kill For is still broken into chapters and shot in B/W with occasions flashes of color, and I loved the allusions to the previous film and comic books- however, in contrast to the rich character depth and storyline, the storyline(s) is flat, bland, and lacks the energy the dialogue contained in the previous film. Also, the storyline isn't remotely as interwoven as it was in the previous, the directors struggled to keep the chapters intertwined-the *only* connection being Kadie's Bar, which all of the characters visited at least once. I appreciated that Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller attempted to bring humor into the mix, but Marv's second, "I hope you don't mind me saying this...." scene really doesn't belong in the movie.

This was my first review I hope you like it, I know it's not perfect, but these are my thoughts in a nutshell.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)

[rockman182 · 7/10 · 18 May 2017]

Of course I was going to seize the opportunity to use this amazing poster of the gorgeous Eva Green for this post. I re-watched the first Sin City the other day and recalled how much I enjoyed the style and the different stories and characters portrayed in it. The sequel was a long time coming but when I initially saw it I thought it was rather disappointing and far off the standard of the first. I still kind of feel that way but hey I might as well share why this time.

The sequel is shared in the same format as the first with a few stories, some take place prior to the events of the corresponding segments in the first film, others afterwards. There are character changes (most notably a switch of Josh Brolin for Clive Owen) but many from the first film return. There are also a few steamy addition like Jun Temple and the very SEXY Eva Green. I wasn't sure I wanted a sequel because like most sequels, I thought it would pale in comparison to the original. This is the case with this film.

Some of the segments are entertaining. Others not so much. For all the style and blood and violence this film offers, the stories can't help but feel dull. The A Dane to Kill For segment was fabulous looking and so well performed by the sultry Eva Green, but the rest itself was overlong and dreary. The final segment and showdown between Nancy Callahan and Roark was also disappointing. The film and segments definitely could have used more thought out writing.

The film is style stylistically excellent. Its a joy to look at on screen and still has an excellent comic book neo-noir feel to it. The bloody violence is still on point. The main pitfall is not being able to avoid to cap on the stories and brilliance in the stories of the first film. It wasn't without effort, but Robert Rodriguez has still yet to make a good sequel (at least in my honest opinion). Its still a decent to good film but it could have been much better.

7/10

Please do not hear to critics about this film

[sauravjoshi85 · 7/10 · 6 November 2021]

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For a.k.a as Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is an action crime film and follow-up to the 2005 film Sin City. The film is Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller. The film stars ensemble cast of Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King, Late Powers Boothe, Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eva Green, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Christopher Lloyd, Jamie Chung, Jeremy Piven, Christopher Meloni, Stacy Keach, Lady Gaga, Alexa Vega, Julia Garner, and Juno Temple.

I am still not been able to understand the hate of critics for this film. The film might not be as magnificent as it's first part but still can't be termed as an all-out disappointment.

Two biggest drawback i felt that the film has is it's similar plot and almost similar execution, new characters were added in the film but still the film lacks originality and freshness.

The screenplay of the film is good, the film might gets slow in the middle but will not loose the grip from the viewers, the film is just like it's first part is all in all violent and is full of nudity.

Acting is great and despite of a huge star cast almost everyone had got ample screen-time and none of them has disappointed. The climax of the film is predictable but still excites.

Overall please do not go by the critics review and watch and review the film by your own wisdom.

Good but not as good as the first one

[jcarlos-96740 · 7/10 · 28 March 2020]

Visually is more of the same and that's good because Sin City visuals are amazing. When it comes to the story itself I personally didn't enjoyed it as much as the first movie especially that with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, that one seemed really pointless. The main story and the one that gives this movie his name was acceptable and the last story gave closure about a previous story. It lacks the brilliant narration of the characters thoughts that the first one had, this still has it but in a minor quantity and without the poetry that the first one had that should be also due to the change of writers because the overall writing in this one felt worst. The action scenes were good but again not as enjoyable as in the first movie and not as violent too. Not a bad movie by any means but when you have that first masterfully done Sin City to compare this doesn't feel as god as it could.

Great Sequel

[ratersapp · 7/10 · 26 March 2020]

Not as good as the first part, but still a masterpiece!

More of Frank Miller's tales brought to life.

[joefrettsome · 10/10 · 28 August 2014]

I saw this film last night and I was not disappointed. Being a fan of the first film I went in with high hopes for this film (as most people did after watching the first) and it tells some other Frank Miller stories well.

If you enjoyed the violence, great dialogue and overall aesthetic of the first one you'll love this film.

One of the only parts that really bothered me was the recasting of Dwight which threw me off slightly as I wasn't expecting it. It also gets slightly confusing at times because some stories are set in the present and some in the past which can be hard to keep up with, but if you are paying attention properly you get the grasp of it after a bit.

However overall I loved the film's over the top nature and comic book style and if you enjoyed the first one then you'll enjoy this one.

Let she who is within Sin City cast the first stone

[bob-the-movie-man · 6/10 · 26 August 2014]

So, I ignored what they said see and went to Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For.

Guess I was born at night too. But not last night. And not the night before last.

How did it make me feel? Dirty. Like the gyrating broads in Kadie's that make me feel like a guy USED to feel. Before political correctness. Or sexual equality. Or any of that crud. These writers know that woman are good for more than just washing, cooking and cleaning. Yeah, they can be good in the sack too, see. (#satire).

And violence. Lots of violence. Some of it what sweets would call "Yucky". But most like the Frank Miller comic strip that this came from. Stylised. Cartoonish. White blood. Black hearts. No compassion.

Tales. Interlocking tales. Some brief. Some longer see.

A posh dame (Eva Green) for most of the time wearing nothing but her smile. Wrapping men like Dwight (Josh Brolin) round her fingers and her tush like they was toys. All getting what they deserves.

And then there's Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The new kid in town and a card shark. Boy, that kid can play! Shame he went up against Senator Roark (Powers Boothe) - that kid sure has guts. And bones. And blood.

And then there's exotic dancer Nancy (Jessica Alba). Boy, what a body that broad has! But still grieving for Hartigan (Bruce Willis). Sin City don't let no one go easy now. He appears in the film as a ghost. A ghost! Willis? Who'd ever believe such a thing? Nancy, deranged and unable to exact vengeance on Senator Roark as good Nancy. She needs a makeover. Like that Sandy chick in "Grease" see? And the help of hard man Marv (Mickey Roarke). Hard man indeed: machine gun bullets seem to have no effect on the dude at all!.

And more tales. Many more tales. Perhaps too many for its own good? And more characters. Many more characters. None of 'em worth a spit and none of them ain't never been to Sunday school.

Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez are the boss guys in charge. And the design and graphics look as drop dead gorgeous as Nancy in a cowboy hat! Sure, we're seen it before nine years ago. But no crime there. This time it has 3D, and it ain't sappy 3D. This is the top dollar stuff, and well used. Makes you feel you're in the shot.

Like art? Like graphics? Like this. Shame about the portrayal of women.

(If you enjoyed this review please see my archive of previous reviews at bob-the-movie-man.com and sign up to "Follow the Fad". Thanks).

Don't get your hopes up

[drjgardner · 4/10 · 26 August 2014]

I'm a big fan of Frank Miller's work, and "Sin City" (2005) and "300" (2006) are two of my favorite films. But just as the sequel "300 Rise of an Empire" disappointed, this sequel is not up to the original. In fact, it is so far from the original it's disturbing. There is nothing new here, and much of what made the original entertaining is missing as well. More problematic, everyone's voice seems the same.

Some of the guest stars (Christopher Lloyd, Jeremy Priven, Chris Melonik, Jude Ciccolella) are on screen for such a short period of time it's a waste. Meanwhile, the bulk of the story revolves around John Brolin who doesn't have the charisma to carry the film, and Bruce Willis as a ghost is a waste of everyone's time. Jessica Alba has little to do except dance, which she does very well.

If like me you're a fan of Miller's work you'll want to go see this, but don't get your hopes up too high.

+++ The Feeling of the Comic Book with a Small Plus ++++

[David_del_Real_Reviews_in_IMDb · 9/10 · 28 November 2017]

+++ The Feeling of the Comic Book with a Small Plus ++++

------- ------- ------- ------- Capturing again that sensation from the comic maybe caused by those black and white scenes with some areas in color that make a feeling of cold and shivers travel all the way up our spine, this second part of Frank Miller's Sin City is completely worth-watching.

Being based primarily in Frank Miller's second story from the SIN CITY series, it was actually the one that I thought that they'd have taken to the big screen when they made their first movie as it was by far my favorite and the one that had a more defined central argument.

Continuing with all the good stuff from the first movie, it uses a lot of characters and elements we already knew, we had a conclusion for the tormented tale of Nancy Callahan portrayed by Jessica Alba and John Hartigan (now a ghost), performed by Bruce Willis which was a very logical conclusion to their story. But along all the good elements in the film, foremost I think that Eva Green's AVA gives us an interesting turn to the plot; unlike her comic book counterpart, this AVA never really seems a defenseless damsel in distress which means that most men falling for her can't be really considered victims, as they fell actually wanting to fall; they could have believed anything she said or even still make her will in the case they didn't. That makes her character a bit more powerful and some of the other characters, much less innocent.

As I said I thought that this was going to be the story that they were going to use in the first SIN CITY movie and now that they have finally taken it to the screen, IMO it was completely worth it.

I don't understand fully why it was not as successful as the first part. My guess is that it was not so surprising for a lot of people because most of the characters weren't new and the interesting visual format wasn't new either, nevertheless I think that both movies are more or less equally good, even when I must admit I prefer this second one by a bit.

Thanks for reading.

IMDb Review written by David del Real.

November 2017.

A nice follow up from the 2005 predecessor

[Seraphion · 7/10 · 26 August 2014]

The movie starts with the prequel parts of the first movie. Marv who chases and kills four boys who torture bums outside of Kadie's. Back at Kadie's again, Marv still watches the stripper Nancy as Johnny arrives there and wins on the gambles, including over Senator Roark on poker. The senator gets back on him, but not killing him. Way back, a private eye Dwight saves a prostitute Sally from being killed. He then gets called to meet Ava at Kadie's, but her husband's bodyguard fetches her. Vexed, Dwight tries to get back at the bodyguards but he gets beaten down twice. He asks Marv for help and they plow their way up to Dwight killing Ava's husband. Turns out Ava sets up Dwight to kill her husband.

She fails to kill Dwight afterward and Marv takes him away to Old Town. Dwight gets back on Ava. He gets discovered by Ava's bodyguard, but the Old Town girls have him backed up, and he's able to kill Ava. Back to Johnny, after getting his injuries fixed, he luckily gets a dollar from a waitress diner. He then goes back to win the slots and challenge Roark again. He taunts Roarkand gets shot in the head. Now the sequel part begins, Nancy reminisces about Hartigan, training and building up her nerves to avenge him. She sets her face up to have Marv as a back up. They both storm into Roark's place, where she then squares off the old vengeance.

As the first movie did seven years ago, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (2014) rolls out it's story not confined just in a single character as the focus. It has four major segments of shorter stories which are linked by having certain characters involved in some or all of them. Most of this movie is prequel parts to the Sin City (2005) movie, expanding the story backward.

Quite the opposite from the other Frank Miller graphic novel adaptation of '300' stories, the action part in this movie is retaining preference of the less polished raw brutality to the stylized smooth sequencing action moves. The gun shootouts and fisted or bladed fights seem quite stupid as most of the enemies fall down easily or don't even retaliate at all. This keeps the comic aura very strong, compared to the slow motions used in 300 (2006) and 300: Rise Of An Empire (2014).

The photography also still takes us back to the 2005 predecessor, maintaining the dominant black and white coloration and contrasting primary colors on smaller objects. What I really liked is the camera angling done on the driving scenes. The way I see it, it's combining techniques using a moving camera on a jimmy jib shooting a stationary car with a background of green screen. Add a heavy dose of visual effects and suitable footage for the green screen backdrop, and….voila, you get the strange stationary 3D feel.

The acting is a great overall. Eva Green managed to maintain her cold ruthless look, succeeding in claiming a worthy spot among the other senior Sin City actors. Mickey Rourke still has his character's hard hitting action great to watch. Josh Brolin did a good job in portraying the character that Clive Owen already built in the first movie. Joseph Gordon-Levitt did also a nice job of acting although his character feels less significant.

My verdict for Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (2014) is a nice 7 out of 10 score. A recommendation to go and see is a definite one from me, After the long pause from it's predecessor, this movie sure can do the satisfaction as it's a worthy follow up.

Exercise in futility

[ArchonCinemaReviews · 2/10 · 30 September 2014]

Almost ten years later, writer/directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller try to strike gold again with a second screen adaptation of the Sin City graphic novels.

Unfortunately, A Dame to Kill For suffers from all the afflictions of a bad sequel: an overcomplicated plot forcing a resolved story forward, recasting of previous roles and the addition of new but significantly less compelling characters, and exploiting the spark that made the first film great while still not having that magical appeal.

Once again we find ourselves in hardened and corrupted town of Basin City where the inhabitants exist and resist against the sinful city, while others revel in its reprehensible environment.

Producers started working on a sequel seven years after the initial film was released. In that time Brittany Murphy and Michael Clarke Duncan passed. Though they portrayed minor characters, their characters, Shellie and Manute respectively, were vastly effectual and favorites in the film. Rodriguez elected to retire Shellie, smartly, but recast Manute with Dennis Haysbert, but he did not stop there. He also chose to recast Devon Aoki's Miho with the exceedingly inferior Jamie Chung and Michael Madsen's Bob with Jeremy Piven. Further, Clive Owen's Dwight McCarthy is seemingly recast and played by Josh Brolin. Mickey Rourke's Marv makes a surprise appearance considering he died in the previous film. Eye candy Jessica Alba dons the stirrups once again as Nancy but this time gets an unnecessary and boring principal role.

It's almost impossible to write a summary for the film without giving away key aspects of the plot. Note, the term 'spoiler' was not used deliberately as nothing would be spoiled. Despite having several fascinating and explicit story lines from the comics, Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez decided to force five seemingly unconnected and irrelevant segments worth of content into a Sin City sequel that is really a pointless prequel-sequel hybrid. Within thirty minutes at least seven main characters and their associated stories, all in infancy, branch out with no time to become invested or even care about the outcome.

The revolutionary awe and savagery of Sin City is gone. The inventive techniques that made the first film extraordinary are exploited and bludgeoned to death. Rodriguez and Miller over-utilize popping colors against the stylized black and white motif so that the significance in these items and moments diminishes to nothingness.

The witty dialogue that succinctly dripped with a retro film noir edge falls flat on the tongue of the, arguably, main character portrayed by Josh Brolin. Brolin lacks the debonair and commanding force that Clive Owen has in the first film. Peppered with lazy and lame metaphors, the script sounds like the banal ramblings of a poorly followed twitter account of a desperate writer. Example: "An atom bomb goes off between my legs. A freight train barrels into my jaw." Then to keep up with the gruesome and shocking content of its predecessor, A Dame to Kill For randomly adds violence as an obvious afterthought.

It is incomprehensible that, after seven years, the producers would rush into filming besides a hefty paycheck with this paltry, tame and inconsequential movie. A Dame to Kill For is painfully contrived and completely pointless.

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Not Bad

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 7/10 · 20 August 2021]

Visually it's great, but in terms of story it's not as good as the first one. But I'm still very fond of it.