Holy crap, what a movie!
First off, let's get this out of the way: No, Sin City is not going to be roundly hailed as a masterpiece example of film noir (which it is) or Stanislavskian acting style ( again, yes). This is film noir updated, but still faithful to the pulp fiction of the 40's and 50's. If you miss Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck, well, I'm sorry. I guess Mickey Rourke and Jaimie King will have to do; this the 21st Century, by the way. But at the very least, this is the best movie to be released in America in the last 4 months hands down.
For many, the violence is going to be a problem. It is, to say the least, pulverizingly violent. I must admit, I'm a little relunctant to endorse a movie that is so over-the-top violent in an era when aggression is being championed by every Nintendo-raised, beer-swilling, Toby Keith-loving Republican ape who enjoys watching internet videos of innocent Iraqi civilians being blasted limb from limb and screaming "That's extreme!" and "They deserved it for fucking with our country, by God!"
However, Sin City is not about realism. It's about recreating the visceral one-two punch of Frank Miller's graphic novels, and, buddy, does Robert Rodriguez ever succeed. Yeah, people are going to yell "It's all style over substance," and charges of misogyny and exploitation are not unfounded, I suppose. There is a lot of female nudity, but they are hookers, after all. And I wouldn't necessarily say women who chop men into small enough pieces to fit into the trunk of a car are victims, either.
Sin City is really what an action movie should be. This is truly escapist fun and not some lame Hollywood popcorn-fest set to a throbbing rock music soundtrack featuring orchestrated explosions and actors who should be relegated to Gap commercials.
Style over substance? I have heard that one ever since Resevoir Dogs. Tarantino and Rodriguez are each equally fascinated by the actual process of movie-making as pure joy, as well as the effort to create a work of art. Why not let such talented men enjoy themselves?