The Matrix
4/4
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Rated R for Sci-Fi Violence and Brief Language
Science fiction and philosophy are perhaps two peas in a pod. When telling a story that takes place in the future, it opens the door to new inventions, and with each radical invention that we use in our daily life, it makes us ask questions about ourselves and how we fit into this huge world of ours. In "Minority Report," we were asked to ponder the difference between free will and pre-destination, and also the ethical implications of each. In "I, Robot," we were asked to think about what it means to be human, and where the line between a living creature and a thinking machine is drawn. In "The Matrix" (which, by the way, came before both of those films), we begin to question our own reality.
Thomas Anderson (Reeves) is an office drone by day and a computer hacker named "Neo" by night. For him, life is a dream that he can't wake up from. He knows that something isn't right with his world, but he can't explain what. When he wakes up one morning, the computer seems to be talking to him. He follows its instructions and meets a woman named Trinity (Moss). She in turn introduces him to the mysterious Morpheus (Fishburne) who will give him the answers and as a result, turn his world upside down. The world as we know it is not real. It is a computer program designed to enslave us while human beings are farmed for their energy by machines. Morpheus and a few humans who are freed from this prison are fighting to free the rest of mankind from the machines.
Strange as it may sound, "The Matrix" is actually a (loose) metaphorical re-telling of the story of Jesus Christ, as filtered through layers upon layers of science fiction, to the point where James Dobson and the rest of the Bible Thumpers will deem it unrecognizable from the original story. But it is there for those who are paying attention.
The acting is excellent across the board. Keanu Reeves has long since maligned for his acting skills, or allegedly, the lack thereof. I'm not a member of this group. I think, that with a strong script and director, Reeves can be great. "Speed," "The Devil's Advocate" (his best performance in my opinion), "A Walk in the Clouds..." I rest my case. As Neo, he's the perfect guide into this maze of ideas, technology and violence. He's a hero that we can all get behind. He's just as confused as us in the beginning, but learns as we do. Laurence Fishburne walks the fine line between creepy and sympathetic as the prophetic Morpheus. He's a highly intelligent man, but his firm belief in something (that's explained in the film) may be his undoing. Carrie-Ann Moss is also very good as Trinity, the tough leather-clad babe who may be hiding something. Joe Pantoliano is adds some comic relief by being his usual off the wall self as Cypher.
The villain of the film, the program known as Agent Smith, is probably one of the best and most inventive villains in film history. As played by the great Hugo Weaving, with his slow, silky voice (reminiscent of Alan Rickman), he is a truly evil...thing. But Weaving goes beyond using his voice to add menace. He uses slow and deliberate body movements to emphasize his role as the bad guy.
One of the most striking things about this movie is the visuals. This is a techno-noir. It's like having computer science-fiction in the 1940's, and it's the perfect mix for a movie this unusual. It's also reminiscent of "Dark City," a slightly similar movie that was released three years prior to "The Matrix."
"The Matrix" is most famous for its groundbreaking special effects, like in the first scene when Trinity jumps in the air, freezes as the camera moves and then does a few flying kicks into the bad guys. Not only are they eye-popping, they raise the adrenaline considerably. The fight scenes, choreographed by the great Yuen Woo-Ping (who also did the sequels and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") are inventive and expertly done. The action scenes have been spoofed by the likes of "Scary Movie" and "Charlie's Angels," but like all the most famous movie moments, they work flawlessly within the context in which they were originally presented.
This is a true mind-bending action movie that piques the intellect and the adrenaline. There's nothing quite like it.
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Rated R for Sci-Fi Violence and Brief Language
Science fiction and philosophy are perhaps two peas in a pod. When telling a story that takes place in the future, it opens the door to new inventions, and with each radical invention that we use in our daily life, it makes us ask questions about ourselves and how we fit into this huge world of ours. In "Minority Report," we were asked to ponder the difference between free will and pre-destination, and also the ethical implications of each. In "I, Robot," we were asked to think about what it means to be human, and where the line between a living creature and a thinking machine is drawn. In "The Matrix" (which, by the way, came before both of those films), we begin to question our own reality.
Thomas Anderson (Reeves) is an office drone by day and a computer hacker named "Neo" by night. For him, life is a dream that he can't wake up from. He knows that something isn't right with his world, but he can't explain what. When he wakes up one morning, the computer seems to be talking to him. He follows its instructions and meets a woman named Trinity (Moss). She in turn introduces him to the mysterious Morpheus (Fishburne) who will give him the answers and as a result, turn his world upside down. The world as we know it is not real. It is a computer program designed to enslave us while human beings are farmed for their energy by machines. Morpheus and a few humans who are freed from this prison are fighting to free the rest of mankind from the machines.
Strange as it may sound, "The Matrix" is actually a (loose) metaphorical re-telling of the story of Jesus Christ, as filtered through layers upon layers of science fiction, to the point where James Dobson and the rest of the Bible Thumpers will deem it unrecognizable from the original story. But it is there for those who are paying attention.
The acting is excellent across the board. Keanu Reeves has long since maligned for his acting skills, or allegedly, the lack thereof. I'm not a member of this group. I think, that with a strong script and director, Reeves can be great. "Speed," "The Devil's Advocate" (his best performance in my opinion), "A Walk in the Clouds..." I rest my case. As Neo, he's the perfect guide into this maze of ideas, technology and violence. He's a hero that we can all get behind. He's just as confused as us in the beginning, but learns as we do. Laurence Fishburne walks the fine line between creepy and sympathetic as the prophetic Morpheus. He's a highly intelligent man, but his firm belief in something (that's explained in the film) may be his undoing. Carrie-Ann Moss is also very good as Trinity, the tough leather-clad babe who may be hiding something. Joe Pantoliano is adds some comic relief by being his usual off the wall self as Cypher.
The villain of the film, the program known as Agent Smith, is probably one of the best and most inventive villains in film history. As played by the great Hugo Weaving, with his slow, silky voice (reminiscent of Alan Rickman), he is a truly evil...thing. But Weaving goes beyond using his voice to add menace. He uses slow and deliberate body movements to emphasize his role as the bad guy.
One of the most striking things about this movie is the visuals. This is a techno-noir. It's like having computer science-fiction in the 1940's, and it's the perfect mix for a movie this unusual. It's also reminiscent of "Dark City," a slightly similar movie that was released three years prior to "The Matrix."
"The Matrix" is most famous for its groundbreaking special effects, like in the first scene when Trinity jumps in the air, freezes as the camera moves and then does a few flying kicks into the bad guys. Not only are they eye-popping, they raise the adrenaline considerably. The fight scenes, choreographed by the great Yuen Woo-Ping (who also did the sequels and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") are inventive and expertly done. The action scenes have been spoofed by the likes of "Scary Movie" and "Charlie's Angels," but like all the most famous movie moments, they work flawlessly within the context in which they were originally presented.
This is a true mind-bending action movie that piques the intellect and the adrenaline. There's nothing quite like it.
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