Ah heck, The Matrix sure enough did have lightning (by which I meant electrical arcs, not storm lightning) now that I think about it. I withdraw that one. Sorry.
<scratches head> The Matrix has the exact same look and feel as Dark City? Sorry, I just don’t see it.
Dark City has an elaborate intentionally cheesy retro noir look that uses heavily stylized design elements from the 20s to the 50s. The Matrix has none of that. (It does contain retro elements, but they’re all 60s-70s retro elements.)
The Matrix has glossy, well-lit intentionally bland modern coporate cityscapes and the grungy post-holocaust world. Dark City has none of that.
The only real design similarities are:
- Some characters wear trenchcoats, and
- Both movies feature stylishly rotting row houses.
In the case of the stylishly rotting row houses, The Matrix isn’t ripping of Dark City: both movies are ripping off Se7en (1995) and Blade Runner (1982). As have countless other movies, of course.
And of course, by obsequious, I meant ubiquitous. I’ll just shut up now, and assume you are all smart enough to figure out when I screwed up. 
Bah, that’s a first.
Horrify?
Touchiness?
How about your initial response to Achenar that he was throwing a hissy fit and being unreasonable, when all he said was “I think The Matrix was probably well into the writing stage at least by the time Dark City came out (06 Aug 2002). That’s only nine months before it was released.”
I’m constantly amused at the way pseudo-intellectuals constantly feel the need to fervently defend or destroy The Matrix. Half the people I know that hate The Matrix were those who absolutely loved it when it came out - solely because something seemingly unique and something only they could understand. It allowed them a brief respite from the filthy masses. Once the filthy masses saw the movie and enjoyed it, it became their mission to denegrate it.
Mark me down as one more who doesn’t see the similarities between Matrix and Dark City. I’d hesitate to even call Matrix a noir film. It’s simply too brightly lit. Considering the sickly green cast to the lighting in most of the scenes set within the Matrix, I’d call it more of a verde.
It’s my understanding that much of the philosophy was based directly on Jean Baudrillard’s book Simulacra and Simulation. Apparently the book was even featured in the movie, but I haven’t seen the movie for a while so I don’t remember how, it was something Neo was reading before he met Morpheus, I believe.
Don’t have a cite, but my understanding is that the brothers went to Joel Silver with a Matrix script quite after they wrote Assassins and he rejected it as too ambitious and expensive. They then proposed Bound, which he used as a testing grounds to see if they were competent filmmakers. Once Bound proved to be a moderate success, they got to make teh first installment of The Matrix, which was their baby all along. This would mean they had some kind of script for the Matrix around 1994 or 95, if not earlier. Ultimately I don’t think they ripped off Dark City at all. Did you notice that the shot in Dark City in which Jennifer Connelly stands at the end of a pier is almost identical to one she did for Requiem for a Dream, released very soon after? Sometimes coincidences just happen. And I liked both movies, for the record, but the Matrix was lots more fun.
Heh. :p:D
We can’t forget Johnny Mnemonic, though I know some people would like to. I’m not one of them, though. I thought it was at least as successful as a film as The Matrix. I kept searching the credits of The Matrix for William Gibson’s name because it seem to have some of the flavor of his work.
Do a Google search on Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.”
Anyone have a copy of Matrix on DVD? If so could you please look over the credits? I seem to remember, could be wrong, a credit to a short story.
I always thought Matrix’s scene where Morpheus explains what “really” happened to Neo mirrored Terminator 2.
:rolleyes:
Come on, people! The Matrix is a direct rip-off of The Bible.
Enslaved humans are being led to the promised land, Zion, by Moses–I mean Morpheus–in his ship, the Nebuchadnezzar.
Neo is a Christ-figure if ever I’ve seen one. He dies to save others and is resurrected.
Plus, given how humans are being grown by the machines, he may very well be the result of a “virgin birth.” 
Neo is betrayed by Cypher (Judas) to his enemies.
The whole movie is seen by some as allegorical to the people on a post-rapture Earth fighting off Evil and waiting for the chosen One to return to save them.
Faith is a big player in the movie.
There are more biblical references in the movie as well. I think you could easily make the case that The Matrix borrows MUCH more from the Bible than it does from Dark City.
I am not religious myself, but I know some Christians who enjoyed the first movie for these biblical parallels and they were very disappointed that the second movie veered in another direction. (though, arguably, it didn’t–it just didn’t fit their perception of the Bible)
The Matrix obviously is influenced by many previous stories and movies. This, in fact, is why the movie is so successful. It has a little something for everyone. From what I’ve read, the W brothers freely acknowledge borrowing and blending ideas from many different philosophies from cultures around the world. To say that it’s a direct rip-off of any one story or movie is just very short-sighted and ignorant.
I don’t think The Matrix is the greatest movie ever, or that it’s incredibly deep. But it’s a good movie and at least it does have some depth and complexity to it. Not the case for a lot of science fiction movies. God, I’d rather watch The Matrix a thousand times before having to watch another mediocre, predictable Star Trek movie.
I definitely agree with Munch that The Matrix gets unfairly criticized by snobs who can never bring themselves to like anything that has become popular.
You guys. Don’t you know anything? The Matrix is obviously based on the good doctor’s love of Cajun food and men.
Your answer is correct and you will recieve, according to personal preference, a cigarette or a banana.
The ideas that reality is malleable, that computers and machines will take over the world and that people look cool in trenchcoats and shades, have all been used before, in books, comic-books and films. There’s no one source for them; dozens have been mentioned already on this thread, and there’s nothing wrong with using them again, provided something reasonably interesting is done with them.
That was in reply to Biggirl.
I personally think The Matrix is based on long, deep bong hits, poorly remembered Philosophy 101 discussions, Cliff Notes, Biblical references, kung fu movies, a dumb monkey in sunglasses named Keanu, and – a piece of lint, I guess.
I don’t want to start an argument, but why do people say “poorly remembered” Philosophy 101? Did they get something wrong?
How about a cigarette made from banana peels? 
What about the comic series “The Invisibles?” Hell, they even have a roof jumping scene…although, I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how far the connections go.