The Matrix is one of the most iconic movies that has come out in recent history. It's a film that changed the landscape of cinema, and is still being remade to this day. The movie was released back in 1999, but it feels like its message is more relevant now than ever before. With The Matrix Reloaded only a few weeks away, it would be appropriate to look back at where this film franchise all began.
Here is the plot for The Matrix:
"A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers."
There's quite a bit going on in this movie and it's hard to know where to begin. The Matrix is a movie I remember seeing for the first time, just as many of you probably do. When I saw this movie for the first time, I was blown away by how amazing it looked. This wasn't the only thing that impressed me though; The Matrix has a well thought out plot and it manages to stay engaging throughout.
The story starts off slow, but we do get used to where we are in the story quickly. We soon realize that Neo is our protagonist, with Morpheus being his mentor figure. One of the most endearing things about this movie is how likable each character is. Each character has a special role and it is easy to care about their journey.
The acting in this film is pretty amazing as well, considering that Keanu Reeves is the only major star with any substantial screen time. Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss each deliver great performances as Morpheus and Trinity respectively, and they all work wonderfully with each other during the action sequences.
The movie's pacing is rather bizarre at times; we don't really know what's going on for a good chunk of the story, so there are plenty of moments where we're left confused. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though; We know what is happening eventually (I mean, how could you NOT after multiple viewings), but these early parts serve as an introduction into this new world.
The movie's world is something that is truly mind blowing; The story doesn't stop at our world, but instead delves past it and into this vast network of computer code called the Matrix. Our digital world has been recreated on a massive scale and we see how programs (AI) live their lives in this simulation while the humans remain oblivious to everything.
There are moments when we're able to catch glimpses of what life is like for these programs and they provide us with some of the most memorable scenes. One particular scene that comes to mind is where Neo stops time and walks around while everyone else remains frozen in place; It's such a simple concept, but it allows us to fully grasp just how powerful he has become over the course of the movie.
The action sequences in this movie are truly something to behold; We have some of the most memorable gunfights ever put on film. The special effects are amazing, but it's really the choreography that outshines everything else. Our main characters are more than capable fighters, so when they get into a fight, you know shit is going down. What makes these scenes more incredible is how smart our protagonists are during combat;
They don't just go around shooting everyone who gets in their way because they understand that some people NEED to remain alive if they want to succeed in their mission. It's actually pretty refreshing to see that level of intelligence from an action movie protagonist.
As I mentioned earlier, there's plenty going on in this movie and it is hard to get everything done in a 2 hour run time. The Matrix had a few sequels, but they weren't able to live up the expectations that were set by this first film.
I'm going to go ahead and give The Matrix an 8/10; It's a great action film with a pretty amazing story. If there was one thing I would change about the story, I would have added more information about how humans came into existence within the simulation.
As for my movie rating system:
1-4: Bad Movie (Has its moments, but ultimately terrible)
5-6: Meh (Meh… Not really good or bad)
7-8: Good Movie (Really good, but not great)
9-10: Great Movie (Amazing! Best of the year candidate)
As always, thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time. Any requests for a new review are welcome as long as it meets my standards for content.