Sin City is a stellar film. It only makes sense that Dimension / Buena Vista would give it the treatment that it deserves, resulting in a Blu-Ray release that will have viewers in awe from start to finish. The picture itself is sharp as all get out, tying together crisp and clear audio with a video that seems to even improve on the original theatrical print. The feature presentation on the Blu-Ray also surpasses the theatrical and DVD cut due to the inclusion of additional footage, which provides further back story and context that viewers would simply not be familiar with.
The commentary tracks further provide previously unseen (or unheard) insight into the film, while the inclusion of the character map provide spatial information that may not be shown clearly in the high-action scenes. While there are traditional types of featurettes here (behind the scenes), the odd inclusions are what really make this release shine. Beyond a virtual comic book (“Kill ‘em Goodâ€), there is a version of the film that showcases the actors working in front of the green screen, sped up numerous times.
What struck me as funny is the audience reaction track, which showcases what a specific test audience felt was interesting, bloody, or horrific enough to make noise to: I’ve personally never seen something similar on any other release. Finally, the inanimate objects are all put underneath the microscope; props (“Booze, Broads, and Gunsâ€), make-up (“Making the Monstersâ€), and costumes (“Trenchcoats & Fishnetsâ€) are here. While it would ultimately be cost-prohibitive to do up all films in this manner, the Blu-Ray release of Sin City should act as a blueprint for any movie house that is trying to give their fans the best bang for their buck that they can. If you like Sin City, there is absolutely no reason that you should not purchase this Blu-Ray release.
Rating: 9.1/10
Sin City (Blu-Ray) / 2009 Buena Vista / 147 Minutes / http://www.miramax.com
