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The Matrix Customer Reviews (64 - 66 of 132 Reviews)

Wake up! This is a great film!
What amazes me about the few harsh criticisms of this movie is how banal and superficial they are. Yes, Matrix is loaded with cool special effects, a killer score, and an overwhelming sense of paranoia, but remember that the majority of the film takes place inside of a mainframe - it's not real. Neo is a brilliant hacker without a clue as to how the technology he loves is an extension of a much more sinister reality. I knew I had seen a brilliant movie when the foreshadowed use of Baudrillard's "Simulacra and Similarities", a treatise on the meaninglessness of defining reality in a totally fabricated, digital, mass produced society, kept its theme up until the credits started rolling. The next time you login, go through ticketron, or buy a bag of groceries think to yourself, "I wonder what's behind it all?"

When I think of the pantheon of great film, it's impossible not to draw comparisons between one movie and the next. Sure, The Matrix had elements of 2001 and BladeRunner, but it stands on its own as a landmark acheivement. Dark City explores reality subverted into a scientific experiment, leaving the world, ultimately, in the hands of one man; eXistenz is a game which blends far too easily with reality; The Matrix is something totally new. Reality doesn't exist at all, or at least given the choice, who would choose to live outside the Matrix? The viewer, should they choose to really think about it rather than expect to be entertained, is left with a sense of dread and despair. This is not a feel good, rah rah humanity film, and it is great because it leaves us with existential questions we probably have considered but have rarely seen in any form of media.

The Wizard of Oz said "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" We should immediately quip "Why not?"

One of the truly amazing science-fiction accomplishments
"You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad." These revealing words spoken by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) touch just the very tip of the enormous iceberg that is "The Matrix". Released in early 1999 without much fanfare, but with surprisingly high number of positive critical reviews, "The Matrix" became a science fiction and cinematic juggernaut not seen since the days of the original "Star Wars". It produced a mind-bending story dealing with a fascinating take on reality. It also revolutionized the movie industry through its use of mind-numbing, computer-generated, special effects including the now-famous stop-motion technique known as 'bullet time'. In the same manner by which George Lucas redefined the special effects industry with "Star Wars" in 1977, which created an influence which has been seen in countless movies in the quarter-century since, the Wachowski brothers did the same following "The Matrix". The 'bullet time' technique has been borrowed, ripped-off, and parodied in so many forms in the past four years, one forgets that it was only four years ago that this was introduced to the masses.

The premise of "The Matrix", for anyone who has been living under a rock since 1999, can be derived from the very quote at beginning of this review. It posits the notion that the world we see and live in is not the true reality. Instead, it is a computer-generated 'virtual reality' designed to make the human mind believe it is living a normal life when, in truth, they are simply crops to be harvested for energy by a vicious race of machines who took control of Earth some 200 years earlier. The very method by which the machines keep humans in bondage is also the means by which many of the humans strike back to reclaim humanity's domain over the world. It is called The Matrix. A cranial connection into this elaborate computer system is what enables the machines to control the human mind. It is also how the few bands of rogue humans who have managed to escape the system will free other humans and seek to bring about the machines' destruction. Operating on the theory of 'nature always finds a way', a few anomalies among humans realized that the Matrix wasn't real, broke free, and began the struggle to free all humans connected to the system. The leader of one of these rogue groups, Morpheus, believes he is destined to find 'The One', the individual who will be able fight the machines and defeat them. He believes this 'One' is Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), better known as Neo. He believes that Neo will be the one who can defeat the machines and their 'Agent' programs in the Matrix where so many before him failed.

There is a definite mentor-student relationship that takes place between Morpheus and Neo, as well as all the obligatory training and education scenes as Neo comes to understand what reality is. Where this might seem perfunctory in other movies, in "The Matrix" it is amazing as each new path inspires a sense of awe in the viewer. Some believe this movie has no plot or a convoluted one. In truth, it is a plot with such depth that this movie has developed an almost religious following among its fans and in-depth analysis among academics and philosophers. There is not one frame of wasted film throughout the entire movie. Each character has a defined purpose and each one fits perfectly into the overall story arc. In addition to Morpheus and Neo, there is the tough, yet vulnerable Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) and the Judas-like Cypher (a slimy Joe Pantoliano). "The Matrix" also introduces the audience to one of the best cinematic villains to come along since Arnold Schwarzenneger's Terminator and "Star Wars" Darth Vader. It is one of the 'Agent' programs designed to eliminate the threat posed by these humans. He is called Agent Smith and he is played with such frightening menace by actor Hugo Weaving. Seemingly indestructable and definitely unpredictable, Agent Smith provokes the greatest fear among the brave band who do battle inside the Matrix.

The beauty of "The Matrix" is that it is still as strong four years later as it was when it was first released. The phenomenal success of this film led the Wachowskis to create trilogy out of this story. It has the power and potential to be as strong a remembered as fondly as the original "Star Wars" trilogy. To be able to be there at the beginning of such an amazing story now lets me understand how audiences felt in 1977 when they saw "Star Wars" for the first time.

Don't Forget To Take Your Red Pill
The MATRIX is one of those movies that, based on the theatrical trailer, I didn't quite no what to think about the movie. I was intrigued enough to buy my ticket and see what it was all about. In the end, as almost everyone knows, the film turned out to be one of the provocative science fiction films ever produced. Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is drawn into a new reality, where, nothing is as it seems. He is told by a being called Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne), that the real world is an illusion, and that the deception is being fostered by all powerfull machines, that control our true destiny, that we must now fight for, to reclaim.

The MATRIX is what I like to call, smart sci-fi, that doesn't "dumb down" its audience. Sure, there's plenty of action, and cool visuals, but all of this eye candy is backed up by an interesting premise. Written & Directed by the Wachowski Brothers, the film is a feast for the eyes and the mind, that will leave you wanting more. I can't wait for the second and third films in this trilogy to come out.

When I bought my first DVD player some 3 and a half years ago, the MATRIX, was among the first discs that I purchased. The disc is packed with extras. There's so much bonus material that it took me quite a bit of time to go through it all. It is one of the most comprehensive discs available. Aside from everything that you might expect, in the way of extras, there are "hidden" features as well. If that weren't enough, there's also a wealth of DVD-ROM content on this disc, for you to enjoy ***** stars

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