Blu-Ray Review: ‘Sin City’

If there is one movie that can only live in high definition glory, Frank Miller’s Sin City is that movie. Sin City, shot entirely on green screen, proves that a movie can be digital and still captivate an audience with an intensely wild journey filled with gulps, gasps and a plot to boot.

The Blu-Ray release immediately renders all prior Sin City releases obsolete. Not only is it packed with enough special features to make you want to pay double, it also breaks down the film and extends it into four chapters on the second disc. So, you’ll get to see “That Yellow Bastard,” “The Customer is Always Right,” “The Hard Goodbye” and “The Big Fat Kill” as independent featurettes with added scenes to match the original comic book tale. The extended footage isn’t really the full twenty minutes you’d expect, since it also covers additional title cards and credits. But, it does add enough nuances to make it worth watching for the Sin City aficionado.

One of the coolest features of the Blu-Ray release is the “Kill ‘em Good” interactive comic book, which allows you to play as Marv on a mission to find Goldie’s killer. Unfortunately for PS3 owners, the game plays best with an actual remote control and not the PS3 controller. On the PS3, you’ll have to work through the menus to work through the button scheme. This becomes extremely clunky and will make playing through the game a chore.

In typical Rodriguez and Tarantino fashion, the special features explore every aspect of the making of Sin City – from filmmaker audio commentary to behind the scenes footage of every aspect of production. So, if you’re a fan of Robert Rodriguez’ “Rebel Without a Crew” this is a must buy. To top off the making of Sin City experience, Rodriguez has packed in green screen version of the movie that shows the entire production in super speed on green screen. How’s that for a “wild ride?”

“Sin City” isn’t the reimagining of Frank Miller’s original graphic novel for film; it is Frank’s graphic novel. From start to finish, you’ll experience the original Sin City story with every twist, turn and startling thrill just as it was presented on paper. Each of the four stories is a small part to unlocking the greater world of Sin City. Panel by panel you’ll watch as the stories overlap and reveal a world where ethics and the ordinary have been replaced by man’s corruption. It appears to be a fantasy story on the surface, but deep down Sin City exposes the truths behind the corruption in the modern world as seen through Frank Miller’s eyes.

Sin City on Blu-Ray is a must have for any fan of the feature. If you’ve got it on DVD, it’s time to trade up. This is how Sin City was meant to be seen.

Disc One (Theatrical Cut) Features:
- All new Cine-Explore – Innovative Blu-ray technology allows viewers to experience a
uniquely interactive visual commentary that pushes the envelope. When selected, see
picture-in-picture green screen footage and original art synced with the filmmakers’
commentary.
- 2.0 Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
- 2.0 Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino
- 5.1 Audio Track Featuring a Recording of the Austin Audience Reaction

Disc Two (Unrated, Recut Extended Version) Features:
- All new “Kill ‘em Good” Interactive Comic Book - Dive into a visually stunning interactive
game that puts you in the driver’s seat. Exploiting the Blu-ray format in ways never before
seen, you finish the story – with guns blazing!

Four Chapters:
- Chapter One- That Yellow Bastard
- Chapter Two- The Customer Is Always Right
- Chapter Three- The Hard Goodbye
- Chapter Four- The Big Fat Kill

Rodriguez Special Features:
- 15-Minute Film School
- All Green Screen Version
- The Long Take
- Sin City: Live in Concert
- 10-Minute Cooking School
- How It Went Down: Convincing Frank Miller To Make The Film – this is definitely worth watching. Rodriguez produced an entire short from the movie (which was about 3 pages in the original Sin City Graphic Novel) as a test shoot, just to convince Frank to come on board.