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On first impressions I would have to say this is my favourite film of the year so far. Firstly, it looks simply amazing. I know that it is basically taken frame for frame from the graphic novels but as far as movies go this is absolutely unique, and I'm sure it will be seen as a landmark film due to its shooting techniques (like, for example, the first Matrix film). The film basically consists of three separate stories taking place in the same world as each other, with some characters popping up in other strands. I thought that this may be odd - showing one story in its entirety, then starting the next one - but it didn't affect the flow at all, and in fact helped to hold my interest the entire time. It's edited together so well that it works perfectly. All the stories are certainly fast-paced, too, with plot twists, violence (rather extreme violence at that) and dialogue all coming at you think and fast. I wasn't familiar with the stories beforehand so the events certainly surprised me at some points, in a good way. There are really only some very small niggles, like an occasionally iffy accent from Clive Owen, and one scene at some tar pits that had some strangely out-of-place dinosaurs in the scenery (yes, they were in the book, but they still seemed weird). All the performances fit into the movie perfectly, including Owen's, and some in particular are excellent, like Mickey Rourke. Overall a hugely entertaining, engrossing and ground-breaking movie. They say this is the new Pulp Fiction, but I disagree: this is better.
The summary
A cinematic shot in the arm, and easily Rodriguez's best film yet. If you can stomach the violence, it's a must-see.
