* This is the first time that I have seen this film in any version, so I cannot comment on its similarities and differences with the original, theatrical cut.
I think this film is a mixed bag. First the good, the film looks amazing. A scene near the end when two characters tear through a brick wall to reveal deep space was breathtaking (especially in Blu-ray!). The film takes place entirely at night, and the film noir style that it goes for in its first half is beautifully photographed. The film is also stuffed with great ideas about the past, memories, and individuality. When The Matrix was pointed out to me after the film, it does become very obvious that it is very influenced by Dark City.
To me, though, the strong ideas that are presented in this film are in the background to a film that really just wants to be an entertaining showcase of CGI and an explosive confrontation between good and evil. Almost all of the good ideas in the film are spelled out in expository dialogue from the often annoying Kiefer Sutherland. I kept wanting them to show me these scenes of Murdoch’s memory being shuffled over and over again. They show this once very briefly and I didn’t know what was happening, but I feel like this film would actually have a very good prequel that is all about all of the memory shuffling that takes place before this film starts off (not that they should actually do this, I can settle with thinking of Dark City as a missed opportunity).
The climax of the film spins out of control with Murdoch destroying the evil empire with his mind. On one hand I can appreciate it for its camp value, but it just goes too far, and felt that Proyas took it more seriously than he should have. He could have either taken it further and turned it into something truly fun and hilarious, or stepped back and let the resolution happen more subtly. Instead it lies somewhere in the middle and I was getting borderline angry that I was having to settle for a Hollywood grand finale instead of something more rewarding for the interesting build-up.