From "The Crow" to revitalizing "Metropolis"

Rating: 10/10 (17 April 2004)

Alex Proyas may be well known for directing music videos, but it was _The Crow_ which set him apart from many directors attempting to make the leap from comics to the big screen. Even with the tragedy of that movie, the film is well worth watching.
Proyas took dark fantasy to another level with _Dark City_, in which a man awakes suddenly with no memories of his immediate past, nor of his name. A murdered woman and a frantic phone call alerting him to imminent trouble motivates the protagonist to start his journey on discovering who he is and what has transpired.
In a world where the sun never rises, people suddenly fall asleep across the metropolis at precisely 12 o'clock, and lives and buildings change every day, the main character's delusional breakdown furthers the more he witnesses. Between a wife he doesn't know, a doctor trying to help him come to grips with who he is, and a police officer hunting him for a murder spree in which he is implicated, the viewer is taken on a fast paced ride of suspense and fantasy that mirrors the 1927 movie _Metropolis_ (_Dark City_'s DVD has commentary by Roger Ebert discussing the similarities).
I highly recommend this movie to those who enjoy suspense, dark fantasy, dynamic character-driven stories, or generally any good movie with a well done script and visual effects. You will not be disappointed.