Dark City (A)

STARS...
Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O' Brien, Ian Richardson, and William Hurt.

PLOT SUMMARY...
Aliens transport humans to a strange city in space as part of an experiment.

QUICK SCAN...
Rufus Sewell and Jennifer Connelly are compelling and sympathetic as a married couple with some serious problems. Shots of buildings morphing are terrific, thanks to Visual Effects Director Bruce Hunt. "Dark City" is bold and provocative, a refreshing change from the numerous "Alien" and "Star Wars" ripoffs.

DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas
YEAR & RATING: 1998 (R)

SYNOPSIS...
Aliens perform experiments involving identity with humans abducted from Earth. A married guy is thought to be a serial prostitute killer.

The accused killer goes on the run, pursued by a police detective. Every night at midnight, people fall asleep. Some of them are given new identities and environments when they wake up.

A human doctor who is working with the aliens gives our hero an injection that reveals the alien's plan. Armed with the morphing power of the aliens, he destroys them and creates a better city and life for the humans.

Review:

Director Alex Proyas' "Dark City" is a bold, fascinating Sci-Fi head trip. "The X Files" movie makes a smooth transition from small screen to big.

Rufus Sewell is sympathetic as a man who questions both his memories of his childhood as well as his involvement in a string of prostitute murders.

Kiefer Sutherland excels, in an odd character turn, as a human helping the aliens. His veteran character father, Donald Sutherland, must have been proud.

William Hurt is good, as usual, as a police detective, investigating the murders, who begins to question reality. His somber, subdued style of acting is particularly appropriate to the dark, strange proceedings here.

Jennifer Connelly is touching as a 40s-style club singer whose husband may be a killer. Connelly first began getting attention following her appearance in "The Racketeer."

The screenplay, by Alex Proyas and Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, (story by Alex Proyas), is dark, brooding and thought provoking. Much like "Total Recall," "Dark City" probes the meaning of memory and identity, with fascinating results.

"Dark City" plays out like a two hour episode of the classic old TV series, "Outer Limits," particularly the episode where a city block and its inhabitants were transported to an alien world. Considering the generally excellent quality of the old series, "Dark City's" "Outer Limits" connection is a plus not a minus.

The film's visuals are excellent. Scenes of building rising, falling and morphing, as well as aliens flying around under their own power, are terrific. Visual Effects Director, Bruce Hunt, has done fine work here.

The film's interiors and exteriors have a great, quasi-40s look. Production designers, George Diddle and Patrick Tatopoulos, knocked themselves out here, with great results.

My favorite scene is Sewell's climactic confrontation with the aliens in which he changes the world, literally. Wow!

The film's music is strong and pounding, with a mechanical/industrial feel. Trevor Jones is the responsible party.

"Dark City" should be very watchable for most Sci-Fi viewers. Fans of the old "Outer Limits" series will be well entertained. 

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