Sin City Blu-ray comes close to perfection with top scores all around making it one of the best Blu-ray's ever
Welcome to Sin City. This town beckons to the tough, the corrupt, the brokenhearted, some call it dark. Hard-boiled. Then there are those who call it home. Crooked cops. Sexy Dames. Desperate vigilantes. Some are seeking revenge. Others lust after redemption. And then there are those hoping for a little of both. A universe of unlikely and reluctant heroes still trying to do the right thing in a city that refuses to care.
The Spirit may have brought iconic artist/writer Frank Miller's filmmaking potential into serious question, but it hasn't sullied his reputation for penning groundbreaking, genre-bending tales filled with compelling anti-heroes, corrupt fatcats, and ruthless villains. Such is the legacy of Miller's ultraviolent, multifaceted neo-noir series Sin City, an engrossing series of intertwined comics that not only pushed the veritable envelope in every conceivable way, but managed to infuse biting, poetic prose and raw imagery with startlingly relevant examinations of love, lust, and loyalty. It was this same legacy that inspired director Robert Rodriguez to approach his first cinematic adaptation of the material with the utmost respect. From the earliest fanboy buzz to the most tantalizing glimpses of stunning finalized footage, it was clear that Sin City was going to be a film unlike any other. Upon its theatrical release, Rodriguez's unwavering devotion to Miller's source produced something few filmmakers have ever achieved: an indefinable work of art that defies expectation, confounds tradition analysis, and promises to stand the test of time.
I'm gonna find that sonuvabitch that killed you, Goldie, and I'm gonna give him the hard goodbye...
Bookmarked by a short of sorts involving a suave hitman (Josh Hartnett) and his prey, Sin City is divided into three nonlinear, overlapping stories. The first follows a hardened heap of stone named Marv (a nearly unrecognizable Mickey Rourke) who's framed for the murder of the love of his life: a yellow-haired prostitute named Goldie (Jamie King). As Marv's investigation leads him to a twin sister, his parole officer (Carla Gugino), a group of vindictive working girls, and, eventually, the home of a renowned Basin City Cardinal (Rutger Hauer), he winds his way deeper and deeper into a city he adores. Eventually, he encounters a vicious cannibal (Elijah Wood) and a horrible truth that leads him to question his feelings, his future, and his purpose. Rodriguez and Miller's second tale introduces a woman named Shellie (Brittany Murphy) who's threatened by her shifty ex-boyfriend, Jackie Boy (Benicio del Toro). When her current beau Dwight (Clive Owen) intervenes, the squirming whelp retreats and finds himself knee deep in blood at the hands of a hooker-with-a-machine-gun named Gail (Rosario Dawson). But when Dwight, Gail, and the rest of the girls (Devon Aoki and Alexis Bledel, among others) realize Jackie was actually a police officer, they have to ditch his body, avoid a gigantic thug named Manute (Michael Clarke Duncan), and preserve the already tenuous peace of the alleys.
The third and meatiest pick of the litter focuses on a police officer named John Hartigan (Bruce Willis), a steady veteran who saves a young girl named Nancy Callahan (Makenzie Vega) from the clutches of the depraved son (Nick Stahl) of a powerful senator (Powers Boothe). But when the stalwart cop is betrayed by his own partner (Michael Madsen) after pumping several bullets into the rapist in question, he finds himself sent up the river for Junior's crimes to endure a lengthy prison sentence. Released years later, Hartigan tracks down Nancy (Jessica Alba), now a stripper at a local club, to make sure she's safe. Unbeknownst to him, the senator's son -- alive, well, and coping with a variety of deformities including hideous yellow skin -- has been using Hartigan to find Nancy and tie up loose ends. As the unlikely lovers are forced to contend with the very violent ghosts of their pasts, they have to exact justice on an unrepentant monster and come to terms with the seedy underbelly of Basin City.
As conceived by Rodriguez, Sin City is a sprawling, breathtaking realization of Miller's stories that incorporates exceedingly faithful panel-to-screen visuals, unflinchingly brutal violence, and enough stylized gunplay to fill a dozen modern actioners. The seemingly endless reservoir of notable names he parades through the production is as impressive as it is perfectly cast -- Oscar-winning actors appear for mere minutes before disappearing, while relative unknowns steal scenes right out from under legendary heavyweights. It's a thrilling, unpredictable affair packed with unexpected deaths and multiple gut-wrenching climaxes. Yet calling the film a collection of shorts robs it of its cohesive brilliance; attempting to pluck out any one crucial support leaves the rest of the cards wavering in the wind. The screenplay itself plays with time, interconnectivity, and meaningful exchanges -- early asides and unrelated events are often revealed to have lasting ramifications for each character that calls Basin City home. Rodriguez doesn't simply toss every character he can into a noir-tinted blender, he guides them into specific configurations with increasingly calculating reason. He doesn't just breathe life into his adaptation, he gives Miller's every ink blot and cross-hatch its own twisted soul.
I know Sin City isn't for everyone -- its unforgiving gore and sexuality may strike some as gratuitous and unnecessary, its ever-present narration may elicit accusations of pretension, and its jarring tonal shifts may lose the uncommitted along the way -- but it's tough to deny that Rodriguez has delivered a dense and fascinating journey through the darkest corners of man's soul. More to the point, even though its heroes are few and far between, righteousness is a fading commodity, and villainy continually rises to rule the day, the film offers a complex and bustling overview of a city spiraling out of control as despair takes hold of its best and brightest. In that regard, the film proves itself to be a well-cloaked masterwork that presents the eternal struggle between morality and depravity with ever-evolving intensity. Rodriguez and Miller may not want their work to be over-analyzed, but it doesn't change the fact that Sin City is a nuanced investigation into the things that separate man from monster. I for one am smitten.
Every time I review a Disney Blu-ray release, I feel like busting out a stack of Hello Kitty stationary and sending a syrupy thank-you note to anyone involved with the disc's production. Before Marv even dropped his first body on the ground, I knew Disney had delivered the goods once again. Sin City boasts a phenomenal, reference level 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that, quite simply, blows most other releases out of the water. I hate to gush too much, but every frame of Rodriguez's stark cinematography has been meticulously reproduced, his injections of color leap off the screen, and his enveloping gray gradients are impeccably precise. Even though deep blacks and harsh whites dominate the picture, crush is never an unintentional issue, artifacting isn't a factor (unless you're standing a foot from the screen), and contrast is spot on from beginning to end. More importantly, detail is absolutely stunning -- skin and fabric look fantastic, textures are earthy and refined, and object definition is incredibly sharp (without the unwanted help of any significant edge enhancement). Better still, each cut of the film is just as impressive. Generously spread onto two BD-50 discs, I'd be hard pressed to find any differences in quality between the presentations.
The results are even more mind-blowing when you compare the Blu-ray transfers to their standard DVD counterparts. Literally every aspect of the image has received a fitting overhaul, rendering any previous release of Sin City a decidedly dated relic. If you have any love Frank Miller's original comic series or for Rodriguez's adaptation -- any affection at all -- this release deserves a very special home on your shelves.
I need more stationary. Disney's DTS-HD Master Lossless Audio 5.1 surround track bowled me over time and time again, emerging as an early frontrunner for best reference mix of the year. Narration thunders with aggressive subwoofer support, dialogue is naturally distributed across the front channels, and prioritization is flawless. Low-end bass tones are powerful to say the least, arriving with room-shaking booms and exiting suddenly with memorable thooms. The rear speakers can hardly contain their relegated activity -- barreling winds rush across the oh-so-immersive soundfield without a hitch, ricocheting bullets scatter in the distance, the crunch of gravel on a country road echoes across the chilled air... I could go on and on. As it stands, directionality fooled me on more than one occasion, convincing me some rogue insect or hurtling chunk of debris had somehow materialized in my home theater. Moreover, pans are invisible, dynamics are bold, and the soundfield's acoustics are remarkably authentic. Disney's lossless track not only compliments anything and everything that graces the screen, it elevates the impact of the entire film and captures the very essence of Basin City. I'm off to write those thank-you notes now.
The Blu-ray edition of Sin City not only provides fans with two, full-length renditions of Rodriguez's neo-noir masterpiece -- an R-rated theatrical cut and an unrated, extended version that adds some 23 minutes into the film -- it allows viewers to explore the production in a variety of ways. If I have any gripe, it's that most of the supplemental video content is presented in standard definition. However, if Disney's decision to forgo high definition extras was directly responsible for the increased quality of the film itself, I withdraw my complaint.
Disc One includes:
The Complete Theatrical Cut of the Film (HD, 124 minutes)
Cine-Explore Interactive Visual Commentary: A captivating PiP track that uses several windows to showcase green-screen footage from the film's principal photography, artwork from Miller's original comic series, and other interesting material from pre and post production.
Audio Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller: An informative and engaging discussion between the co-directors that covers the gamut of the production. Candid and jovial throughout, both men share a great working relationship they seem more than willing to rekindle for a Sin City sequel.
Audio Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino: A surprise visit from Bruce Willis saves this somewhat redundant track from falling into the abyss of Tarantino's incessant chatter. Don't get me wrong, I love his films as much as the next guy, but considering his relatively small role in Sin City, I would have liked to hear more from Rodriguez.
Audience Reaction Track: A unique audio track that allows you to watch the film while listening to the enthusiastic reaction of an Austin, Texas crowd experiencing it all for the first time. While I doubt anyone will sit through the entire track, it's still a fun addition to the disc.
Disc Two includes:
The Complete Recut, Extended, and Unrated Version of the Film (HD, 147 minutes)
Rodriguez Special Features (SD, 58 minutes): Dropping five featurettes into one collection, Disney places one of the better supplements on the second disc. Film School looks at the ways Rodriguez interpreted Miller's art on film, All Green Screen Version is an accelerated look at the entire film sans special effects, The Long Take digs into a fourteen minute Tarantino take, Live in Concert finds Bruce Willis performing with his band while shooting the film, and Cooking School gives Rodriguez the odd opportunity to explain how to make his patented breakfast tacos.
Kill 'em Good (HD): An exclusive, interactive comicbook that combines dialogue from the film, artwork, and a few gimmicky arcade segments to produce a decent experience worth a few minutes of your time.
How It Went Down (SD, 6 minutes): This all-too-short featurette documents Rodriguez's at-times creepy pursuit of Miller's permission to adapt Sin City for the big screen.
Special Guest Director, Quentin Tarantino (SD, 7 minutes): An overview of Tarantino's time on the set, his contributions to the film, and his hesitance to use digital cameras.
A Hard Top with a Decent Engine (SD, 8 minutes): A glimpse at the various classic cars that appear throughout the film.
Booze, Broads, and Guns (SD, 11 minutes): A look at the practical props the actors used while shooting scenes on Rodriguez's green-screen sets.
Making the Monsters (SD, 9 minutes): Prosthetic applications and make-up are covered at length.
Trenchcoats & Fishnets (SD, 8 minutes): Costumes get a similar treatment.
Sin City finally arrives on Blu-ray with everything a fanboy like myself could ask for -- two cuts of Rodriguez's faithful adaptation, a jaw-dropping, reference level video transfer, a powerful DTS-HD Master Lossless Audio track, and a slew of supplemental materials culled from the film's standard DVDs. Suffice to say, any nitpick I can muster seems laughably insignificant in lieu of the high quality of Disney's thrilling 2-disc release. If you haven't already visited Amazon on instinct alone, head there now and snatch a copy of Sin City at the lowest price in town.
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