enjoyable

Rating: 8/10 (7 September 2010)

***WARNING: SPOILERS***
Dark City is a strange tale of memory and identity. The movie creates a sort of dreamy atmosphere; some people remember what they did just before going to sleep, but sometimes these things they remember doing have not actually been experienced by their bodies, though their memories seem to suggest otherwise; bodies awake with a whole new set of memories while the old set becomes like a dream forgotten after waking from a deep sleep. Really, when one thinks of someone, is that person thinking of that someone's face, or behavior? Which of the two is most important? Which one is the person?
The way the conflict is resolved is a bit sudden. It uses a deus ex machina to completely liberate everyone from the Strangers, an alien species whose background is still rather unknown even by the end of the film. The main character is a bit crazy at times; in one particular scene, he becomes overly dramatic when everyone goes to sleep.
But overall, Dark City is a decent movie that presents the spectator with an atmosphere that is like no other. It makes one think about the philosophical problem of identity and memories. I've watched the Director's Cut version only, so I can only recommend that one.