Now that I've seen Dark City, The Matrix doesn't seem all that brilliant anymore.

[SaltBoy]

For those of you who swear that the Matrix is the most mind-blowing Sci-Fi movie ever, you might want to check out Dark City. I just watched it for the first time, and boy... how my perspective has changed!

Considering Dark City came out a year and a half before The Matrix, I'm surprised the Wachowski Brothers weren't sued for stealing the story. The two movies are WAY too similar. The only thing The Matrix has over Dark City is the Kung Fu and [neo]whoa[/neo].

Heck, even Dark City has its own version of Bullet Time!

 

[Ameesh]

Dark City is a good movie, but IMO its comparing Apples an Oranges. The first matrix was good for different reasons the dark city was.

 

[hahher]

dark city may not have had kung fu but it did have that intergalactic mega headbut in final battle.

and i thought dark city was a bit corny. matrix was able to maintain a mood that you could get into

 

[Czar]

I just finished watching it for the first time about 10-15 minutes ago, absolutely brilliant film, dont understand why I hadnt seen it before.

But yeah, so much of it was totaly ripped off in the matrix. Expecialy the scene in the begining where the doctor calls and says "get out of the building, they are coming for you"

 

[SaltBoy]

Originally posted by: Czar
I just finished watching it for the first time about 10-15 minutes ago, absolutely brilliant film, dont understand why I hadnt seen it before.

But yeah, so much of it was totaly ripped off in the matrix. Expecialy the scene in the begining where the doctor calls and says "get out of the building, they are coming for you"

You're kidding about the 10-15 minutes ago, right?

We were both watching the same movie at the same time for the first time! LOL

 

[Dowfen]

I hated Dark City and yes I saw it when it came out, before the Matrix. All my friends liked it, maybe I missed something. Hmmm

 

[SaltBoy]

Originally posted by: hahher
and i thought dark city was a bit corny. matrix was able to maintain a mood that you could get into

I can understand that. One criticism I have against the movie was Keifer Sutherland's performance. I guess I'm just so used to him as Jack Bauer that the geeky, stuttering person he portrayed in DC was a little annoying and did put a kink in the "mood" of the film.

 

[silverpig]

I've seen it 3 times and every time I've fallen asleep. I guess those "sleep. now." dudes fvcked me over good.

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: SaltBoy

Originally posted by: Czar
I just finished watching it for the first time about 10-15 minutes ago, absolutely brilliant film, dont understand why I hadnt seen it before.

But yeah, so much of it was totaly ripped off in the matrix. Expecialy the scene in the begining where the doctor calls and says "get out of the building, they are coming for you"

You're kidding about the 10-15 minutes ago, right?

We were both watching the same movie at the same time for the first time! LOL

nope I'm not kidding

same thing happened about the last episode of enterprise, had to download it, and so did my friend. After seeing it I was like wow, good episode but wtf, ww2 and then a few minutes later he sends me a message on msn "wtf!!! ww2!?!?!?"

 

[Psycho18]

I should watch this movie. It is very disappointing that I never heard of this film before....

 

[tk149]

The Matrix ripped a lot of elements from Dark City. Although The Matrix was a MUCH better movie. In fact, after watching it for the first time with a few friends, I commented that it was "Dark City with Kung Fu and a bigger budget."

Too bad the sequels sucked.

 

[CanOWorms]

You can't always go by release dates to tell if a movie ripped off another. I don't think you can rip off another movie when they're released so close to each other.

The Matrix was in development for a pretty long time. Another example is Phone Booth - that idea was out for years and years before it was finally made. I remember when Jim Carrey wanted the leading role.

"There were always these stories about people who were in a world they assumed was real, but it turns out it's some kind of artificial creation -- like they realize they're inside a computer program or something like this" - famous quote by Alex Proyas (Dark City) that's used in these discussions

There was a movie with a similar idea that came out the same weekend as the first of the new Star Wars movies called The Thirteenth Floor (I think sometime in 1999). It's actually based on a book that's much older.

(not a Matrix fanboy)

 

[TallBill]

You should see the 13th floor as well. It was also out before the Matrix.

 

[Czar]

http://rob.mitsi.com/movies/comparisons/tm-dc_images1.htm
lots of images from both films, looks like a ripoff

http://rob.mitsi.com/movies/comparisons/tm-dc_images2.htm
script
Matrix: He gets a phonecall from a misterious stranger who says "They are coming for you, Neo, "
Dark City: He gets a phonecall from a misterous stranger who says "There are people coming for you,"
sounds the same

and shortly after this happens
Matrix: http://rob.mitsi.com/movies/comparisons/matrix_city/french/matrix_elevator.jpg
Dark City: http://rob.mitsi.com/movies/comparisons/matrix_city/french/darkcity_elevator.jpg

 

[Psycho18]

Originally posted by: Czar
http://rob.mitsi.com/movies/comparisons/tm-dc_images1.htm
lots of images from both films, looks like a ripoff

http://rob.mitsi.com/movies/comparisons/tm-dc_images2.htm
script
Matrix: He gets a phonecall from a misterious stranger who says "They are coming for you, Neo, "
Dark City: He gets a phonecall from a misterous stranger who says "There are people coming for you,"
sounds the same

and shortly after this happens
Matrix: http://rob.mitsi.com/movies/comparisons/matrix_city/french/matrix_elevator.jpg
Dark City: http://rob.mitsi.com/movies/comparisons/matrix_city/french/darkcity_elevator.jpg

Wow! I didnt understand how bad it was, until now.

 

[RgrPark]

Jennifer Conelly > Kate Ann Moss?
'Nuff said

 

[0roo0roo]

theres even a commentary track by roger ebert, and this was one of the earliest dvds out when extras were ussually rather horrible. i got the movie when it first came out. it was one of those overlooked films sadly. its got jen connely, keifer from 24

 

[0roo0roo]

great, its stil 5.99 http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=NLD004657

 

[KokomoGST]

Watch Ghost in the Shell and the GITS: Standalone Complex anime and you'll see how much of an utter ripoff most of the stuff in the Matrix was... heck, the Wac Bros openly admitted to it.

I liked Dark City and the Matrix... each has their own merits. Definitely Jennifer Connelly.

 

[SaltBoy]

Originally posted by: tk149
The Matrix ripped a lot of elements from Dark City. Although The Matrix was a MUCH better movie. In fact, after watching it for the first time with a few friends, I commented that it was "Dark City with Kung Fu and a bigger budget."

Too bad the sequels sucked.

I still believe that in a side-by-side comparison, the Matrix probably IS a better movie, but I was just blown away by how much Dark City resembled it.

 

[Joemonkey]

wow... that is pretty bad

 

[SaltBoy]

Originally posted by: KokomoGST
Watch Ghost in the Shell and the GITS: Standalone Complex anime and you'll see how much of an utter ripoff most of the stuff in the Matrix was... heck, the Wac Bros openly admitted to it.

I saw Ghost in the Shell and didn't like it very much at all, but sure enough, it had the "green code" all over it.

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: KokomoGST
Watch Ghost in the Shell and the GITS: Standalone Complex anime and you'll see how much of an utter ripoff most of the stuff in the Matrix was... heck, the Wac Bros openly admitted to it.

I liked Dark City and the Matrix... each has their own merits. Definitely Jennifer Connelly.

exactly, the lobby scene, total rippoff from ghost in the shell

 

[gistech1978]

my ex made me watch that movie
i bought it for her for like 5 bucks on clearance.
it was okay. pretty strange flick.

they used some sets from dark city in the matrix

 

[Mo0o]

Yeah, the brothers just say they "drew their insipirations from such films as..." which can be translated to "blatantly copied from..."