This film ennobles science fiction

Rating: 10/10 (6 February 1999)

Roger Ebert said about a movie, I can't remember which one but I think it was by Woody Allen, "This film ennobles comedy." 'Dark City' ennobles science fiction. It masters what some sci-fi films grasp (2001: A Space Odyssey, Brazil, 12 Monkeys) and some don't (Any Star Trek after #4, Godzilla, Independence Day): Science fiction isn't all about nifty FX and scary-looking aliens- although "Dark City" has both- it is about new images, strange sights, a rebuke of normality, or a way to retreat from the dullness of everyday life. "Dark City" fulfills that. Although there are some moments that really suck-- an alien delivers the awful pun "I have John Murdoch... in mind" and Keifer Sutherland's Strangelove-ian mad scientist isn't exactly brimming with witticisms either-- dialogue isn't really important here. If you want dialogue, go see something by Quentin Tarantino or David Mamet. There's more than one way to make a great film. The brilliant director, Alex Proyas, brought us "The Crow" in '95, and that was a good film. This is a great one. His next one will probably be a mind-blower.