Stylish

Rating: 7/10 (14 January 2012)

Dark City feels almost like a Matrix rip-off, but in fact it was released a year earlier. It's something of a diamond in the rough - a fantastic story, lots of good ideas and good writing, great art direction and a dark, strong atmosphere. Unfortunately, Proyas's directorial work isn't as strong as the story, and it doesn't do it justice; the action and chase scenes, as a whole, feel unbalanced and poorly paced. And much of the cast is out of place too, especially Kiefer Sutherland who does a very poor job in a role which should have been a key one to the story. It's good hard sci-fi, but it's flawed, and that may explain why it's not remembered as a classic. But for fans of the genre, it's highly recommended.