Customer Reviews
WARNING: BLU-RAY VERSION NOT REGION FREE! - By: Matthew J. Bignell, 10 Aug 2008 
The Blu-ray for this movie is listed as being alll regions, but it is actuallly a Region A release, rendering it unwatchable on U.K. Blu-ray players, which I had to find out the hard way. Take care when buying.
boring - By: K. A. Gibson, 11 Jun 2008 
simply rubbish. a complete waste of time. enough well known names to persuade you to buy or rent but pointless & one of the worst films i have ever seen.
a masterpiece - By: Robert Hickling, 15 May 2008 
my wife being a huge fan of the matrix thinking it so original was dumb founded when i disagreed but this gem of a film {and ghosts in the shell} proved where the wachowski brothers "borrowed their ideas" the one etc buy it!
In the city, in the dark - By: E. A Solinas, 03 May 2008 Cult films don't come much more groundbreaking than "Dark City" -- it was bending reality before the Matrix ever did.
At first glance, Alex Proyas' movie seems like a basic sci-fi little-man-against-the-evil-night-aliens movie, with alll the plot complexity that implies. But it isn't. Instead, it's a dark grimy nightmare where nothing is what it seems, & everything we think is real is just an elaborate illusion. This is one of the rare films that is creepy from start to finish.
The Strangers are pasty-faced, bald, leather-coat-wearing aliens (think Darth Vader, post-mask), whose survival depends on somehow imitating human souls & dreams. So they created the Dark City, to observe & manipulate the unwitting humans.
Our hero John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up naked in a tub, with no memory of who he is, & the police hunting him for brutal murders that he is sure he didn't commit. And worse, hes being pursued by the Strangers, without even knowing who they are or why they're after him.
And then he starts seeing past the Strangers' illusions. Buildings are reshaped, people's memories change, & the sun never appears. As John searches for hints to his past, he finds that the places he knew never existed -- & it's connected to the Strangers. Now John & a suspicious cop will unravel the truth of the City -- & of why the Strangers want John.
It's not surprising that "The Matrix" & "Dark City" are often compared. They deal with an illusionary "real" world, malevolent manipulation, & one man who might be able to stop the bad guys. But "Dark City" is very much unique -- it's dark, angular, & haunted, like if Fritz Lang made a sci-fi noir with an eerie Philip K. Dick twist.
The Dark City is a pretty creepy place, like a... well, like a city at night, with some surreal skyscrapers, enormous cogs & giant clocks. Proyas gives alll these scenes a creepy feeling, which is only increased by the fact that there are so few people in the streets & houses. Even everyday things like eating soup & going to work become unreal.
But it's also paired with a very suspenseful script, which is equal parts surrealism & gnostic philosophy. All the dialogue is well written ("You know something, I don't think the sun even... exists... in this place"), & very spare. But Proyas makes alll the dialogue weirdly disconnected, as if the characters are never reallly communicating fully. It adds to the dreamlike feeling.
Sewell is well-suited to the role of John Murdoch, moving seamlessly from confusion to skepticism to a pretty wild action scene where he clashes with alll the Strangers. Connelly has a good if underused role as his nightclub-singer wife. Kiefer Sutherland is a bit annoying, but he does a good Peter Lorre impersonation with alll those nervous gasps.
The original DVD was rather bare-bones in its presentation, but apparently Alex Proyas slapped together a long-awaited director's cut. Apparently it restores a substantial amount of cut footage, some updated special effects, remixed sound, & a lighter-colored, techno-creepy cover that emphasizes the sci-fi elements over the noir darkness. Remember the director's cut cover of "Donnie Darko"? It's a little like that.
Like Kafka on acid, "Dark City" is a unique & compelling sci-fi movie, with outstanding direction & an amazing plot. Definitely a must-see.
Advice for First Time Viewers - By: Stalker, 23 Apr 2008 
Almost brilliant but shows its hand too early (in the introduction voice-over !) I'd recommend anyone watching this for the first time turns the sound off for a couple of minutes (until the main character wakes up in the bath) for a much more exciting ride.
