Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Movie Title--  Sin City:  A Dame to Kill For

Release Year--  2014

Running Time--  1 Hour and 42 Minutes

Director--  Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez

Cast--  Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Eva Green, Powers Boothe, Dennis Hoysbert, Ray Liotta, Stacy Keach, Jamie King, Christopher Lloyd, Jeremy Riven, Christopher Meloni, Juno Tempe, Marton Csokas, Lady Gaga, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Julia Garner

Lives intersect and play out through the dark and dangerous streets of Basin City.

When Marv (Mickey Rourke) regains consciousness he sees that he is surrounded by a wrecked police car and a few dead young men but he doesn't remember the events that have lead him to this place.

Remembering that it is Saturday, he knows that he was in "Kadie's Saloon" earlier in the evening watching Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) dance.  Deciding that he is in no mood to watch Nancy, he steps outside into the alley only to witness a few frat boys attempting to burn a homeless man alive.  Marv intervenes and is shot in the arm by the leader of the frat boys.  Marv believes that the young man calls him "Bernie Boy", so he pursues the group to find out the reasoning behind the name.  

Marv steals a police car and blacks out when he crashes into the back of the the frat boy's car.  Once he wakes up he pursues the last two young men into The Projects and reveals that he was raised there and it is a very rough part of town.  With the help of the deadly residence of The Projects he finishes the young men off and as he is killing the leader, he questions him about the name he was called.  The man explains that he called him a "Bernini Boy", referring to the maker of the expensive coat he was wearing, which causes Marv to wonder how he had come to acquire the coat.

Cocky young gambler Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) arrives in Sin City and heads straight to "Kadie's Saloon".  Once he arrives, he picks up a young waitress named Marcie (Julia Garner) and takes her as his good luck charm, then goes to the slot machines and proceeds to hit the jackpot on each machine that he plays.  With the money that he acquires he buys his way into a backroom, high stakes poker game that is hosted by the powerful Senator Roark (Powers Boothe).

Johnny wins over and over again, eventually beating Roark.  When the game is over, another player at the table warns that Johnny should gather his winnings and leave town but instead Johnny decides to take Marcie out on the town.  While they are out, Johnny is attacked and after he gets free he tells Marcie to go to his hotel room and wait for him and is then forced into Roark's limousine.  

Once inside Roark reveals that he is aware that Johnny is his illegitimate child but then goes on to admit that the only child he ever considered to be his own flesh and blood was his now deceased son Roark Jr., then leaves Johnny to suffer for humiliating him at the poker game.  Once Johnny recovers, he finds that Marcie is has been murdered by Roark's goon's and is determined to set things right.

In an attempt to get away from his violent past, Dwight McCarthy (Josh Brolin) is working as a private detective while trying to stay sober and dealing daily with his demons.  He is hired by a woman to tail her businessman husband (Ray Liotta) to discover if he is cheating on her or not.  While tailing him, Dwight learns that he is indeed cheating and steps in to save the young hooker (Juno Temple) he has been having an affair with once he realizes that the businessman is planning to kill her.  Soon after this, he receives a phone call from his ex-lover Ava Lord (Eva Green) begging him to meet her at "Kadie's Saloon".  

Against his better judgement, Dwight goes to "Kadie's" and begins to ponder over the reasoning she would want to meet him after leaving him four years prior for her now husband Damion Lord (Marton Csokas).  When she shows up she begs him to forgive her and implies that her husband is mistreating her.  Not long after her arrival, her chauffeur Manute (Dennis Haysbert) shows up to escort her home.  

Although Dwight tries, he can not get Ava out of his mind and he goes to her home to try to learn more about her situation.  He watches as Ava swims nude but is caught by Manute and is given a severe beaten for it.  When Dwight returns home he finds Ava, nude in his bed and unable to resist her, the two of them have sex.  When they are done, Ava tells him that Damien and Manute are torturing her, then once again Manute arrives and beats Dwight up.

Dwight then seeks the help of his friend Marv to save Ava.  They go to the Lord compound where Marv tears out Manute's eye and Dwight beats Damion to death.  Ava then thanks him for helping to murder her husband and shoots him.  Marv takes Dwight to Old Town where his old flame Gail (Rosario Dawson) helps to save his life.  After having reconstructive surgery on his face, he begins to plot his revenge on Ava.

Four years after the death of Detective John Hartigan, Nancy is having trouble dealing with his suicide.  She is obsessed with taking revenge on Senator Roark, believing that it is his fault Hartigan killed himself.  While she is trying to cope, Hartigan's ghost is hanging around unable to reach her but trying to help her anyway.  

The night that Johnny arrives Nancy attempts to shoot Roark but is unable to.  She then begins to toughen herself up but hallucinates that Roark comes to her and threatens her, so she slices her face up. Afterward, she convinces Marv that Roark has done this to her.  With his support, they go to Roark's compound to exact their revenge.

When this film came to the theater I was very eager to go see it but I missed it, so I picked it up right away when it was released on DVD.  I must say that I am happy that I missed it in the theater.  This film was just not as good as the first.  I was actually disappointed that this film was not better than it was.  Comparatively this film was a huge flop.  Perhaps it is because the first film was different and original so by the time they finally got around to making the sequel this style wasn't as fresh and new any longer, but whatever the reason, it just didn't hold up very well.  

The best part by far is Johnny's story.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt does an excellent job in this film and he really becomes the best this film has to offer.  His story is simple, easy to relate to and not over blown.  I will say, although he is by far the best in this film, his ending is the lamest.  I was really mad at the end of his story because of the way it ends; to me it was a sorry ending to the best part of the film.

I am not saying the film is awful, I am just saying it doesn't hold a candle to the first film.  If you go into this one expecting the same quality you got in the first you will be disappointed but if you go in with an open mind you may enjoy it.  Make your own decision about this one, just Don't Forget the Popcorn!