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By following up their debut thriller
Bound with the 1999 box-office smash
The Matrix, the codirecting Wachowski brothers--Andy and Larry--annihilated any suggestion of a sophomore jinx, crafting one of the most exhilarating sci-fi/action movies of the 1990s. Set in the not too distant future in an insipid, characterless city, we find a young man named Neo (Keanu Reeves). A software techie by day and a computer hacker by night, he sits alone at home by his monitor, waiting for a sign, a signal--from what or whom he doesn't know--until one night, a mysterious woman named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) seeks him out and introduces him to that faceless character he has been waiting for: Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). A messiah of sorts, Morpheus presents Neo with the truth about his world by shedding light on the dark secrets that have troubled him for so long: "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." Ultimately, Morpheus illustrates to Neo what the Matrix is--a reality beyond reality that controls all of their lives, in a way that Neo can barely comprehend.
Neo thus embarks on an adventure that is both terrifying and enthralling. Pitted against an enemy that transcends human concepts of evil, Morpheus and his team must train Neo to believe that he is the chosen champion of their fight. With mind-boggling, technically innovative special effects and a thought-provoking script that owes a debt of inspiration to the legacy of cyberpunk fiction, this is much more than an out-and-out action yarn; it's a thinking man's journey into the realm of futuristic fantasy, a dreamscape full of eye candy that will satisfy sci-fi, kung fu, action, and adventure fans alike. Although the film is headlined by Reeves and Fishburne--who both turn in fine performances--much of the fun and excitement should be attributed to Moss, who flawlessly mixes vulnerability with immense strength, making other contemporary female heroines look timid by comparison. And if we were going to cast a vote for most dastardly movie villain of 1999, it would have to go to Hugo Weaving, who plays the feckless, semipsychotic Agent Smith with panache and edginess. As the film's box-office profits soared, the Wachowski brothers announced that The Matrix is merely the first chapter in a cinematically dazzling franchise--a chapter that is arguably superior to the other sci-fi smash of 1999 (you know... the one starring Jar Jar Binks). --Jeremy Storey
The ORACLE was in the Matrix! - Reviewed on 2008-10-10
1 customer found this review not to be helpful.
as soon as I saw him eat that cookie I figured out how many script errors were made and since I can't read all 3000 reviews just had to add my 2c...why would u bother with a matrix concept if u just wanted to milk babes for AC/DC??? They grow up? Kill em... and that screen depicting the vertical scans of random numbers, and only one quick shot to show how it is really interpreted, as a GD camera!!! and what is with the high tech gear that is available in sposedly '99 (i.e. learn to fly, UFC, etc.) and they use KEYBOARDS!!!! not even ONE voice command??? and that phone booth interface was soooo ingenious, beam me up Scooby Doo...YIKES!!! really luved the scene going thru security post 9/11 with all that commando gear, major yuk of the film...and why on God's good earth would they have one source for the codes to Zion, no super s/w dewey decimal system to encrypt the lat/long??? ack, have lots more but hated to discuss this film with my roomtemp IQ friends, they claim they all "got" it, but don't ask them any of these questions, they change the subject...SCREAM!!!!@@#%%@%! Positives were the high wire acts, the cute outfits in black, the traitor enjoying his fake moo meat, the music, and of course, that babe in RED!!!
"No Fear, No Doubt, No Disbelief." - Reviewed on 2008-09-04
When 'THE MATRIX' first came out, I resisted the hype that began to surround it once all of the reviews--by laymen and professionals alike--started coming in.
About a year after it's cinematic release, when it was available on pay-per-view, on a night when I was bored stiff, with absolutely nothing else to do, I invested $4.99 just to see what all the hoopla was all about.
Excuse my French... but, God Damnit! Induct the Wachowski brothers into the movie making hall of fame right now!
If they never make another film, (which they obviously have, considering that there's now a 'Matrix' trilogy. UGH!)this one fantastic movie, in and of it's own accord, justifies their having a place of prominence in the pantheon of the all time great producers / directors in movie making history.
Being an intelligent, thoughtful, highly analytical and conscious individual, the mental stimulation which I derived from this finely nuanced film was enough to make me giddy.
With a superb cast; great acting; a mind-boggling plot; and dialogue that you can sink your teeth into; THE MATRIX gives the viewer a whole lot of everything.
But, for me, the one thing that it gave me more than anything else, was a sense of empowerment.
The sense that if we can conceive it and BELIEVE it, that we can also achieve it; and in essence, this film is really just one long testament to my favorite philosophical axiom; one which states that, "The person who thinks that they can, and the person who thinks that they can't, are both right." and for every single character in this movie, it was all about that one simple thing: 'belief'.
Morpheus, the leader of the group, who was played to perfection by Lawrence Fishburn, BELIEVED so strongly that he would find the one, that he had devoted his entire life to searching for him.
Trinity, played by Carrie Ann Moss, believed so strongly in Morpheus, that she risked her life time and time again, delving into the matrix as a liaison between Morpheus and 'the one'.
Cypher, played by Hugo Weaving, believed that their search was so much B.S. that he sold out to the agents, attempting to sabotage the groups efforts, for his own personal welfare.
NEO, played by keanu Reeves, believed that he was 'just another guy' until the collective belief of everyone around him, particularly Morpheus and Trinity, convinced him that he really was 'the one.'
This movie is so tightly constructed that even the names of these individuals tell a story that is relative to it's character.
Morpheus is the name of 'the principal God of dreams' in Greek mythology, and in The Matrix, Morpheus attempts to wake everyone from their dream state.
Trinity represents the power of alliance, particularly the alliance of three, as in the sun the moon and the stars, the father the son and the holy ghost, life death and rebirth, past present and future, etc... and she serves as the link between Morpheus' ideology, and it's real life application in the embodiment of Neo.
Neo, literally means 'NEW', and is also an anagram for ONE, and he would be the first person to see The Matrix as it really was, and he would also be the the first ONE to take a step into the heart of THE MATRIX and live to tell.
Even the name of their vessel, the Nebuchadnezzar, was symbolic, in the regards that Nebuchadnezzar was the name of the Babylon king who rebelled against Darius the great of Persia, who was the most powerful ruler of his 5th century B.C times.
This s**t is the macrocosm in microcosm, finely nuanced in every detail; and, in fact, if you really want to experience this movie from another perspective, DON"T WATCH IT... LISTEN TO IT.
"SOUND BYTES"
NEO: "So what are you telling me... that I can dodge bullets?"
MORPHEUS: "No! When you're ready... you won't have to."
When Neo is preparing to jump From one skyscraper to another, and has doubts about his ability to do so, Morpheus tells him, "Don't think you can... know you can."
When Neo tries to convince himself that he can make that jump, he declares, "NO FEAR, NO DOUBT, NO DISBELIEF."
And for anyone who is wondering if they should watch/buy this DVD; and whether or not it's worth their time and money?
Take it from me, (someone who isn't prone to gushing effusively about anything; though you wouldn't know that based on this review) you should have "NO FEAR... NO DOUBT... NO DISBELIEF."
THE MATRIX is THE ONE.
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