Two recent releases have proven how tricky is the task of comic book adaptation; an ongoing Hollywood trend aimed at saving the film majors from bankruptcy. The theory is that the simpler the plot, and the bigger the budget, the larger the audience (profit). But consider the following: Constantine was made by music-video director Francis Lawrence for USD100 million; Sin City was co-directed by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn), comics' illustrator Frank Miller and guest director Quentin Tarantino, for USD 45 million. The former is short on character development and fails to involve the viewer; the latter is rich in situations and characterization, and draws the viewer in.
Constantine, supposedly based on Hellblazer, is another Keanu Reeves vehicle. Ironically, for a comic adaptation the film takes itself far too seriously, and audiences are unable to suspend their sense of disbelief. Oddly enough, belief is the central topic of this deja-vu, good-versus-evil fight, which emphasizes F/X over storyline. The result is a blockbuster of a bore, at least until the last reel when all hell breaks loose.
Sin City, on the other hand, gets it right. From first to last frame, the film is faithful to the original B&W comics, with its imaginative B-movie budget and sense of anything goes. Solid production values, excellent writing, directing and acting add up to a very enjoyable experience; that is, if you can stand the ultra-violence.
Smart black and white compositions (Sin City won the Technical Award for best visuals at the Cannes Film Festival), with the odd splash of color, reveal the movie’s grasp of the real world: Good guys aren’t all white, and bad guys are even worse than we thought. Outcasts, killers and virtuous prostitutes fight corrupt officials, cannibals and inhuman mobs. Comic adaptations don’t get any better than this.

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
July 2005 issue