Origin:

Frank Miller's acclaimed comic book.

Synopsis:

There are eight million stories in the naked city and almost as many crammed into "Sin City." Based on the comic book series of the same name by Frank Miller, who directed the film with Robert Rodriguez, this slavishly faithful screen adaptation tracks the ups and downs of tough guys and dolls recycled from the lower depths and bottom shelves of pulp fiction. Instead of Raymond Chandler, though, these hard-boiled tales owe a debt to the American primitivism of Mickey Spillane and comic book legends like William Gaines. "Sin City" has been made with such scrupulous care and obvious love for its genre influences that it's a shame the movie is kind of a bore. In recent years, Mr. Rodriguez has been a careless craftsman, but he went to great lengths to honor Mr. Miller's vision. Alas, in an effort to make a faithful adaptation, Mr. Rodriguez put his own movie sense on hold, not even bothering with a real script.

© Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

Prequels, Sequels and Follow-ons:

Sin City 2 (2006) Directed by: Robert Rodriguez. Starring: To be announced