Video Reviews: 'Sin City,' More

'Sin City' (R) The acting is terrific, its look is groundbreaking and the atmosphere is electrifying: Yet for all the film noir thriller "Sin City" has going for it, it's a sin that it couldn't have been better. Based on his graphic novel series of the same name, comic book writer Frank Miller co-directs with Robert Rodriguez. The filmmaker's buddy Quentin Tarantino is also at the helm as guest director.

Featuring an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Benicio Del Toro, Mickey Rourke, Elijah Wood and Clive Owen, "Sin City" follows three plots.

In the first, Willis plays a renegade cop who protects a bar dancer (Alba) from a sexual predator ("Terminator 3's" Nick Stahl). In the second, a thug, played by an unrecognizable Mickey Rourke, avenges the death of his girlfriend while the third follows a group of prostitutes who come under fire from the good and bad guys in the "Sin City" section known as "Old Town."

While Rodriguez has found success over the years with his "Spy Kids" film, "Sin City" is no doubt his best directorial effort since the Antonio Banderas-Salma Hayek gem "Desperado." Visually, it's a spectacular thrill ride.

However, "Sin City" is also mind-numbingly violent. In fact, if it weren't for the film's unique use of black and white cinematography (the color of the blood is mostly opaque instead of red) and its cartoonish elements (you have to remember, the film is based on a comic book), it probably would be more than most moviegoers could stomach.

As for the storytelling, even Tarantino's influence couldn't help "Sin City" pull all of its pieces together. The film is told in a fractured narrative, much like Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," where the storylines jumped back and forth in time and eventually intersected.

But with "Sin City," only two of the stories cross paths briefly and the third is left high and dry. Maybe fans of the comic book can make sense of it, but your average Joe and Jane moviegoers will be left puzzled. As one giant story, "Sin City" needs some serious fixing.

DVD Features: The DVD features for "Sin City" are surprisingly scant. The only bonus is a behind-the-scenes featurette. (Dimension Home Entertainment)

Also New This Week
'The Wedding Date' (PG-13): "Will and Grace" star Debra Messing makes the leap to a big-screen romantic comedy about a desperate woman who hires a male escort (Dermot Mulroney) to accompany to her sister's wedding to show up her former beau -- who happens to be the groom's best man. (Universal Studios Home Video)

'The Simpsons' Complete Sixth Season Fans of television's first family "The Simpsons" fans are inkling closer to making their making their collection half-complete with the release of another classic season. Adding to the fun, the four-disc set, packed in a Homer Simpson clam-shell. Doh! (Fox Home Entertainment)

Recent Releases:

'Million Dollar Baby' (PG-13): After compelling audiences in 2003 with "Mystic River," Clint Eastwood -- the director -- has come back swinging again with "Million Dollar Baby." It's a movie filled with such emotional punch that you'll still feel its impact long after the credits roll.

Eastwood also stars in the movie as Frankie Dunn, a grizzled, yet caring, veteran boxing trainer and manager who harbors contenders, wannabes, and misfits in his Los Angeles gym. Among the residents is once-promising ex-fighter Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman) who lives in a backroom of the facility, taking on every duty from cleaning toilets to mentoring younger fighters.

Scrap, as he's called, is Frankie's closest friend and confidant, and he's not afraid to challenge Frankie when he thinks he's wrong. But Frankie will always be one-up on Scrap -- because Scrap ignored his warnings in his last fight in the ring, and it cost him the sight in his right eye.

Frankie's mantra regarding the ring is simple: "Always protect yourself." But the problem is, his conservative approach to the way he grooms his contenders is almost conservative to a fault. He feels the aftershock of his cautious ways when he denies one of his best prospects the chance for a title fight because he's afraid he's not ready -- and the fighter decides to bolt from his under his wing to a different manager and fight anyway.

It's the latest blow to Frankie, who's already suffering emotionally because of a long-time estrangement from his daughter. Even a daily visit to Mass and inquisitions to his priest (Brian O'Byrne) can't help Frankie to atone for his past sins.

But in the middle of his latest quandaries, a new contender, Maggie Fitzgerald, appears in Frankie's gym, but he wants nothing of it. Apart from the fact that she's a woman ("I don't train girls," Frankie keeps on insisting), Frankie insists that, at 33, she's too old.

But with nowhere else to go back to but a dead-end trailer trash existence, Maggie refuses to hang up her gloves. She first befriends Scrap, who is taken by her passion for the ring and potential; and, taken by her iron will and kindred spirit; Frankie is eventually swayed to train her.

Soon on the way to greatness, the two score a greater victory by fostering a father-daughter relationship that neither one of them ever had. But when destiny hits them out of nowhere like a hard left-hook, Frank and Maggie must face the greatest fight of their lives.

Like "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby" examines the boundaries of the human condition and life-altering moral decisions that stretch them to the breaking point. It's easily one of the best films of the year -- and its Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Hilary Swank and Best Supporting Actor for Morgan Freeman earlier this year were well deserved.

Even though it's the game of boxing that holds it all together, the great thing about "Million Dollar Baby" is that it easily escapes the confines of being a typical "boxing movie." There's a certain triumph of the human spirit element in it, to be sure, as Maggie slugs her way ahead, but also housed inside is a story about three characters who are trying to escape their past misfortunes and demons and find themselves confronted with new ones. That's because Paul Haggis delves deep into the psychology and physicality of the game -- but in such a way that it also applies to the game of life.

DVD Features: The 2-disc set includes a 25-minute roundtable interview with Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman; "Born to Fight" -- a documentary featurette that examines the parallels of the movie to real-life boxer Lucia Rijker; production features and more. (Warner Home Video)

'Constantine' (R) Even though it's based on a series of comic books, parents should not mistake "Constantine" for a "comic book movie." Sure, it has spectacular visuals that rival the likes of "Spider-Man" and "X-Men," but its narrative is far more frightening.

Keanu Reeves stars as John Constantine, an exorcist with an attitude. Years before, he attempted suicide but was resuscitated by God, who sent him back to earth to protect the borders of heaven and hell. There are plenty of "half-breed" souls that he has ability to see -- some half-angels, some half-demons -- and his job is to send the half-breed demons back to the depths from where they came. If he keeps doing his job, it's his feeling that he will "buy" his way into heaven.

But when Constantine notices a difference during one of his exorcisms, that a demon in full form is trying to break through into the physical world -- he knows he's got a much bigger problem on his hands. Compounding the problem is the bad news Constantine has learned about his fate.

Driven by religious themes, "Constantine" no doubt courts controversy. But interestingly, the film addresses smoking and suicide -- but doesn't glorify either. In fact, the film makes it quite clear that both are very, very bad things.

When it came to interpreting hell for the movie, director Francis Lawrence came up with an interpretation of it fresh, as well as frightening. Lawrence no doubt paid attention to details, and the devil's in every one of them.

DVD Features: A two-disc collector's edition of the disc includes film commentary by Lawrence and crewmembers, Perfect Circle's music video "Passive," deleted scenes with alternate ending, production featurettes and more. (Warner Home Video)

'Hide and Seek' (PG-13): There's no reason to run and hide from "Hide and Seek" -- chockfull of twists and turns, the film may not quite match thrillers such as "The Sixth Sense" and "The Others," but certainly it has the right formula.

Robert De Niro stars as a David Callaway, a psychologist who moves with his young daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning) to an isolated house in upstate New York to help recover from a family tragedy -- only to discover that the true terror awaits. The film co-stars Famke Janssen as De Niro's colleague and Elisabeth Shue, a neighbor who takes a personal interest in David.

As expected, the acting is first rate. Fanning, who held her own in an amazing performance opposite Sean Penn in "I Am Sam," shows she's equally up to the task opposite Hollywood heavyweight De Niro, who delivers as expected. The film is further evidence that the young actress is on her way to superstardom.

The DVD features, among other things, four alternate endings, which are essentially variations of the original conclusion. All endings could have conceivably worked. Unlike other DVD deleted scenes, the interesting thing about the alternate endings is that any of them could have worked. Fa (Fox Home Entertainment)

'Fantastic Four: The Complete Animated Series' (NR) Timed for the release of the big screen version of "Fantastic Four," this release is a four-disc set that features all 26 episodes from the show's 1994-95 run.

It's a good primer for the movie for baby boomers who enjoyed the comic books, and provides a detailed introduction of the characters for a new generation of fans. For the uninitiated, it follows the adventures of the "First Family of Superheroes," which consists of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (who has the power to make his body elastic), Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman (who has invisibility and force field capabilities), Johnny Storm/The Human Torch (who can combust into flames and fly) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (a rock-like creature with superhuman strength).

Of course, all the classic bad guys appear throughout the series, too, including Dr. Doom, the Mole Man, Galactus and the Puppet Master.

Several notables lend their voices in cameo or recurring roles including John Vernon (Dean Wormer from "Animal House" voices Dr. Doom) and music impresario Dick Clark even shows up in a show where the foursome recalls their origins. It's too bad the producers of the series didn't consult him in the development of the show's theme. To put it lightly, it's excruciating stuff -- but it's hardly enough to keep you from watching the show.

DVD features include episode introductions by creator Stan Lee, whose enthusiasm is so infectious that you swear he's talking about the characters for the first time. (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)