Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1922 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-08-04
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 107 minutes

Synopsis
Upon awakening with a start in an icy bathtub in a strange room--with a woman's dead body inconveniently nearby--John Murdoch can't remember how he got there. With a police detective hot on his trail and a psychiatrist skulking around, Murdoch discovers that the key to his mystery is the presence of strange extraterrestrial creatures, the Strangers, who are experimenting with the memories of the humans in his city--from which there may be no escape. Ambitious sci-fi noir, with rich production design and a dense, Kafkaesque concept.

Customer Reviews

That's better!
This is definitely the definitive version of Dark City that everyone should see. After watching it for the first time I was amazed at how heavily edited the original version was especially in the beginning half of the movie. In this version the added pieces of narrative help flesh out the characters and keep the movie's pace consistent, without making it too long. I also noticed it's easier to hear the dialogue as the soundtrack has been toned down from the less dramatic scenes, and it seems that Jennifer Connelly is actually singing in this version, either that or they've improved the overdub. Overall this still remains (even more so now) one of my favourite movies of all time!

Sans voiceover
I watched the Director's Cut of Dark City last night and I'm pleased to say they've finally removed the voiceover where Keifer Sutherland gives away the entire story during the opening 30 seconds of the movie. What we have now is a mystery that slowly unfolds, as all mystery's should, leading to a surprise ending which truly is - as was originally intended by the director - a surprise ending.

Other changes were quite minor. In fact I think I now have to watch the original again to try to spot them. Still, if this is a film you want to share with others you should get the director's cut rather than the original with the sound turned off during the film's opening, as some people have resorted to doing.

Better start, but not the revelation expected
I confess to be one of the few who watched and loved this film on its cinematic release, but the one snag I found was the opening voice-over, which gave away the 'twist' and it struck me as a probable studio panic. Evidently my suspicions were correct, and the film should benefit (for new viewers) from its removal. However, director Alex Proyas has taken the liberty of making a number of changes to the film, mostly in the form restored footage to scenes. Some nice touches (finger prints, slightly more flesh on characters) add something, but some other additions merely slacken the pace, and worse, Proyas has (perhaps as a consequence of not fitting the scene, or maybe because he felt it too intrusive) lessened the role of Trevor Jones's brooding/vicious/achingly beautiful score. The result on balance actually feels less assured, which is a shame but not a disaster. I recommend either version for first-timers as there's plenty to offer, but I won't be ditching my old DVD as I expected to.