Dark City

A man wakes up from a dream and discovers reality. Only reality is dreary and dark, gloomy and depressing. However, this man is told he can change reality and make it better. Using his new found powers, this man does change reality and makes it a better place. Sound familiar? I mean, if you didn't look at the title, this plot sounds a lot like the Matrix, right? What if I told you there was another movie, with the same plot but came out a year earlier? I'm talking about Dark City. This did come out a year earlier and the Matrix movies are heavily influenced by this film. It didn't do well at the box office, but over the years, Dark City has aged well and has a cult following to it. It's a fun film to watch and it's much better than the Matrix trilogy. So, let's visit this dark city and review Dark City!

The plot:
John Murdoch wakes up in a hotel room with no memory of why or what he's doing there. The only clues are his clothes and a dead hooker. Before he can leave, he gets a phone call telling him a group of people are coming after him and he must leave immediately. John escapes and tries to search for clues about his past. Before he can make headway, a group of men, known as The Strangers try to kill him. However, John alters the reality allowing him to escape. The Strangers are curious as to why a human has their ability and begin to seek him out. During that time, John runs into his wife, Emma, who tells him that she cheated on him and he left her.  John doesn't remember and forgives her, wanting to take her with him to safety. He does however, remember his childhood and wants to go to Shell Beach to see the sun and waves, but no one remembers how to get there. Meanwhile, Detective Bumstead is investigating the murders John supposedly committed and chases after him,though he joins Murdoch after he opens the detective's eyes. At 12 midnight, though, all the clocks stop and The Strangers change the city and give new identities to the citizens. John is the only one awake and witnesses this, making him curious if his memory has been changed before. John runs into Dr. Schreber who tells him that he is like The Strangers and can "tune", meaning he can fight them and defeat them. John eventually hones his powers and with the help of the doctor, he defeats The Strangers in battle. Once they're defeated, John changes the city to his whim and finally goes to Shell Beach.

The Good:
There's a whole lot going on in this movie, and it's hard to condense such a complex plot without telling the whole movie. That being said, it's definitely worth a watch. This movie is a like a noir film of the days of old. You're trying to figure out what's real and what's not. And it works. Rufus Sewell is captivating to watch and he does a convincing job. As does the rest of the crew. The special effects are decent, though a little dated at times. The Strangers are creepy and weird, but they do it well and they never go over the top, until the end (more on that later). Like I said, this plot is complex and it makes you think. And I like movies that do that. Sure, some you can turn your brain off and enjoy the movie, but the ones that make you think are even more special.

The Bad:
I can't think of a whole lot, so I'll cut to the chase. The action isn't the best and there's too many jump cuts. For example, a Stranger will make an attempt to stab John and the camera will jump away before the action is completed. So, you see the Stranger finish and not hit anything. Then there's the last fight. John and the "lead" Stranger have a tuning battle if you will and it comes off like an episode of Dragonball Z. There's even screaming included. It's...not that great.

Overall:
Dark City is a great film. As I said, it's like a noir film and it works. The story's well written and the cast performs wonderfully. Yeah, the action's not the best, but that's not the focus of the plot. And if you've seen the Matrix movies, you can see a lot where they got the inspiration from. Dark City is a movie that makes you think and it's worth the watch.

Rating:
4 buses to Shell Beach out of 5.