twhughes-00286
Even though I know the ending, it is still superb.
Acting, script, idea...
As the talk of VR and AI continues to evolve, one really has to wonder as to the premise and possibility of this movie.
Also, really has nothing to do with the Matrix.
Maybe it is just me, but sometimes I still look for that long road...
If I even find it, I'll let you know...
jacklyn_lo
"The Thirteenth Floor" is a mix of sci-fi, mystery, spiritual, romance and action. My review is mostly about a spiritual side of the plot.There are 3 main spiritual ideas in the movie: 1. Transfer of consciousness 2. Creation of virtually programmed world 3. Multi-layered realityGlued together these thrilling ideas are working entertaining, but not answering the main question: How the developers of the virtual world created a consciousness?This question is not only non-answered, but it's totally ignored and leading to the number of other doubts: 1. Where the consciousness of the virtual people disappears when an upper-level entities-hosts enter their bodies? 2. How a virtual person remembers what his host has been doing in his body?And so on
We have to remember that creation of consciousness is a sacral magic with access by only ONE- our Spiritual Father. The gang of three from 1990 could build a virtual world, but could NOT create a consciousness, which means they COULD NOT move their own consciousness into the virtual world.The love represented in the plot is hastily done too: a woman from the upper layer is cheating her husband with a virtual character. Her explanation of that - the virtual character is nice, that why she falls in love with him.The movie is ended abruptly without providing any explanation what actually this multilayered "matryoshka" means.There are randomly dropped spiritually fancy words and phrases in the plot such as déjà vu, "not in this life", soul, etc. However, they are not corresponding any further explanations.I have to admit that the "vinaigrette" content has been packaged in entertaining way and probably gained a commercial success, HOWEVER, we have to be aware that trash movies could be far more dangerous than trash loans with more unpredictable and dangerous consequences for humankind. What is a learning message? I guess nobody knows. I m generously rating this movie by 2 stars for entertaining fantasy ONLY.
Python Hyena
The Thirteenth Floor (1999): Dir: Josfe Rusack / Cast: Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol, Vincent D'Onofrio, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Dennis Haysbert: While the title clichés its numeral, the film itself is clever with wonderful production values. A computer researcher transports himself through the mind back to 1937. He gives an envelope to a bartender, makes a phone call, then proceeds outside where he is murdered. Craig Bierko plays his partner who is framed for the murder. He encounters Gretchen Mol who was cut from her father's will only days before his murder. Effective art direction displays 1930's galore with director Josfe Rusack having fun with the constant plot twists. Unfortunately the film also becomes confusing at points but relies on effective casting. Bierko displays confusion and determination as to whether or not he is guilty of murder and whether the cards deal him well in the end. Mol is the key victim who discovers information about herself. Here again is another tragedy that is questionable in its dealings. Vincent D'Onofrio plays a bartender who factors in with ill results. Armin Mueller-Stahl is only seen in the opening before the murder but his role transpires throughout. Dennis Haysbert plays a detective investigating this bizarre case. Its virtual reality is not well explained but it plays on suspense as oppose to mindless action. Score: 6 / 10
bowmanblue
Every synopsis I read of The Thirteenth Floor has the words 'mind-bending' written in it. Therefore I made sure I followed the story pretty closely so that I didn't miss anything. And, when the credits finally rolled, I had the whole story pretty much figured out.The Thirteenth Floor was released in 1999, not that many people probably heard of it as The Matrix came out in the same year and relates to a similar kind of concept. In The Thirteenth Floor, the world of today has created an alternate reality in a computer program (in short, the 'matrix'), however this computer programme is designed to look like 1930s America and people can jump in and out of the 1930s populations' bodies with the help of the right computer equipment.For the first hour or so, I wasn't so much confused (as the 'mind-bending' plot was basically The Matrix with a dose of Inception thrown in - a good ten years before its own rise to fame). I was more bored. Nothing that interesting seemed to be happening and what was really going on wasn't revealed until around the hour mark. And, I have to say that when I 'got' what was happening, I liked it. Nice touch.All in all The Thirteenth Floor has a nice idea behind it and the actors play their parts well. However, it will never be either The Matrix or Inception, as it suffers from a distinct lack of budget. I knew it wasn't a new movie when I saw it, but I didn't know the exact year. I would have put it somewhere in the eighties rather than a year where bullets were being slowed down and George Lucas gave us The Phantom Menace. Also, The Thirteenth Floor has no stars and absolutely no action (minus the odd fist fight and gunshot). Therefore it gives the film a bit of a 'made-for-TV' feel about it.Perhaps it's 'the thinking man's Matrix? Either way, I liked it - it was some good ol' fashioned sci-fi. Of course it goes without saying that it would have been better with Carrie Ann Moss in a leather catsuit.
AD
