The guys are bad, the action is slick and the dames well…with a title like Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, you kind of know what the dames will be like.
Does this all add up to a good film and validate all the fans hopes and dreams that have been brewing for the past nine years? For the most part, I felt that Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was an enjoyable time at the movies. Not everything worked for me but I was so happy to be amongst my favorite characters, with some wonderful new blood thrown in.
The plot of this film is very much fragmented so I’m going to break it down like so: Nancy (Jessica Alba) is dealing with the aftermath of Jon Hartigan (Bruce Willis)’s death and is planning to kill the Senator Roarke (Powers Booth), Johnny (Joseph Gordon Levitt) is a cocky gambler looking to win more than just money, Dwight (Josh Brolin) is struggling to contain the monster inside when a woman from his past (Eva Green) derails his life and Marv is still going around beating people up and killing folks.
Much like the first film all of these chapters are both intertwined and separate and the movie also has much of the same problems as the first. I’ve never really cared for Nancy’s storyline and while Alba acquits herself better this go around, I still can’t be bothered to care about her. You combine this with her storyline and Johnny’s ending the film, and it’s clear Sin City 2 has some struggles with narrative construction and an awkward conclusion. However, the middle portions, concerning Dwight and the titular Dame to kill for Ava Lord, more than made up for any issues with the other sections. I mean I could have watched three more hours of Eva Green chewing the scenery, as well as Josh Brolin matching her in gruff intensity. I also really enjoyed Joseph Gordon Levitt as the cocky Johnny who has a unique backstory.
Grade: ***/**** (B-)