The Matrix (1999)

Over the past 2 or 3 years this 1999 film has become one of the most popular and influential action movies of recent times. Some of it’s spectacular action sequences and the special effects used (such as the famed “bullet time”) have inspired action scenes in a seemingly countless number of other movies, to the extent that the techniques are probably being overused now. Despite the imitators this still remains one of the more visually spectacular action movies of recent years and although it may not be as intellectual as some of its fans may claim, its still got more depth than the typical Hollywood action movie.

The premise is a reasonably typical sci-fi setup. Computer programmer Neo Anderson (Keanu Reeves) finds out that his world is not what it seems when he is contacted by shadowy freedom-fighter Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and chased by sinister Agents led by Hugo Weaving. Neo discovers that reality is not as real as he previously thought and that Morpheus believes he is “The One”, someone with powers to control the Matrix (a powerful virtual reality computer simulation) and fight the artificially intelligent Agents that run it. Neo must fulfill his destiny by indulging in numerous spectacular kung-fu and gun-wielding combat scenes to try and defeat the seemingly invulnerable Agents.

The special effects are probably the most notable feature here. Although previous films has similar ideas to bullet-time and the frequent use of slow motion (including Lost In Space, Blade and Dark City) and many subsequent films have copied the Matrix’s idea, this film makes the best use of the concept. The other action scenes are perfectly choreographed, particularly Neo’s practice fight with Morpheus and the scene in the police headquarters lobby. It’s not just the action scenes that impress visually, all the scenes look good and keep up the Blade Runner influenced noir-ish visual feel of the film.

The script is well-written, it’s never exactly deep and meaningful (although it may think it is) but it does contain a number of memorable and quotable lines and manages to firmly establish even those characters - such as Morpheus’ sidekicks - who don’t get much screen time. As for the acting, Reeves is not likely to ever win an Oscar but his understated performance is well suited to the character of Neo - who is after all meant to be a simple computer programmer. Laurence Fishburne gives a commanding performance, Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity adds a bit of human emotion, Joe Pantoliano is convincingly sleazy and Hugo Weaving is impressively sinister as the lead bad guy. The supporting actors are also well-suited to their roles and although we hardly see some of them they’re still more memorable than major characters in many lesser movies.

The plot is interesting and its questioning of the nature of reality makes it more interesting than most Hollywood action films but there’s nothing particularly groundbreaking here and some of the story features, such as the idea of an invincible resurrected superhero, seem more suited for a comic book than a serious science fiction film. Parts of the basic premise - such as the infamous 'explanation' for building the Matrix - also seem a bit silly if examined closely but it’s never been necessary to have a watertight plot to deliver a good action movie. The movie is paradoxically both quite original (no movie before has had quite the same premise) and a bit derivative, the gloomy futuristic setting is typical of sci-fi movies from Metropolis to Blade Runner and Dark City.

Overall, “The Matrix” is an excellent and unique action movie, which despite a few small flaws in the plot is one of the best sci-fi movies of recent years.

Rating : 9 / 10

DVD Review (Region 2)

The Matrix was one of the first movies to really exploit the potential of DVD, with some innovative featurettes on the making of the movie. It then got an upgrade a couple of years later with the release of "The Matrix Revisited", which included a lengthy in-depth documentary that covered virtually every aspect of the filming.

DVD Rating (Original Release) : 8 / 10

DVD Rating (The Matrix Revisited) : 9 / 10

Click here to buy the DVD of The Matrix Revisited at Amazon.co.uk

All content ©2003 William Marnoch.

Comments? Agree/Disagree with the Reviews? Suggestions? Random Ramblings? Whatever you might want to say, feel free to e-mail me at william@wmarnoch.freeserve.co.uk .