Proyas' direction maintains the steady monotony of darkness, but the film never gets boring. There is quite enough action to maintain anyone's attention, including some awe-inspiring chase sequences that had me cheering with delight. The pace of the film is so tight and so continuous that one wishes Proyas would have stretched the running time even more. Then, there are the special effects. When a film uses special effects to its advantage, everyone should take note.
Dark City uses special effects so flawlessly, that many people forget that they are effects.
I am one of those people. The effects are so seamless that it's hard to tell what is and what isn't real. When the buildings twist and bend, you find yourself submerged in the story and characters so much that the effects seem realistic. When a film can suspend your belief by making everything as real as possible, it deserves to be noticed. As with all films, the cast is an essential part to the overall impact.