The Matrix
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.37 You Save: $10.61 (82%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Matrix
Movie Review: One Of The Best Movies of the 1990's
Summary: 5 Stars
People's opinions on this movie fall into one of two catagories - they either love it to pieces or hate it to bits. The love faction is the larger of the two by far, but that doesn't prevent the occasional snipe from the hate side.But then again, these days just about anyone with a computer and a modem can shoot off their opinion - and good for them. As a result, no movie ever is going to get a perfect rating, until they release a perfect movie. :)
"The Matrix" isn't perfect - but boy, does it ever come close. Many have commented of its lack of originality, and yes, even the biggest Matrix buff will have to concede that there's a lot of previously-enjoyed ingredients here. But they mix together for some tasty stew - the movie mixes stylized action with spiritual allegories and the computer subculture, and the end result is the type of movie that gets everyone to take notice - love it or hate it, the one thing you can't do is ignore it.
The movie's stylized look is called "manga style" by many, and "comic book style" by me. (Always hated different words for the same thing...) We move around inside of the world with some of the smoothest camera tricks, angles, pans, zooms and trasitions ever seen - it is like the Wachowski Brothers were born with a camera in their hands, so fluidly it all comes together. The characters they show us are, again, like comic book characters - strong, powerful, good-looking on the outside, but surprisingly human. Trinity's fear over expressing her feelings, Neo's uncertainty in himself, Cypher's second thoughts about his life - all these elvate them above normal action heroes.
The other thing that sets the heroes of the Matrix apart is what they can do. In a world freed of the limits of flesh, they can pull off incredible stunts, maneuvers and attacks. Why take the bus when you can leap 50 feet between buildings? This, coupled with the fact that they all seem to be former computer hackers and nerds, pulls the intended audience into the picture. The main character, played by Keanu Reeves, starts out as a soft-spoken, distant, meek man - just like every kid who's ever read comic books. In the end, he becomes who every one of those kids wants to be - a man with power, and with a clear sense of purpose.
The mataphorical allegories of this movie will be debated for years - from subtle touches like Neo's apartment number (101 - not only is he "the One," but 101 is binary code, the language of computers) to the more overt references to Buddism and Christianity. But as said before - they all mix into some tasty stew. It earns its title, not by what it incorporates, but by how well it's done - and it's all done so well, you can't help but be impressed.
Movie Review: The Matrix - The Ultimate Sci-Fi/Action & Adventure Flick!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Matrix is simply one of the most visually stunning and intellectually enthralling Science Fiction/Action Adventure films to be produced in recent history. It is the quintessential film of the nineties and now the new millennium. Amazingly enough; at the time of its release I was working extremely long hours and didn't even see a trailer for it so I missed it at the theater. After hearing so many good things about it, I purchased it and was absolutely floored by its originality; mind blowing action and compelling plot. The Wachowski Brothers deserve nothing but the highest praise that they continue to receive for putting this story to paper and the silver screen.I've never been much of a Keanu Reeves fan but that opinion definitely changed with this movie and I'm sure will continue with its follow on movies "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions." He is absolutely perfect in the role. Laurence Fishburne in the role of Morpheus is outstanding as usual, making it seem as if the role was made for him. In the role of Trinity is the ever so beautiful Carrie-Anne Moss whose hard work and stunning gorgeousness shines brilliantly on the silver screen and the home theater screen. Hugo Weaving performing as Agent Smith is nothing less than perfect in the role of the nemesis. Joe Pantoliano delivers another great performance in the role of good guy turned bad.
Combining a brilliant story and superb directing by the Wachowski brothers with superb performances by the aforementioned actors brings forth what is most likely one of the best Science Fiction/Action & Adventure flicks of the nineties and the catalyst for this years release of the sequels which are both expected to reach astronomical levels at the box office.
The premise:
Thomas Anderson a.k.a. Neo is living two lives, by day he's a computer programmer who is seemingly living by all the rules as Thomas Anderson, by night he's Neo, a computer hacker who is breaking every computer derived law in the book. For quite some time he's also had the strangest feeling that everything is not as it seems. He begins to hear rumors of someone named Morpheus and something called "The Matrix." Suddenly, while he's searching for Morpheus, Morpheus seeks him out and then Mr. Anderson's world is turned inside out... What follows from there is as stated above, one of the most compellingly well written Science Fiction/Action & Adventure flicks to grace the silver screen and the home theater in quite some time. This is a movie that can be watched repeatedly and it's just as exciting as the first time you watched it!
I "highly" recommend this film to all who are interested in a "great" movie that is unbelievable in its scope and detail and perfect even in its minor trivialities. {ssintrepid}
Movie Review: This DVD movie rocks. The best DVD ever. Extremely good.
Summary: 5 Stars
I seen this movie on my DVD player today, 16th September 1999, a whole week before USA. It was so cool and this DVD is a combined DVD Movie and Interactive DVD-ROM. 7,4 Gb Movie and 1 Gb PC stuff. Example you got a copy from the official Matrix web site on the DVD-Rom. The prerry good Matrix Internet Explorer which rocks with the original Matrix Soundtrack in background. Much better and more fun than the standard Internet Explorer from Microsoft. The Matrix Movie Trivia game is very good. Every question is linked to the movie and you can see the actual scenes directly in a own window. "The Storyboard" section is pretty good. You can see all the animated storyboards which was made to make the movie. The Storyboard have also lot of pictures from the movie and the whole story with dialogs and script to every scene in the movie. Very good idea. Unbelievable it is around 1000 Mb with PC stuff on the same DVD disc as the movie. This is how every DVD should have been. 95% of the dual-layed one-side DVD-disc is used. 8,3 Gb include the movie. This is to good to be true. You got also in the DVD ROM section 6 standard Mpeg movie trailers from movies like Mad Max 2 and 3, Soldiers, Demolition Man and of course Matrix. This can be played by programs like Windows Media Player. The DVD Movie Menu sections repeats itself with best movie scenes from the movie. Pretty good. The movie is normally 130 min. long, but you can also see the extra movie scenes that wasn't on the cinema version. Other things you get is information and pictures about the casts and directors in the movie. You can see the movie with american subtitles. Hear the directors when you see the movie. Hear the soundtracks in the movie without hearing nothing else from the movie. This is really soundtrack like you get on the Soundtrack CD. A very good idea also other DVDs should have. Documentary movies about the making of the movie and the special effects. Really good quality in sound and pictures in the movie made this DVD a example how other DVDs should have been. This is really 100% like the format DVD should have be. This is the best movie on DVD!!!!Here in Norway where I live, the largest entertainment company have got 40000 copies of the Matrix DVD movie this week. It is very cool that I and many other DVD fans in Norway, got the Matrix DVD movie in our own mailboxes a whole week before the DVD movie is released in USA. In few days I will also got the DVD movie of The Mummy. In Norway many people have modified DVD players and buy the DVD movies they like to own. American versions or European versions have very little to say. Nearly all in Norway can speak english. It is only around 300 DVD movies in Europe still but in USA it is more than ten times so much.
Movie Review: A philosophical masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
This masterpiece of a movie is of ineffable genius; it is rare to see a film so densely packed with multiple meanings, which like a baroque composition, the more you listen the more subtle insights are gained-an intellectual delight. And neither is it too obstruse to understand! Indeed, since it has so many levels, it would be a great movie for even the less perceptive and imaginative of action moviegoers. This movie deserves to be shown in college philosophy and political science classes, not just film. It is in fact a powerful artistic expression of an actual situation, of the dynamics of the system we now find ourselves immeshed in and struggle with in different ways. No doubt, like Neo, many of us who watch the film, can feel as Neo felt-that there is something going on, etc. but cant put your finger on it. This is because it powerfully resonates with truism, truths many of us would rather not be made aware of, hence the lure of the "matrix" and our fear of being "unplugged" from it. Many people have interpreted a biblical/Christian message out of it, but I disagree. It is not saying that reality is false, that we create reality and by expanding our minds we can simply create another reality behind the reality. No, the reality is created for us, a false reality, a false consciousness, but material reality objectively exists independently of us. How it manifests in our consciousness is more the point. We can break free from the illusions of what we have been conditioned to believe is "reality," but seeing the truth comes at personal costs, and usually impels us to struggle for change and face repression. This is a basic Marxist tenant. What Marx called the `superstructure" of a society, is the culture, ruling ideas, institutions, politics, etc., that creates a false consciousness but are functional to existing power relations, reinforced by existing social relations that stem from its production relations. Yes, exploitation is an integral part of world capitalism, and we are like batteries for the system-an accurate allegory to surplus value. Yet, we are hidden from many of its ugly facets around the globe and a rosy picture is instead created for mass consumption. The media "manufactures consent." We become sheep, plugged in to this nexus and once you unplug, it is hard to go back to this dream word of ignorant bliss. Make no mistake, the Matrix is here with us now. This movie is more like a leftist documentary about class struggle than a sci.fi film per se, and it is brilliantly done to include the many subtle philosophical and political elements that are involved. If you saw this film and didn't like it, go see it again and again and again. Sooner or later, you too will break out of the matrix!
Movie Review: The Matrix as science fiction?
Summary: 5 Stars
Firstly, I have to confess that I'm not much of a cinemagoer. So I've never caught The Matrix on the big screen like some other people might have. More's the pity, because it simply isn't possible to appreciate how good this film is when you're watching it on video. On the other hand, if you're lucky enough to have a DVD player, you can finally appreciate this film the way its creators wanted it to be.So what is so good about The Matrix? In recent years, Hollywood seems to have had great difficulty in releasing any genuinely intelligent science fiction films. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Wild Wild West, Batman and Robin, Lost in Space...the list is seemingly endless. Thanks to the success of the Star Wars films, studio executives seem to think science fiction films are an excuse to print money. This is despite the fact that Star Wars greatest strengths were its character and its plot.
Have these executives ever read Isaac Asimov? Arthur C. Clarke? Ben Bova? Jerry Pournelle? Science fiction wasn't always about big explosions and glossy special effects. At it's heart, the best science fiction stories force people to question what the future may hold, and our perception of reality. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a marvellous example of that.
So in a decade where almost all science fiction films are more oriented towards big explosions and action sequences, it's good to see a movie that finally revisits these classic science fiction themes. And then wraps them in some very memorable big action sequences to make it accessible to mainstream audiences.
But at its heart, The Matrix addresses two important questions - where are we going, and what is reality? In The Matrix, we see a future where humanity has been almost wiped out by the machines that we created. It's a sobering reminder to the current generation not to become too enamoured of technology...that in order to control our destiny we must retain control over what we create.
It also forces us to question reality in a way that I haven't seen a film do...ever. The reality we live in is a computer construct? Impossible! And yet...we see humans perform feats that should be completely impossible. Executing superhuman martial arts combat moves, dodging bullets at lightning speed, constructing worlds out of thin air.
"Is it really so hard to believe?" asks Morpheus. Well...yes, it is actually. But then, The Matrix IS at its heart a science fiction film. And the first pure science fiction film that I've seen in a very long time. I sincerely hope that studio executives are paying attention to its success. Because it shows that treated properly, a science fiction film can be an extremely powerful medium to present some powerful ideas.