Critics Rating: 2.5 Stars*

Cast: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Powers Boothe.

Direction: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller

Produced: Robert Rodriguez, Aaron Kaufman, Stephen L’Heureux, Sergei Bespalov, Alexander Rodnyansky, Mark Manuel

Written: Frank Miller

Genre: Action.

Duration: 1Hrs 39 Mins

Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez team up for another big screen adaptation of the former’s lurid comic series. While ADTKF may be the sequel to Sin City, some events happen chronologically before the others in the prequel, so let not the appearance of certain characters without prior explanation puzzle you.

Like the first one, this too has three tracks which intersect at the booze-addled, raunchy Kadie’s Saloon. The titular story occupies most of the screen-time and does justice to the chiaroscuro panels of the comic books.

Eva Green effortlessly slips into the character of Ava Lord, and probably as easily out of her garments, but the Indian censors have played spoilsport this time.

The narrative features Dwight McCarthy (Josh Brolin), a private eye trying to reign in his inner monster and stay sober before a call from ex-wife Ava sends his world in a tizzy. She may have left him for a wealthier spouse but not all is hunky-dory in the gilded cage where she is tormented. This detail needs mentioning for the benefit of Indian viewers as a key sequence explaining this seems to have been edited out because of its explicit content. Those who have not read the comics will be in the dark about this.

ADTKF takes up the entire first half, save for a brief introduction to Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s track The Long Bad Night, but we will touch upon it later. The first half works because of Josh Brolin’s gravelly monologue, which more or less follows the books verbatim and with great effect. Also, Eva Green scores a touchdown for Ava Lord, no puns intended, in a fantastic portrayal.

A satisfying resolution later, the film progresses on to The Long Bad Night, where Gordon-Levitt plays Johnny, an incredibly skilled and ridiculously lucky poker player. But when he joins a high stakes poker game against Senator Roarke (Powers Booth), he might be playing a hand bigger than he is capable of.

It is not like he was not warned.

A barmaid does say, “They’ll eat you alive back there” to which Johnny retorts, “I’m pretty tough to chew.” Despite the effortless cool Johnny brings in the frame (one-handed card shuffles? Win!), the overall plot whittles down to a ‘meh’ climax. ‘Meh’ is the only adjective it deserves.

Nancy’s Last Dance follows exotic dancer Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba), who is plunged in the deepest depths of despair after the suicide of tough cop John Hartigan (Bruce Willis). There is hair-cutting, oddly non-seductive dancing, mirror smashing and alcoholism happening as coping measures, even as Hartigan lurks as a spirit.

She gets Marv (Mickey Rourke) on board for her vengeance-fuelled rampage, because Marv is ‘300 pounds of iron’ and just the man you need for dirty jobs. It is no wonder that Dwight avails of his brute force in the first half of the film. Unfortunately, despite a dash of ‘badassery’, this storyline ends abruptly, bringing no satisfying closure. If only The Salesman (Josh Hartnett) was there to tie things in a suave little bow.

Irrespective of a good start, this follow-up of Sin City tapers off towards the end, like a posh SUV running on fumes. There is no taking away from the visually stunning monochrome frames lit up by explosions or icy vixens adding a touch of colour with gleaming hair and femme fatale attire. But without plotlines backing the superlative look, it does not match up to the first film, much as it pains this reviewer to admit it.

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For is worth a watch only if you are prepared for a slack second half. Otherwise, it is strikingly beautiful, with or without the under-clad dames strutting about. If that is enough for you, Sin City 2 is a film to book for.