Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Welcome to "Sin City." This town beckons to the tough, the corrupt, the brokenhearted. Some call it dark. Hard-boiled. Then there are those who call it home. Crooked cops. Sexy dames. Desperate vigilantes. Some are seeking revenge. Others lust after redemption. And then there are those hoping for a little of both. A universe of unlikely and reluctant heroes still trying to do the right thing in a city that refuses to care.

Frank Miller’s dark and sexy graphic novel is the best screen adaptation I’ve seen yet from the genre. The combining forces of Miller along with directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino delivered the most faithful graphic novel adaptation one could ever hope with almost shot for shot perfection from the source material. This Blu-ray release includes both the theatrical cut plus the extended versions that are broken out into their each individual storyline. This works pretty well for most of them and adds a bit more development to each story. I can’t wait to see what they do with the sequel for this one that is supposedly going into production soon.

This film has always been about eye candy but it has never looked near this good. The HD presentation is incredible and a clear step up from the DVD and the cable HD broadcasts I’ve seen. Detail is impeccable with fine textures and the minutest detail imaginable. The film is mostly black and white and the contrast levels really add a great sense of dimension to the imagery. What little color there is on the screen is extremely punchy and truly gives you the impression that you’re witnessing a live action comic. I did see some minor jaggies from the digital effects but it was hardly distracting. This is pure eye candy and one of the best transfers I’ve seen on Blu to date.

The soundtrack is delivered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and is also stellar. The soundtrack comes alive with great extension in the low end and plenty of surround presence. My only complaint is the dialogue which shows some obvious strain from the recording which was also present in the DVD release as well. While this wasn’t overly distracting, I did notice more often than I would have liked.

Extras are extensive on this set. For the theatrical cut you get a cine-explore feature that lets you watch the film and see the green screen production at the same time. This really shows how much of the visuals were generated in post production. You also get two feature commentaries and an audience track. The extended cut has extensive production features including an interactive look at the comic come to life. You also get some inside features with Rodriguez that includes his always fun film and cooking schools. Some production features and the trailers are also included.

To me this film is the bar which all other graphic novel adaptations will need to reach going forward. The style is truly visionary and this Blu-ray captures every ounce. A must own!