Although this latest cyber-thriller lacks the energetic and high-tech quality of The Matrix, as well as the bizarre and original world of Existenz, it does offer some very interesting moments.

Produced by Roland Emmerich (co-creator of the over-rated Independence Day and the ludicrous Godzilla), this film is a cyber-noir thriller that takes place in the real world and an alternate reality within a sophisticated computer.

Most striking are the films production values. The simulated world has a period-look that echoes Roman Polanski''s Chinatown. The film also boasts a fun performance of Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket) and a fetching Gretchen Mol (Rounders).

Ultimately, there is too much going on in The Thirteenth Floor. It piles plot upon plot, making the film quite heavy-handed. Still, it was more enjoyable than any of Emmerich's previous directing efforts.