Film noir meets sci-fi

Rating: 9/10 (16 March 2006)

I don't feel the need to compare this to the Matrix, because it's a movie with its own distinct voice, and most important without the moralizing intentions or the unreal pure black or white characters. If I were to compare them, on the other hand, a great difference would be that Dark City is a film noir mystery thriller, and the supra natural element only intervenes as an accent, and not as a purpose, because practically the only sci-fi element is the graphic representation of the mental power of the Strangers, and the resulting changes in the scenery, which are important plot points.
It's clear that there has been a bit of espionage involved, and I don't know who stole the idea from whom, but out of this came two distinct movies, each offering an ultimately different spin on the same core. Betweent the two, I choose Dark City, for the more human approach, the impressive set design, the original vision (a sci-fi story set in a 50's film noir atmosphere is intriguing), the cast (Rufus Sewell is a much more expressive actor than Keanu Reeves)and total lack of gratuitous display of violence in order to entertain.