The Matrix
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Movie Reviews of The Matrix
Movie Review: "There Is No Spoon"
Summary: 5 Stars
What's this? A fast-paced, intense sci-fi action movie with a brain, amazing special effects, well-developed characters, a cool soundtrack, and so many unforgettable quotes I don't even know where to begin? Yeah, that's what you're lookin' at. Oh, and there are a lot of big explosions. Don't worry about that.
I assume you've heard of this movie's special effects - the time control thing Neo (the hero) and the Agents (the villians) do is awesome. Without giving too much away, I will say that the movie's worth seeing for the subway fight between Neo and Agent Smith (or ONE of the Agent Smiths, at least) alone. Actually, the action scenes in general are worth watching the movie for alone - the airport fight, the opening scene with Trinity (a woman in a resistence force against the Matrix - I'll get to that), the rooftop fight between Neo, Trinity and the Agent Smiths (AKA the "Dodge this" scene), the simulated battle between Morpheus and Neo, and of course the last fight in the movie are great. Whoa...
But it's not all just action: the movie presents a number of fairly deep-thinking situations(though I'll admit none of them are original): would you rather be safe or free; you are who you make yourself; the only limits are the ones you set (there is no spoon!), etc. I don't really have that many movies (music being my wife and life), but I don't think many high-speed thrillers with lots of guns and lots of karate even try to appeal to the brain. This one does.
Now, a bit of background - don't worry, I won't give away the ending if you're one of the two people who hasn't seen this movie. Thomas Anderson (AKA Neo) is a hacker who thinks there's something in this life he's not picking up. What he discovers from Morpheus (who has got to be my favorite character in this movie) is that around the turn of the 21st century, machines overcame humans as a result of a war that ravaged the landscape. The humans were all put in sort of pods, I guess you'd say, sleeping, believing they were going about their daily lives as usual. But this was just a computer program, called "The Matrix". Morpheus leads a small band of people who have been "awoken" (this band includes Trinity and, eventually, Neo), and have taken it upon themselves to inform as many people as possbile about the truth behind the Matrix. Neo joins the resistance, and is trained in karate and such. Here he learns that the Matrix, like all computer programs has rules. And according to Morpheus, "Some can be bent, some can be broken" - this explains the movie's famous time-freeze slow-mo double flying side kick thing - after all, they are opposed by Agent Smith, a sentient program that can manifest itself as any member of the Matrix and is represented by a clean-shaven, short-haired man in a sports coat, tie and sunglasses who always wields a gun. It all goes wrong after a visit to an oracle (I won't say why they visited, because it gives too much away - but she has to be the coolest oracle of all time), and Neo and Trinity set out to set what has gone wrong right.
I'm seriously having trouble seeing fault in this one - it more than justifies the two-hour plus length because the long dialouge scenes that normally bog such movies down are augmented by memorable, often dry-humored dialouge (my favorite part in that regard being the dinnertime scene aboard Morpheus' ship, the Nebuchadnezzar). And the fight scenes are awesome, too. Whoa... I think I'll take the red pill.
Movie Review: Cypher had a point....
Summary: 5 Stars
I thought the movie I saw on the screen reflected accurately the movie I saw in my head as I read the screenplay. After seeing the movie start to finish at the theater and on video, I watched it scene by scene reading the screenplay for each scene beforehand. I was surprised at how close each scene on the screen was to each scene in the screenplay. It was also interesting to see how the mood of each scene, for both place and characters, was translated so accurately by the directors from the written word to the image on the screen. The dialogue on the screen was also very close to the dialogue in the screenplay.This movie seemed to have a strong plot that took an unnerving premise and developed it through good storytelling using bigger-than-life characters that the audience could still relate to in some way. The action scenes, while dramatic and forceful, did not seem to get in the way of the development of either the plot or the characters.
The only thing I would liked to have seen is an acknowledgement by the protagonist (Neo), or one of his comrades (in reflective exposition by Morpheus perhaps), that Cypher had a valid point. Cypher's point that life in the Matrix for him could be a better choice than "real" life outside it. The price of that choice is, in effect, slavery but it is a price that after nine years of "reality" with Morpheus he was anxious to pay. Extending that thinking, it's clear that many other humans would share his view and create something of a problem for the resistance is "freeing" humans, some of whom would not want to be freed from the Matrix.
This idea was alluded to briefly by Morpheus when he told Neo that many people would have difficulty being freed from the Matrix and some would never give it up. I just thought that some acknowledgement by these freedom fighters that freedom was a relative thing for Cypher and, by extension much of humanity, would be a point worth developing. We often hold onto belief systems that have little support in the real world simply because we find comfort in them.
The fiction wraps around an idea that forces us to look at and question not only our beliefs but our reasons for holding those beliefs. This is uncomfortable for many of us. Especially if the belief system questioned is a spiritual one. It is an idea that should be thought about, not dismissed for minor plot points.
The plot point about batteries, I think that was merely an anology used within the context of the plot to explain the role humans had come to play in the new order - they were serving machines, rather than the reverse - and were doing so through the bio-technology, if you will, of their bodies that is more efficient than any mechanical device made by man or machine at that time in the context of the story. I believe that the exposition explaining this came from Morpheus to Neo early in Neo's awakening as a voiceover to the "human harvesters" scene doing their gathering of human infants from the fields.
It was a well-written, well-directed, and stunning movie at both the visual and auditory levels with a compelling idea - that our reality is what our brains tell us it is - and that reality, and our beliefs that are built on it, can be shaped for us by someone else for their own ends.
Whomever greenlighted this, I'm glad they did.
Movie Review: Imagination, Suspense, Action...The Matrix has it all!
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw The Matrix the day it premiered in theaters, after I saw a preview that peaked my interest in the movie. I have since seen the movie well over a hundred times (no kidding, really)and I never get tired of seeing it. The Wachowski Brothers have succeeded in making one of the most fresh and innovative Sci-fi/action movies ever made, with a gripping storyline, nonstop action, and stellar acting performances across the board. I've often heard people talk about Keanu Reeves' lack of acting ability, but he plays the part of Thomas Anderson/Neo to perfection in what I consider by far the finest performance of his career. Reeves portrays an early sense of doubt and disbelief very convincingly, and makes a smooth transition throughout the film as he comes to terms with the "real world" and his struggle to save it. Laurence Fishburne,(Morpheus, the leader of the human resistence) who has long been one of my favorite actors, delivers another riveting performance as his charisma and strong presence shine through in this movie. His interplay with Reeves is especially good, as he helps propel the film's suspenseful moments. Carrie-Anne Moss delivers a breakthrough role as Trinity, a member of Morpheus' crew as well as Neo's eventual love interest. The rest of the cast also deliver excellent performances, as they play their supporting roles to perfection. The strong acting alone would make this a solid movie, but the script really propels this movie into the stratosphere, making The Matrix one of the most innovative stories ever created. The backdrop of Man against Machine is not brand new concept, but the idea of the enslavment of the human race in a computer-generated prison for the mind is quite new indeed. The Wachowski brothers grab the audience's attention at the very beginning of the movie by dropping the viewer directly into the action, without knowing who the "bad guys" and "good guys" really are. The movie continues forward at backbreaking pace, offering riveting plot twists, suspense-filled action sequences, and some of the best special effects ever to grace the big screen(The combination still and motion picture technology, which is used throughout the film and detalied in an included behind the scenes documentary, is absolutely amazing). I believe that the entire DVD format was created to showcase this type of movie.(The Matrix is the top selling DVD title to date, so many people obviously agree with me) The visuals are crisp and clear, with extremely vivid images, This movie also features some of the best sound possible, as bone-jarring explosions and ferocious fight scenes are heard like never before in full Dolby 5.1 surround. The behind the scenes documentaries are fascinating, and the disc is also packed with loads of other extras that will satisfy any Matrix fan. The bottom line is this: The Matrix is one of the most innovative movies ever made, backed by excellent acting performances, an incredible script, as well as special effects that set a new standard in the motion picture industry. This movie will be remembered for years to come. I am one of the multitudes of fans who eagerly await the sequel(and for once I have greater expectations for the sequel than I did for the original). The Matrix is an instant classic, a movie truly fashioned for the computer age.Movie Review: Incredible Film, Even More Incredible DVD :)
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of only two movies that I have ever seen THREE times in the theater...and, since I bought it on DVD a year ago, I have probably seen it a total of at least 10 times by now. It is a movie that draws you in, not just with its mind-boggling special effects, but also with its underlying story. The story is so neatly woven into it all, and the whole film is so fast-paced, that on first (or even third) viewing, it's difficult to be able to follow it all. Sorry, all you "dissenters" out there, but if you didn't like this film, then you obviously just didn't get it.I'm a relatively smart moviegoer, but I did not totally get all the details in the entire movie myself, the first few times around. I loved it the very first time I saw it, and I knew that it was a great, groundbreaking film. But honestly, I got maybe about 40% of what was going on. I began to lose track of what was happening after Neo takes the red pill. Fortunately, this movie works on so many levels, that it can even be enjoyed on the level of a high-tech, high-kickin', sci-fi-action thriller. But something about this film intrigued me so much, the way "The X-Files" on TV used to intrigue me.
The second time I saw THE MATRIX, I was up to about 60% in my understanding of it. At this point, I got most of the major details, (like what happens after Neo takes the red pill) but I still didn't fully understand exactly what the agents, or the sentinels, were. On my thrid viewing, I finally got this point, but I wouldn't say that I got 100% of it--I got maybe up to 90%. But everytime I have seen it since, it adds something new to my understanding of the incredible world of THE MATRIX. This is the mark of a GREAT FILM: One that makes you want to come back for more, even when you don't understand everything in it, and gives you something new every single time you see it.
THE MATRIX was great to see in the theater, but it is an even greater experience on DVD. It was cool on the big screen, but on DVD the film is much sharper (it almost makes you think that your TV set is HDTV), and it has all the great extras that you would expect from a DVD--plus many great ones that you WOULDN'T expect. Besides the great behind-the-scenes documentary "HBO First Look: Making the Matrix," you get the incredible feature "Take the red pills to view two hidden special effects documentaries: "What is Bullet Time?" and "What is the Concept?"" which delves much more into what the special effects are and how they are accomplished. Plus, there is the feature that allows you to see the film and, at certain points, a "white rabbit" pops up on the lower right-hand corner of the screen. If you click "ENTER" on your remote while the white rabbit is up on the screen, you get taken to a mini-behind-the-scenes-featurette on exactly how they made that particular scene (this is NOT taken out of the HBO behind-the-scenes feature. It's pretty incredible! Of course, the Commentary by Carrie-Anne Moss, editor Zach Staenberg and visual effects supervisor John Gaeta is also very cool. Overall, it's like nothing I've ever seen before. I can't wait for THE MATRIX 2, or whatever its title will be, to come out!!
Bottom line to all this: If you loved the movie, you'll go ga-ga over the DVD!!!!
Movie Review: "More than you'll ever know"
Summary: 5 Stars
The year is approximately 2199. The world human beings perceivethrough their senses is an illusion. Artificially intelligent
machines control all of humanity by altering their perception of
reality through the use of a computer-generated world, called the
matrix. All humans believe they are living in 1999, "the peak of
our civilization". The sad fact, however, is that the AI's have
turned humans into a kind of battery, using the energy produced by
people as fuel.
There exist a select few people who have been
removed from the Matrix and thus exposed to the bleak reality of the
real world. It is these rebels alone who are fighting to free all
humanity from enslavement. Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) is the
leader of a group of these freedom fighters. He is also engrossed in
a search for the One, a person who has the ability to alter the matrix
in any way he sees fit and who will liberate humanity from its
bondage. Morpheus' search leads him to Thomas Anderson (Keanu
Reeves), but is Mr. Anderson the One?
The Matrix is a feast for the
eyes. The fighting scenes are fast paced and expertly implemented.
Each actor spent months learning Hong Kong Kung Fu ("movie Kung
Fu") and appeared in all of his/her fight sequences, adding a
taste of authenticity to the action. The film also makes use of a
groundbreaking filming technique called bullet-time, whereby scenes
can be slowed down or sped up and shown from dynamic angles. The
combination of fight scenes, camera work, and special effects is the
best to come out of Hollywood for some time and alone warrants a
viewing of the Matrix.
However, the true beauty of the Matrix cannot
be uncovered in a single viewing. The Matrix is much, much more than
a high-tech, sci-fi action film. Unfortunately, no one can be told
what the Matrix is...
This film makes use of a myriad of allusions,
"more than you'll ever know" according to the Wachowski
brothers, the writers/directors. They have drawn upon Christianity,
Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Western Philosophy (Descartes, Berkeley,
...), Eastern Philosophy, Plato, cyberpunk literature (William
Gibson's work, ...), "traditional" literature (Alice in
Wonderland, ...), Greek Mythology, and Japanese anime, just to name a
few. The film utilizes all these (and others) sources to explore
humanity's perception of reality, the concept of salvation, and
numerous other philosophical themes. These themes are too diverse and
important to discuss in a forum such as this. Nonetheless, the Matrix
was written with many levels of meaning, exemplified in the
character's names, their actions, and their dialogue, to name a few
examples.
All in all, the Matrix was one of the most
thought-provoking and entertaining movies I have ever seen. It was
well worth the money I spent on it because of one simple word:
rewatchability. This film cannot be appreciated until it is watched a
number of times and each viewing proves to be as rewarding as the
previous one, if not more so.