Like it or hate it, at least you have to admit "Sin City" accomplishes something no previous movie has ever done, which is successfully duplicate the look and tone of the comic books (um, excuse me...graphic novels) on which it's based. This is also one of the better looking and sounding discs I've picked up this year. Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of extras, meaning big fans (and there's a lot of them) will either have to wait until an inevitable special edition, or buy the movie twice.

"Sin City" features a trio of semi-connected stories, all taking place in the dark, seedy town of Basin City, and featuring brooding anti-heroes saving or avenging the women they love. The first, which also serves as a wraparound story, features Bruce Willis as an aging, ailing cop trying to save a young girl (Jessica Alba) from the slimy hands of resident pervert Junior (Nick Stahl), who happens to be a senator's son. The next, and best, story features an unrecognizable Mickey Roarke (the best performance in the film, believe it or not) as Marv, a freakish thug who vows to slowly and brutally kill everyone responsible for the death of prostitute Goldie, the only woman to ever show him love. The last story has noble-but-slightly-nuts Dwight (Clive Owen) rush to the aid of some hookers, led by the sexy-but-dangerous Shellie (Rosario Dawson), hoping to save them from a war with the police after the kill slimy, corrupt cop, Jackie (Benicio Del Toro). The stories themselves are standard, comic-noir fare...well-acted by a huge cast of stars, but perfunctory nonetheless. What sets "Sin City" apart from just about any other movie is how it is shot; the movie looks and feels exactly like the Frank Miller comics on which it's based, from the slight-but-effective use of color, the surreal look of the setting & characters, the movement of the automobiles, right down to the exaggerated dialogue (one can practically picture the words scrawled in a balloon over the characters). Director Robert Rodriquez is definitely the right guy for the job, as most of his previous movies are kind of like comic books themselves. He, along with co-director Miller & "guest" director Quentin Tarantino, have put together a movie (which was obviously a labor of love) that moves along much faster than its 124 minute running time would suggest, and is loaded with all the stylized violence, black humor, sex, imagery, nihilistic tough guys & bad beautiful women the comic series is renowned for.

The picture is offered in 1.85:1 widescreen, enhanced for 16x9 TVs, and looks damn-near perfect. The exaggerated colors are vibrant, and black tones are excellent. The sound, offered in both Dolby Digital & DTS Digital, is almost as well-rendered, with outstanding balance, no distortion and some creative use of 5.1 sound. In short, the best looking disc I've seen in a long time.

The only extra feature is a short 9 minute documentary, with comments by Miller, Rodriquez, Tarantino & a majority of the cast, nearly all of whom mostly talk about how great it is to be doing the movie. Undoubtedly, there must be a special edition in our future, with more substantial supplementary material.

"Sin City" is one of those films you watch more for how well made it was than the plot itself, but I don't really mean that as criticism. It's a totally unique visual experience, directed with a lot of style & performed by a first rate cast, whose characters are all ultra-cool, ultra-sexy, and could never exist in the real world. Flamboyant, violent and often quite funny, "Sin City" is a definite must-own. Similar Movies: "Pulp Fiction"; "Creepshow"; "Desperado"; "Dark City"; "Sin City 2" (2006) Useless Trivia: Creator Frank Miller has a small part in the movie, playing a priest.