Customer Reviews
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!
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.
Dark City: Not to be taken lightly. - By: Mr. Bennett J. Dunn, 27 Jan 2008 'Dark City' starts with a man, John Murdoch (Sewell), waking up with no memory in a gloomy hotel in the middle of the night, confused & alone, committed of murders he didn't commit & pursued by ghostly agents who want him on account of the psychic power he has developed.
It so happens that I wanted to watch 'Dark City' because having seen Rufus Sewell in 'The Illusionist', I wanted a comparison & this mysterious film seemed a good option. Having said that, I'm very glad I bought it because it is a masterpiece of science fiction. Combining a tense surrealism with incredible visual effects & an indescribable sense of foreboding, the film draws you into its dark heart. I was not sure quite what to expect, but from the first intriguing moment to the cosmic finale I was gripped by the mystery; the pace; & the queer malevolence of 'the strangers' who's hidden purpose both intrigues & discomforts.
On the one hand, 'Dark City' could be described as an extended 'escape quest' along the lines of the 'Truman Show', but that would be an injustice. For whereas in the 'Truman Show' evereyone was conspiring against Truman, in 'Dark City' everyone is oblivious to the monstrous 'experiments' of the alien strangers upon themselves, leaving John Murdoch afraid & alone except for one (rather disturbing) scientist traiterously acting on behalf of the strangers. 'Dark City' is profoundly philosophical in its treatment of what constitutes identity, the value of memory & what it is that fundamentallly makes us human, for the way the 'strangers' calllously tamper with the human mind is enthrallling & it is only when one distances oneself from the dreamlike quality of the film is the troubling nature of such a possibility realised.
All in alll, I loved this film & I recommend it to anyone who's ever considered the question 'who am I?'. It's a fast-paced exciting story with a great performance by Sewell, convincingly backed by Jennifer Connelly & William Hurt, filled with stunning effects; creepy music; supernatural powers; & the haunting dilemma of existentialism that will leave you, strangely in sympathy with the 'strangers', pondering long after the ending.
Ignore Amazon's review of this film - By: Rebel Scum, 21 Jan 2008 Please ignore Amazon's review of the film. Dark City is a classic, one of the best science fiction films ever made. To say that it is a triumph of design over substance demostrates a total lack of understanding of the film. Yes the film is beatuful to look at, but the complexity of story is rewarding in equal measure.
This film is crying out for a Special Edition/Director's Cut.
If you have never watched this film before it is strongly recomended that you mute the narrative right at the start of the film & keep it on mute until the opening titles begin.
