Grade: 44/100
While Frank Miller made a genuine attempt to duplicate and expand on his original work, “Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For” missed the mark of excellence for a few reasons, including the lack of risk taken in the film.
The first “Sin City” received its fame from not only being an action movie but also a psychological thriller different from almost any other. The film’s graphic novel and comic book theme made for an interesting viewer experience and enhanced the plot. While this execution remained intact for the sequel, “A Dame to Kill For” did not cross the same lines as its prequel.
The new movie continues the story of Nancy Callahan, a heartbroken stripper played by Jessica Alba, and Marv, her father-like figure played by Mickey Rourke. After mourning the death of her one true love Hartigan, played by Bruce Willis, Nancy schemes to kill the man responsible, Senator Roark played by Powers Boothe.
The other story the film follows is freelance photographer Dwight, Josh Brolin and his evil temptress Ava, played by Eva Green, determined to control Sin City and be the richest woman in the “soiled” town.
The arrival of Joseph Gordon-Levitt to the Sin City cast may have been much anticipated; however his role as Senator Roark’s bastard son Johnny was insignificant and mundane in the grand scheme of the overall plot. With the exception of a couple entertaining poker scenes, Gordon-Levitt’s character seemed to exit the plot almost as quickly as he entered it.
The movie’s “dramatic” conclusion ends in a simplistic, predictable way: death. Nancy Callahan exacts her revenge by charging Senator Roark’s house with Marv and eventually killing him with Hartigan’s old revolver. Dwight puts an end to the self-destructive hold Ava has on him by killing her, basically before she kills him. And Johnny dies at the hand of his estranged father after beating him in a poker game with a nearly impossible hand. Though the plot lacked sustenance and took fewer risks than the original movie, “A Dame to Kill For” certainly dazzled viewers with a couple of a spectacular action scenes as well as notable special effects and cinematography.
Quentin Tarantino’s exclusion from the direction team may have been one reason for the inconsistencies in this let-down sequel.