A worthy descendant of "Metropolis" and "Blade Runner"

Rating: 9/10 (4 May 1999)

Nobody saw it. Nobody liked it. I don't care--writer/director Alex Proyas ("The Crow") has given us of the most visually audacious and thought-provoking genre films in years. Fans of genre fiction, television, and film (for instance, "Blade Runner") will be familiar with the themes presented here: What is the nature of humanity? How do I know where I belong? Are my memories true? Is there some great conspiracy underlying everything I know? Am I the subject of some secret experiment? How do I know what is real? Who am I, really? Am I sane? How can I be sure of anything--or anyone? Who is in control? "Dark City" is unrelentingly demented, dark and vicious, disturbing in the extreme, and well worth seeing. In repeat viewings, I've come to realize that the acting is far more subtle and intense than I had at first realized. Kiefer Sutherland, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly and Rufus Sewell are all in good form, and what at first might appear to be lack of depth in characterization is actually a finely realized "incompleteness" in the characters themselves. The special effects are first-rate, especially considering the relatively modest budget; the on-screen transformations of the city as it is "tuned" are wondrous to behold. A personal fascination of mine is movie trailers, and the trailer for this film (included on the DVD) is easily the best of 1998.