Sin City - 91%

Short stories intermingling with one another, a format that is much used recently as seen in Crash, Magnolia ... heck even Ju-on uses a similar format. I just hope it doesn't get misused or overused, gets too boring. Sin City, thankfully, does not hinge its success on this format, though it uses it. The strengths are in its scripts, set designs, artistic direction, the performances of the actors and the characters.

Set Design and Artistic Direction
This is a gorgeous movie. And to think that everyone was acting against a blue screen, it makes the performances of the actors even more applaudable. Sky Captain used the same style of filmmaking, but this one takes the method and flies with it. The way the shots are framed follows the comic style very closely. You can imagine the director probably took the graphic novel used as it as a guide for his storyboard.

Script
Marvelous writing from Frank Miller on the novel. The script was supposed to be taken wholesale from that graphic novel. Wise decision

Characters
The characters in the movie are very nicely written. They are so colourful (forgive my pun) and creative. Or at least to movie goers not familiar with characters from these dark brooding comic books. It is refreshing to see how they so nicely preserve the comic books' feel into the movie. If there's any great comic to movie adaptation to mention, I will vote this to be the best I've ever seen.

Final Verdict: 91% Please please do not miss this piece of artistic achievement. If you hate gore though, stay away. This one comes in pails and pails of it.