I didn’t get around to seeing The Matrix until its first sequel hit theaters, but when I did, I was surprised that it was so close thematically and visually it was to Dark City, Alex Proyas’ complex and visually stunning sci-fi film. For me, despite the lack of a more polished story, a reliance on mostly practical effects and a smaller budget, the film has a richer and more unique look than The Matrix that borrows from all over but manages to work almost perfectly.

Silent, film noir and more modern films get multiple nods, there’s a decidedly comic book aesthetic to the action scenes with “panel” compositions to some shots and everything’s wrapped into a “pay attention!” plot that makes for a film requiring multiple viewings to appreciate. Of course, other than loving the look and those freaky bald Strangers doing their thing (The teeth clicking? Scary and hilarious simultaneously), I didn’t much care for the film the first time I saw the original theatrical cut…

The dreamlike quality of the film’s narrative and pacing kicks off in what seems the mind of lead character John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell). He “wakes up” in a bathtub with a body in the next room and taking a phone call from a strange sounding man that puts him on the run from those creepy Strangers, but he manages to make good his escape. Is this world inside his mind or is it a strange version of ours he’s not supposed to see? The movie tempts us with this by adding more characters into the story, Murdoch’s wife (Jennifer Connelly), the detective after him for some murders he may or may not have committed (William Hurt) and of course, the odd doctor who alerted him to make good his escape (Keifer Sutherland).

The Strangers are all pale skinned, bald, clad in black leather, trench coats and hats, all armed with knives and the power to shift the landscape around, which makes for one really slick action sequence when Murdoch gets into a later chase with them coming from a few angles. Richard O’Brien (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) gets the meaty role of Mr. Hand, but there’s also a fine performance from  Ian Richardson as the powerful Mr. Book and a few other actors (including a little kid) playing the sometimes floating fiends. There’s also a bit of an extraterrestrial influence here that also recalls The Matrix films and yes, it would have been interesting to see more expansion of some of the ideas here in a sequel. But we only got this sole effort, so I guess that follow-up is left to the fan fiction crowd.

Meanwhile, back at the plot roundup ranch…

All things are both quite as they seem, but more than the sum of their parts as Murdoch discovers he possesses some amazing powers the Strangers are not to thrilled with, his wife may or may not be real and the detective ends up teaming up with his suspect once they discover there’s a way out of the nightmare world. If that all sounds slightly confusing, it is (and then some), but this is a case where sitting down with the film does a better job of revealing things than some jerk slapping his fingers around a keyboard. That said, it’s the 2008 Blu-Ray/DVD version you want to track down, as it’s the Director’s Cut that adds 15 minutes of footage and moves the pesky opening narration to a smarter point in the film.

Still, Proyas’ ambitions sometimes outstrip the narrative when the film goes big on its amazing sets and some fine action sequences. The murders end up being a weird consequence of the doctor’s actions and a sort of red herring (one of a few in the movie) that end up less important in the grand scheme of things. The extra footage helps a great deal, but the film is still dense enough that it requires your complete attention. Like Blade Runner, Brazil, both versions of Solaris or even Alphaville, this is one of those movies that improves with repeat viewings and creates its own mythology in the process.

Gamers in the know might also see that the PlayStation 2 (and later, PSP) game Shin Megami Tensei Persona 3 seems to borrow heavily from this film while adding elements from the hugely popular JRPG series. That game’s Dark Hour puts its human citizens to sleep (as “transmogrified” coffins) so demons can rise and set up an alternate world no one human is supposed to see. The game makes an interesting companion piece to the film, but I’d only recommend it if you have something like 100 hours or more to get sucked into its larger cast of characters, high school storyline and Social Links elements that make for an addictive experience.

Before I get too sidetracked here,  just see Dark City first if you’re not a gamer. I don’t want to be responsible for you suddenly expanding your horizons so much that you’re neglecting other parts of your life…