A startling cinematic translation of the graphic novel style.

Sin City is a vision of hell: a dark and brutish metropolis, where
men are men, women are dames, and machismo is the only acceptable
code of behaviour. It's a place conjured up from the wet dream
of a
alpha male sociopath - a disturbing depiction of the potential
horrors of raw masculinity. The stripped down, stylised form
perfectly conveys the underlying absurdities in this bone crunching,
flesh tearing, animalistic world, with its addiction to simplistic
revenge, and penchant for sentimentality.

The sheer relentless accumulation of savagery, combined with the
dark, oppressive, and claustrophobic atmosphere, and the final
sickening revenge attack (reminiscent of the equally stomach-churning
attack in Irreversible), cannot fail to revolt, and certainly mean
that it cannot simply be filed away as `comic book-like'.

The main flaw in the film is it is too long. The three storylines
present an interesting structure, but do not really add anything
substantial to the central theme.

Having said that, it is still an impressive film, and well worth
watching.