Wednesday, January 15, 2014

The Matrix (1999)

Rating: 90%
For a while I've wanted to give my own two cents with The Matrix trilogy, but couldn't find the right time to finally watch them again and then review all three movies. But then around the end of the fall semester I picked the first movie for a project in the Feature Script Analysis class back at film school and so was able to watch it again. So today I decided to settle the matter once and for all and watch the other two films and thus finally give you all my thoughts one each movie starting with - obviously, The Matrix.

Plot: Thomas Anderson (or just Mr. Anderson if you prefer) is a hacker who goes by the name Neo and has been looking for a man named Morpheus in attempt to discover what is The Matrix. Eventually he meets him and so Morpheus gives him a test as to whether or not to learn the truth about The Matrix. Without giving their entire goal away, Neo discovers that Morpheus believes that he is The One who can save humanity with The Matrix against The Agents who try to stop them.

Now it's possible if not likely that most of you who are reading this review have at least seen the first movie. And for the most part you're going to know what I have to say. The Matrix is a very creative movie. It has a unique premise with what exactly The Matrix is and what Neo, Morpheus and his crew are capable of doing while trying to save humanity, the all around world that they are in is very different and the characters where interesting. And...well I can't talk about about this movie without discussing what makes it so well known: the action and the special effects. Some of these kinds of moves and effects may seem boring to people  - mostly because some of the big ground breaking effects have been used a lot since this film, but even then, they're still very impressive. Effects like "bullet time" or moves like Trinity floating in the air before kicking a S.W.A.T. team member in the chest or Neo running on walls where very groundbreaking at the time and they used these effects very well. And the action of coarse is very fun to watch. Whether a scene had kung fu fights, gun fights or a mixture of the two, they were all very exiting to watch. This of coarse is the movie that put Keanu Reeves on the map and he does make Neo a memorable character...even if the kind of acting he kind of stuck with right after these movies. Hugo Weaving also gives one of his most memorable roles as Agent Smith and...that might've put him on the map too. But whether or not it did, who can blame him? The way he talked was memorable, the way he appeared and acted very menacing was memorable, heck, he was even a little funny at some points that is a little memorable...at least for me. Then of coarse you have Neo's love interest Trinity who is awesome too, but if I did have one nitpick with this movie, it would be that the chemistry between Neo and Trinity only half makes sense to me. Not to say that it's not believable, I mean they talk about The Matrix and whether or not Neo's the one and they fought S.W.A.T. soldiers and Agents together. But when it came down to whether or not they genuinely love each other, I find myself half completely on board with it, and half finding their feelings to be not entirely believable. I'm probably over thinking it, but even then, it's a minor nitpick.

And that's my review for The Matrix. Even if the effects by themselves seem old fashioned and overused today, we must not forget that when this movie came out, they where nothing short of groundbreaking on top it's unique premise, memorable characters, classic fight scenes, that make The Matrix such a well known movie that it is today. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I recommend that find the time to do so.


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