there seem to be two reactions to dark city .
you either love it or you are unimpressed .
count me as a " love it . " as good as the crow and spawn are , dark city is better .
where the former two have a specific comic - book following , the latter is an original work with the potential for broader appeal .
it has a similar look to the others , but dark city is much more thoughtful and much less violent .
not clever or complex , the story is still fascinating , like a selection from the twilight zone .
a man ( rufus sewell ) is awakened in his bathtub by a man with a syringe .
surprised , the attacker runs off .
the dazed man gets out of the tub and finds a woman 's body in the room .
a mysterious caller warns him to leave the apartment immediately , so he packs some clothes and leaves , never sure why he 's leaving or what he 's fleeing .
ghoulish figures in long coats recognize the man and chase him through the dark city , hounding him like figures in a nightmare .
an odd blast of willpower allows the man to dream himself free from his pursuers long enough to check his i .
d .
the amnesiac learns that he is not dreaming and that his name is john murdoch .
now if only he could remember the rest of his life . . . . dark city is good on many levels .
first , the look of the movie is excellent . give credit to production designers george liddle and patrick tatopolous for creating a coherent look from diverse elements .
there are visual elements from the american 1920s-60s , mixed with dickens - era urban industrial elements .
it is all pulled together in a sad , dark look reminiscent of the diner in edward hopper 's painting , nighthawks .
proyas ' use of models gives an appropriately eerie unreality to the film 's world ( for not only does the audience see the city a model , but so do the ghouls ) .
the look is like a cross between tim burton 's batman and the bleak animation of the brothers quay .
second , the editing of the film is good .
the pacing is on track , and the plot is revealed , the " amnesia " explained , in satisfying increments .
also , the stylized editing within each scene gives the movie a tense , caffeinated look .
third , the special effects are well used .
they look good , but more importantly , the right effects are used for the right job .
one example stands out in my mind : the coated figures who haunt the city can attack telekinetically .
a simple ripple effect is used .
a more showy effect could have been chosen , but then it would have just been gratuitous .
restraint was shown where necessary , letting the more critical effects look more impressive .
finally , like gattaca , dark city spends a just a little effort striving for mythical significance .
unlike gattaca , the story is just open - ended and non - literal enough to be successful .
john murdoch 's recovery from amnesia is tied to the passing of the night , and the hopeful coming of the dawn .
his struggle with amnesia is both figuratively and literally the struggle of all mankind ( at least in his world ) .
when we finally see the big picture of the movie 's world , it is as mysterious as the iroquois image of the world being carried on the back of a giant turtle .
a few minor flaws keep me from giving this movie the same perfect score roger ebert gave , but
i do strongly recommend it , for its look , its pace , its story , and its timelessness .
well used count me as a " love it . " give credit to production designers an original work with the potential for broader appeal much more thoughtful good on many levels i do strongly recommend it excellent fascinating the editing of the film is good