Blu-ray review: Dark City [1998]
Reviewed by Johnny McNair
New Line Home Entertainment– 111 minutes – 1998 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS HD 7.1 Lossless Audio
When it was released in theaters in 1998, Dark City came and went before you could blink; but for the last decade the film has received a huge cult following, and because of its style still stands out in the cinema world. For ten years the only way to see Dark City was on the lame standard DVD, with an image quality that made it look like you were watching the film through a dirty glass. Well now we live in the hi-def era, and Dark City is finally available on Blu-ray from New Line Home Entertainment. So if you’ve never seen Dark City, you’re getting both the theatrical and director’s cut on one disc, so enjoy the experience because it’s a unique one.
THE MOVIE
The best thing about Dark City’s story is that it doesn’t fall into the basic Hollywood plot outline. Yes, it’s sci-fi/fantasy, but it’s also a noir crime thriller. Rufus Sewell stars as a man who has lost his memory and becomes the prime suspect for the murder of a hooker. Not only is he being hunted by a cop, (William Hurt), but also a group of pale-skinned horrific beings that are trying to kill him. The only people who are attempting to help him piece together why this is all happening are his wife, (Jennifer Connelly), and an odd doctor by the name of Schreber, (Keifer Sutherland from the TV show 24).
Directed by Alex Proyas, who helmed the brilliant comic book film The Crow, Dark City is a visual masterpiece on the level of Blade Runner, but many film enthusiasts often compare it to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. The film is not fast paced, and even the action is tame compared to what we’re used to seeing, but you get instantly caught up the world because you are trying to solve the mystery along with the lead character. Also, this movie sets up a creepy mood that reels you in because you literally never know what’s going to happen next, something that’s hard to do with today’s audiences.
In a world set somewhere between the 1950’s and the distant future, Dark City offers so many dark visuals that you may wonder what the current Batman films would have looked like if Proyas directed them. You’re given such visual feats as an entire city transforming into another environment, vampire-toned men in black trench coats and fedoras wandering hauntingly around the city, and the oddities of a place called Shell Beach, just to name a few events. The performances are wooden, but they are meant to feel this way to emulate the classic noir films where the world and the situation itself overshadow the performers.
This Blu-ray gives you the chance to see both the theatrical release, as well as the new director’s cut, which is the version many fans of the film have been desiring to see for years. And while the director’s cut does offer some interesting spots, the theatrical version still stands on its own. But which one is the better version is something that will be debated by fan boys on the web forever. Either way if you’re getting the best of both worlds.
Dark City should be seen by anyone who is looking for something different, and particularly those who enjoy dark-themed movies. Alex Proyas is underrated as a director, and hopefully anyone who sees Dark City and enjoys it will look at some of his other films, such as The Crow and I, Robot. This Blu-ray is highly recommended in all categories because it delivers everything you expect from high-definition home entertainment. Just make sure you watch this movie in the dark to get the full experience that it offers.
VIDEO
With full 1080p resolution and a 2.35:1 aspect ratio this is a definite step in the right direction, and is the only way to watch Dark City to get the full impact of it’s visual style. Obviously with “Dark” in the title, this film tells its story during the night with dimly lit exteriors and interiors. For those of you who appreciate film noir, this movie will be on the top of your list as Blu-ray show off material. Blacks stand out strong, even though at times there is noticeable grain, but keep in mind look at the standard DVD and this hi-def version side-by-side and you’ll toss that old DVD into a storage box. Skin tones look very good, especially Jennifer Connelly who is usually filmed with a filter to give her an old styled angelic look. There’s very little to complain about in terms of Dark City’s image quality, so compliments to New Line for putting care into the transfer.
AUDIO
Dark City will completely immerse you with its kick ass DTS HD Master 7.1 audio track. Because of its style, this film is a wonderland of sound effects, from its violent action, to the scenes when the city literally transforms before your eyes. The sound design has managed to maintain a creepy mood that is better than most thriller/horror films that attempt to do the same. The reason why the sound design is so effective is because it doesn’t try to imitate what you’ve heard before, so you really never know what’s going to be thrown at you next. For sound aficionados, this is the one to crank up the speakers for.
EXTRAS
Dark City is loaded with bonus material, featuring more audio commentaries for a single film that I can recall to date. They might as well have given the film’s caterer a commentary track. Being that all the featurettes are from the original DVD, they are all presented in standard definition.
In addition, the commentary tracks featured on the original DVD are provided for the theatrical version of the film. The first track features Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, and director of photography Dariusz Wolski. And for those of you who are purist, Roger Ebert’s original audio commentary from the DVD is also available.
Both director Alex Proyas and film critic Roger Ebert provide a separate introduction to the movie, giving their insights for the film, and defining why it has become a cult classic.
‘Architecture of Dreams’ runs thirty-five minutes and dives into the art design for Dark City, including set design, wardrobe, and set design.
‘Memories of Shell Beach’ is forty-five minute look at the overall production of Dark City, going into the conception of the story, casting, and the look of the film. Various interviews with the cast and filmmakers highlight what went into making the film, and although most of the material is a decade old it’s still effective.
Over 80 stills from the film can be viewed via the production gallery, but it’s too bad that they’re not in HD.
One nice feature is that you can watch the director’s cut of the film and enable a pop-up track that will highlight the difference between the original theatrical version and the director’s final vision.
Those of you who like the complimentary digital copies of the Blu-rays that are packed in with some titles may be disappointed to learn that for some reason New Line doesn’t allow Mac users to get access to this feature. So ipod/iphone users, (which is a massive chunk of folks) will miss out on this luxury. As a Mac user myself, I hope that this is something the gang over at New Line doesn’t make mandatory. For this round it looks like the Zune owners win.
BOTTOM LINE
Dark City is a must own for anyone who loved this movie and had to settle for the grainy DVD all these years. Now that it’s on Blu-ray you are treated to both the theatrical and the director’s cut, as well as a new batch of audio commentaries. It would have been the icing on the cake if a new retrospective featurette was done to mark the 10th anniversary of the film, but without a doubt this is a definite upgrade. There aren’t many original films made that can be compared with Dark City, so if you’ve never seen it and are looking for something different, this is a must see and must own.
SCORES (Out of 5):
The Movie: 4.5
Video: 4.5
Sound: 5.0
Extras: 4.0
Bottom Line: 4.5