Wow. This movie just oozes style, so you can forget the
fact that the plot makes little sense and just enjoy yourself. That said, the
story is quite thought provoking at times. It's sort of a cross between The
Terminator and Dark City, but better than both of them. Keanu Reeves plays Neo,
a computer hacker who Morpheus, the leader of a renegade bunch of humans,
believes is The One, who can free humans from their enslavement by machines,
which of course were created by mankind. There follows lots of fighting,
amazing special effects and some sequences with guns that more than equal John
Woo's best. (There are also a few nasty bits, especially near the beginning.
But it's all part of the fun.)
In the acting department, Hugo Weaving is the only one who really stands out,
and Keanu Reeves, who like virtually all the other characters mostly wears
black leather and sunglasses, is better than people give him credit for.
The Matrix is filled with impossible stunts and neat tricks like implanting
martial arts skills straight into someone's brain, and is directed with
considerable verve by Andy and Larry Wachowski, who also wrote it.
If there is anything wrong with the movie, it's the lack of characterisation,
and the predictability of it. But that's nit-picking, it still is very exciting
and I didn't want it to finish. Find the biggest cinema screen you can, buy a
huge tub of popcorn and go see one of the best movies of the year, if not the
decade. And what is The Matrix, well you'll have to see the movie to find that
out.
(6 January 2004: In the wake of the poorly conceived monstrosities there were The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions I almost feel compelled to revise my opinion of this film downwards. However, I think I'll let my original review stand for now!)
The Players: |
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Movie Poster (110 KB) |
Keanu Reeves as Neo |
written by Ed in June 1999