This film really didn't do it for me

Rating: 5/10 (19 December 2011)

I watched this movie based upon the recommendation of someone whose opinion I respect. When it was all said and done, this movie simply did not work for me. But such is life -- different strokes for different folks.
To begin with, I'm not a big fan of films in which there is an almost total lack of color. I'm not talking about B&W films; I'm talking about color films that intentionally choose to be shot in an almost total absence of color, like The Dark Knight.
I'm also not talking about "film noir". I've enjoyed several films that focus on the dark aspects of human nature. I simply don't like films that think that by making the entire background drab, it somehow enhances the point it's trying to make. In the case of Dark City, I understand how the absence of color, and daylight, is integral to the plot, I simply felt it was way overdone. (i.e. way too little bang for the buck)
***Major Spoilers Ahead***
Things that bugged me about this film:
1. These so-called advanced beings need Dr. Schreber to perform the final injection? Why is that? They're not capable of doing it themselves?
2. Why would these so-called advanced beings even postulate that they could derive the soul of a human being from memories alone? Choice factors in. Heart factors in. If they were supposed to be advanced, wouldn't they know that?
3. Why would John care what happened to Emma once he realized she wasn't even real to begin with, and that everything that he had been feeling was merely the result of artificial memory implanted information? That's not love. And if this movie is supposed to show how powerful a force love is, then it's all based upon an illusion, and I resented the film's ending as a result. In fact, I resented a lot of the film because it's based upon false logic and it stretches suspension of disbelief beyond acceptable limits.
4. For so-called advanced beings, how could they be so inept? It's their world which they totally control, yet they can't even run after -- and catch -- a human being? (even one with admittedly more powers than an average human being) Similarly, for so-called advanced beings, their most powerful weapon is -- a knife? I don't think so.
5. I find William Hurt's typical mumbled speaking annoying in any film.
6. I found Kiefer Sutherland's stuttering/stammering speaking particularly annoying in this film.
Dark City was worth watching once, but I doubt I'd ever spend the time to watch it again. The best way to describe what this movie was like for me is this: Imagine someone telling you a REALLY long joke; one that seems to go on forever. Then you get to the punchline, and you think: "That was IT? I waited all this time for THAT?!!!" That's what watching Dark City was like for me.