The Thirteenth Floor | | Cast : | Craig Bierko, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Gretchen Mol | | Director : | Josef Rusnak | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | May 28, 1999 | | DVD Released Date : | December 03, 2002 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | May 23, 2005 | | Summary | Good movie, good ideas, but the end is too much | Content
 | I found this film about virtual realities very clever and largely superior to the Matrix or Dark City films which are dull in my opinion (with the exception of Cronenberg's ExistenZ which is a good film about virtual reality); the film is a mix of film noir, dark atmosphere, nostalgia for the golden days of hollywood movies and also a tale about splitted personalities; i don't want to give away too much information about the movie for those who haven't seen it yet but the idea of leaving a clue, an important secret to being discovered in the virtual world is an excellent idea, so is excellent the idea of the limits of the virtual world that one character meets after a ride in car and which gives him the revelation of his life about his fake universe; the nostalgia is present through the Los Angeles of yesterday; the film has also an approach of the virtual theme by far less commercial than the Matrix, the pace is rather slow and the setting is atmospheric; so why just three stars instead of more ?; really the film is good and i would have liked to give it more but what stop me giving much is i think the end of the film is too much and the director does too much in the twists : putting twits after twists is not a good idea and the final twist is too much; if i had been the director, i would have concentrated my effort on the detective plot about the intrigue on the clue given by the letter in the virtual world of the Los Angeles of the thirties, and all the investigation around that and i would not have pushed the envelope further and too much by multiplicating with numerous twists the levels of virtual reality as it is the case with the final revelation; this movie has, in its chore, a good potential, perhaps one day the idea should be used in an improved way. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 14, 2005 | | Summary | Clever sci-fi suspense with some twists | Content
| This movie is a clever tale of virtual realities within virtual realities within virtual realities, ad infinitum. But that's not apparent at the beginning so forget I mentioned that if you are a new viewer of the film. It starts off as a mystery story in a virtual world set in an historical backdrop. But things are not what they seem. Comparisons to the Matrix are not totally unfounded, but there are stark differences to the tone and story of these films. The 13th floor has a great ending that does leave you thinking hmmmm.... I enjoyed it but can see how it lacks the style and clever symbolism and dialogue that have made Matrix films such a big phenomenon. If you like this genre this is a terrific film to see and get you thinking about the nature of reality and what it would be like to be an artifically generated intelligence. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 02, 2005 | | Summary | Not for multiple viewings | Content
| I watched this movie yesterday,and I just cant help but be a little bit dissapointed. I think the premise is great; is this world real? Or is the world they make up in the computer world real, or is anything real anymore as characters take up to three lives each as they go in and out of these cyber worlds? It gets fuzzy in places, and makes one wonder that after an hour and 20 minutes, this whole story is getting more and more complicated.
Actors in this movie do a great job, but it doesn't have enough characters to make it suspencful enough, it doesnt make it hard to figure out who is killing whom, even though the explanation @ the end is a bit far fetched.
My boyfriend really liked this moive, but I dont think I would ever want to watch it again. And you know a movie is a gem, when in the middle of it, you daydream of whens the next time you get to watch it again.
Not with this one, curiosity satisfied, and no need to go back to it. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 11, 2005 | | Summary | The Original Matrix | Content
| Yes, this movie pre-dates the Matrix and in fact has a much more interesting storyline than that film. I see why the 2 are so often compared, but I would describe the 13th Floor as an intellectual version of the Matrix.
The plot has already been discussed so I am going to simply mention some of my favorite aspects of this film. It was fascinating how these programmers could create such a realistic virtual world, wherein the people are programs and have no idea of the truth (see, how the Matrix ripped it off?). Imagine finding out you are nothing but a bunch of 1's and 0's and there is no possibility for change or escape?
It is exceedingly clever how one character leaves clues in the virtual world that allows another character to help solve a mystery in the real one.
Interestingly, perhaps due to a limited budget, more attention was paid to the actual story instead of filling the screen with all kinds of cheesy cgi, which resulted in a better, more fulfilling movie, as opposed to a simple action flick.
Vincent D'Onofrio submits yet another stellar acting performance. I am always floored by how he can look so completely different from one role to the next. Check out the brilliant independant flick, Salton Sea, if you are a fan. (As an aside, while I did not particularly enjoy The Cell, Vincent gave the most chilling performance I have ever seen in my life and one that I will never forget...too bad Jlo was involved.)
If you are interested in the concept of virtual reality or even parallel worlds, or maybe just new types of entertainment technology, you will no doubt enjoy the 13th Floor. While it is a slow-moving drama, the intriguing storyline and believable performances will keep you more interested in this film in the long run than some cheesy, special effects laden popcorn flick. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 20, 2005 | | Summary | Awesome Movie | Content
| Why do so many reviewers compare this movie to the Matrix?
This movie is nothing at all like the Matrix. If you are ever in the video store and can't find anything good to pick up you might want to give this movie a try. |
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