There is nothing that could have prepared me for just how thoroughly, excruciatingly dull a movie this is. Significantly, it's not dull specifically on account of poor acting, slow pacing, unexciting action sequences, or any of those most readily visible aspects that most often so immediately quelch our enjoyment. Mind you, these may well still be shortcomings reflected in the feature - I'm admittedly not entirely sure. Because for whatever other issues may present, they are profoundly overshadowed by the absolute greatest fault in 'City limits': some of the most shockingly deficient writing that I've ever seen in a movie. The very screenplay is such a glaring, pervasive flaw as to supersede all else, making this title all but impossible to genuinely engage with. It's difficult to fully explain in words, but I will try, if only to communicate to all future potential viewers the dire warning to avoid this dreck.
We are treated to rough, indelicate direction, editing, and sequencing. Early "exposition" is questionable, and before we get anything else concrete, the scene writing is just as tawdry. The film launches directly into the plot with no explanation. In fact, no explanation is forthcoming, at any point, about anything in the movie - there is no indication, for example, of where the heroes are going, or what their mission is, before they begin to move out at the end of the second act. We get outrageously dubious costume design, dialogue, and set design and decoration. Even the sound design is unbelievably deficient.
But example aside, these are still just the things that catch our attention at the beginning of the movie, the first few scenes. We also get a montage recalling good times with characters that we never knew. Characters appear out of the blue that we are supposed to think were there all along. It's not just those magically appearing tertiary figures, however: we are given no reason to care about anyone we see before us. Why, examining 'City limits' as a whole - things happen on our screen, but nearly from the word "go" we're disinterested, and it only gets worse. Narrative development is specious; the plot itself is amorphous, indistinct, nebulous. Motivations and character interactions as they would seem to present are nonsensical; if they have any reasoning at all, it is mysterious to me.
Why in the world would there be any connection whatsoever between protagonist Lee and ANY of the women in this story? Who was the woman in the water tower at the very beginning, that we never see again? What was the corporation's scheme, exactly? Before the suits "assumed power," whatever that may mean in this context, what were the biker gangs doing, that the company's arrival interfered with, apart from riding up and down the streets and picking fights with each other? What is James Earl Jones doing here? Why are the emphatic references to comic books entirely dropped after the protagonist finds early triumph?
The longer you watch, the more incredulous questions that are raised.
Parts of the climax are arguably done well, but that's the only praise I have to offer. The only possible entertainment to be had is in making fun of this rot. The final death scene is utterly terrible. Of anyone here, including Jones or Kim Cattrall, I think it's Pamela Ludwig who has best role of the picture as Frankie, just because she didn't have to say one word of dialogue.
Rebuild the screenplay from only the most bare bones sketch of an outline and maybe a decent movie could be produced from it. But not this. Even noting apparent low regard, I watched with an open mind, ready to accept what may come. In no time at all I quite regretted such willingness. To watch is a trial, in the most Herculean sense of the word. 'City limits is astoundingly awful, with blisteringly little consideration having been given to dialogue, characters, scenes, or plot, let alone other elements of the production. It bears no value of its own accord, and I simply cannot recommend this, under any circumstances.
What's most extraordinary of all is how many cast members went on to have robust, fruitful careers as actors or filmmakers. Truly, the most humble of beginnings.
We are treated to rough, indelicate direction, editing, and sequencing. Early "exposition" is questionable, and before we get anything else concrete, the scene writing is just as tawdry. The film launches directly into the plot with no explanation. In fact, no explanation is forthcoming, at any point, about anything in the movie - there is no indication, for example, of where the heroes are going, or what their mission is, before they begin to move out at the end of the second act. We get outrageously dubious costume design, dialogue, and set design and decoration. Even the sound design is unbelievably deficient.
But example aside, these are still just the things that catch our attention at the beginning of the movie, the first few scenes. We also get a montage recalling good times with characters that we never knew. Characters appear out of the blue that we are supposed to think were there all along. It's not just those magically appearing tertiary figures, however: we are given no reason to care about anyone we see before us. Why, examining 'City limits' as a whole - things happen on our screen, but nearly from the word "go" we're disinterested, and it only gets worse. Narrative development is specious; the plot itself is amorphous, indistinct, nebulous. Motivations and character interactions as they would seem to present are nonsensical; if they have any reasoning at all, it is mysterious to me.
Why in the world would there be any connection whatsoever between protagonist Lee and ANY of the women in this story? Who was the woman in the water tower at the very beginning, that we never see again? What was the corporation's scheme, exactly? Before the suits "assumed power," whatever that may mean in this context, what were the biker gangs doing, that the company's arrival interfered with, apart from riding up and down the streets and picking fights with each other? What is James Earl Jones doing here? Why are the emphatic references to comic books entirely dropped after the protagonist finds early triumph?
The longer you watch, the more incredulous questions that are raised.
Parts of the climax are arguably done well, but that's the only praise I have to offer. The only possible entertainment to be had is in making fun of this rot. The final death scene is utterly terrible. Of anyone here, including Jones or Kim Cattrall, I think it's Pamela Ludwig who has best role of the picture as Frankie, just because she didn't have to say one word of dialogue.
Rebuild the screenplay from only the most bare bones sketch of an outline and maybe a decent movie could be produced from it. But not this. Even noting apparent low regard, I watched with an open mind, ready to accept what may come. In no time at all I quite regretted such willingness. To watch is a trial, in the most Herculean sense of the word. 'City limits is astoundingly awful, with blisteringly little consideration having been given to dialogue, characters, scenes, or plot, let alone other elements of the production. It bears no value of its own accord, and I simply cannot recommend this, under any circumstances.
What's most extraordinary of all is how many cast members went on to have robust, fruitful careers as actors or filmmakers. Truly, the most humble of beginnings.