Reviews

This movie is best viewed *without* reading HH The Dalai Lama's autobiography beforehand. Having read the book, having been emotionally involved in the religious aspects, the heady politics and in the man himself, I expected much of this movie.

The movie looks great, is well shot and Scorsese paints a wonderful and strangely glamorous view of HH Dalai Lama's early life as spiritual leader of Tibet. But at its heart it is also a cold, detached and distanced view.

You always feel removed from the characters, feeling that you don't know them or somehow don't understand them very well. The Buddhist mentality and ceremony is captured credibly to a degree, but without the true warmth or conviction of the "real thing".

The movie skims over and misses huge chunks of HH The Dalai Lama's story. Leaving us with almost a brief documentary of a life rather than a movie of one. The story was too big for Scorsese's hands I think.

Wonderful photography and artistic direction does not save this unmemorable take on one man's historic journey.

After the last Star Trek movie "First Contact", I had some hope for the general tv/movie Star Trek franchise. But this film is its first step into the grave. This movie is really awful.

The story is so limp, this style of story has been told hundreds of times before and it was so predictable.

How can we care for the characters when the characterization is so bad ? We know hardly anything about the "enemy". We can't hate them or feel sorry for them.

I had no emotional or intellectual involvement whatsoever in this film. And if Sci-Fi doesnt make you think or question then what's the point ?

Its the kind of film you stumble across late at night when you are scanning channels for something worthwhile to watch... you'ld watch it because there is nothing else on.

Now if only Joe Michael Stracynski had the money to make a multi-million dollar movie... mmm....

This is definitely one of the better SF releases of 1998. But when you look back at the competition during 98, maybe this isn't such a great thing.

Good points.... this film is one of the most stylish I've ever seen.

Bad points... this film plods along, giving us the story in one huge slab of dark and gloom. It seems one-dimensional, you wait for some spark of excitement, you wait for a twist in the plot, it never comes. Instead you a get predictable film containing one man's diary of a mad, weird, confused world.

Great ending.

If you like SF you won't be too disappointed in Dark City. It's not like seeing a movie, it's more like reading an old "pulp" short story of the past. Just don't expect much thrills and entertainment in here. Sit back and admire the photography.

Too much style, not enough spark.

This is an awful movie. It hurts even more because I love everything else about Babylon 5... except this !

It would have survived if it were a 40 minute tv episode. It's way too long and stretched out to movie length as it is, leaves us with a shallow, dull story that you can't wait to finish.

I'll make this a short one. This is an entertaining movie for regular B5 fans. I wouldn't say it's a *must see* though. And to people who have never seen a B5 tv episode, it might seem a tad dull. But I personally loved this movie. It was nice to see the early storyline opened out. It was nice to see the early days of Sheridan, Delenn, Franklin, Gkar, Londo.... and of course Jeffrey Sinclair <grin>. If you're a B5 fan - rent/buy it now, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

This is a typical "made for tv" feel-good kids drama. Lots of National Geographic style scenery, predictable storyline, wooden acting and over-stated moral values.

Although it's a bit too glossy and flat-footed for its own good, it is still a reasonably entertaining view for the kids. This is an endearing and educational movie at best.

This a must-see for fans of the award winning tv series, myself included. It has everything a fan would require from a big-screen version of the series and that is what it is - a double-episode with a bit more on offer than average.

Questions are answered. Questions aren't answered. It opens up a little and gives some secrets away. But as always not too much. The special fx are cleverly done, not really big-budget, sometimes bordering on b-movie, but there's enough dazzle saved for the end to give you something to remember in this department - guaranteed.

This movie doesnt depend too heavily on its special fx, unlike so many others of this year's "summer blockbusters", instead it's a slice of typical Carter conspiracy, great story-telling with an old-fashioned horror egde.

So, all in all, its great entertainment for the X-Phile, but it lacks the bite to really dominate the big-screen.