{"id":2132,"date":"2024-08-06T20:59:55","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T20:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/?p=2132"},"modified":"2024-10-13T19:28:48","modified_gmt":"2024-10-13T23:28:48","slug":"the-matrix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/2024\/08\/06\/the-matrix\/","title":{"rendered":"The Matrix"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The Matrix <\/strong>(1999)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Warner Bros.\/Sci-Fi-Action\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 RT: 136 minutes\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rated R (sci-fi violence and brief language)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Director: The Wachowskis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Screenplay: The Wachowskis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Music: Don Davis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cinematography: Bill Pope\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Release date: March 31, 1999 (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Gloria Foster, Joe Pantoliano, Marcus Chong, Julian Arahanga, Matt Doran, Belinda McClory, Anthony Ray Parker, Paul Goddard, Robert Taylor, Marc Gray, Ada Nicodemou.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Box Office: $171.4M (US)\/$466.3M (World)<\/p>\n

Rating<\/strong>: ****<\/p>\n

\u00a0Although it\u2019s been more than 20 years since The Matrix<\/strong> made its debut, I still find it impressive on both a visual and intellectual level. It\u2019s concrete proof that you can make a successful movie without dumbing it down for mass consumption. I had to watch it more than once to absorb it all. It\u2019s, at once, a dazzling technological achievement and a smart kick-ass sci-fi action flick. You get some great kung fu fights to go along with an intelligent plot full of weighty philosophical ideas. Oh yeah, you also get to hear star Keanu Reeves (Point Break) say his trademark \u201cwhoa!\u201d exclamation. That just seals the deal for me.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Keanu plays Thomas Anderson, a mild-mannered computer programmer leading a double life. By night, he\u2019s a hacker known only as Neo. He\u2019s been trying to get to the bottom of enigmatic messages referring to something called \u201cthe Matrix\u201d. He finally makes contact with a leather-clad woman named Trinity (Moss, Memento) who tells him to talk to man called Morpheus. The next day, he\u2019s chased and captured by a team of men in black suits led by an Agent Smith (Weaving, the LOTR trilogy). They\u2019re aware of his secret life and want him to help them nab Morpheus. When he refuses, they force him to comply.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Eventually, Neo is taken to Morpheus (Fishburne, Boyz n the Hood) who lays some heavy news on him. After giving him a chance to opt out (red pill or blue pill?), Morpheus shows Neo things that completely blow his mind. He explains that reality is an artificial construct (aka \u201cthe Matrix\u201d) created by sentient machines after they took over the world in the early 21st<\/sup> century. Instead of wiping out humanity, they harvest them for their bioelectric power. They\u2019re kept inert in pods while their minds are plugged into a computer-simulated reality. Morpheus leads a band of rebels comprised of people he \u201cunplugged\u201d and freed from captivity. Their objective is to defeat the machines, destroy the Matrix and restore the world to its former glory. Furthermore, Morpheus believes Neo is \u201cThe One\u201d, a prophesied Messianic figure that will ultimately free humanity.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Before he can begin to fulfill his destiny, Neo will have to go through training- i.e. computer programs uploaded to his brain- and have a talk with \u201cthe Oracle\u201d (Foster, Leonard Part 6), a prophet who will tell him what his future holds. By the time crew member Tank (Chong, Panther) is done with him, Neo is proficient in all forms of martial arts. In addition, he finds out that you can bend all the laws of motion and gravity while in the Matrix.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Most of the action plays out in the Matrix. When not doing battle with Agent Smith in VR, they\u2019re on the run from \u201cSentinels\u201d (machines programmed to kill humans) in real reality in Morpheus\u2019 flying ship Nebuchadnezzar<\/em> (in reference to the king from the Book of Daniel in the Bible).<\/p>\n

\u00a0It\u2019s my turn to say it. WHOA! Written and directed by the Wachowskis (Bound), The Matrix <\/strong>is a towering accomplishment on every level. The special effects were innovative in 1999. Scenes where characters dodge bullets (aka \u201cbullet time\u201d) or hover in the air mid-fight to deliver karate kicks still look cool. It flawlessly integrates special effects and animation in realizing its vision of cyberspace. Agent Smith is able to morph with other bodies similar to the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Neo and Trinity convincingly run along walls and leap very long distances. The fight scenes, choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), are amazing as is the wire work utilized to make the actors do the impossible.<\/p>\n

\u00a0In the 90s, Keanu proved his worth as an action star in movies like Point Break and Speed. The Matrix<\/strong> is right up there with those titles. He\u2019s totally believable as Neo, a hero in the making as long as he comes to believe in his new abilities. Moss is similarly terrific as Trinity, a bad ass heroine to beat all bad ass heroines. The opening scene, which shows her outrunning police and agents in the Matrix, is a great way to start things off. Fishburne does good work as Morpheus, a Zen master sort whose every statement is uttered with profundity. Weaving is positively menacing as the villainous Agent Smith, really a program designed to eliminate threats to the Matrix. Joe Pantoliano (Memento) has some great scenes as a crew member who might be hiding something. In her one scene, the late Foster leaves a lasting impression as the not-your-ordinary prophet.<\/p>\n

\u00a0There are a lot of heavy philosophical themes in The Matrix<\/strong>. The characters spend a great deal of time pondering fate and the nature of reality. It depicts the dangers inherent in overreliance on computer technology, artificial intelligence in particular. It also has plenty of action and thrills. I don\u2019t even mind that it falls back on conventionality in the final act with Neo and Trinity staging a rescue inside the Matrix. It\u2019s actually pretty cool. I really, really LOVE The Matrix<\/strong>. I think it\u2019s great fun. It\u2019s great fun that makes you think. It\u2019s the perfect blend of intelligent sci-fi and weekend action flick.<\/p>\n

P.S. The Matrix <\/strong>is an ideal choice for a preteen\u2019s first R-rated movie. It\u2019s violent, but not graphic. It doesn\u2019t have too much bad language. There\u2019s no sex or nudity. I know of a lot of kids that saw it when it came out.\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Matrix (1999)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Warner Bros.\/Sci-Fi-Action\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 RT: 136 minutes\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rated R (sci-fi violence and brief language)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Director: The Wachowskis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Screenplay: The Wachowskis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Music: Don Davis\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cinematography: Bill Pope\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Release date: March 31, 1999 (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Gloria Foster, Joe Pantoliano, Marcus Chong, Julian Arahanga, Matt Doran, Belinda McClory, Anthony […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kick-ass-actioners","category-sci-fi-fantasy"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/The-Matrix-PIC.jpg?fit=620%2C348&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2132"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2977,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2132\/revisions\/2977"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}