Movie Review: The Matrix

What is The Matrix? Oozing cool, this sci-fi action thriller draws parallels from biblical stories, countless religions and ancient Japanese lore. To say that it must be seen for yourself is no understatement. Revolutionary special effects, spawning dozens of notorious parodies, most notably during a 1999 Super Bowl commercial, ultra hip wardrobes and Gatling gun action firepower, The Matrix single-handedly saved Warner Bros. from a lengthy cinema slump, and put the "awesome" back in R-rated films and black leather apparel.

Neo (Keanu Reeves) is a computer hacker who is plagued by thoughts of the indecipherability of the real world and the dream world. When he is mysteriously contacted by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an infamous and regaled underworld leader, he follows clues and the shapely messenger Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) to unlock the secrets of the Matrix. To know more would spoil the ingenious and surrealism of this masterful film; needless to say, Neo wanders down the rabbit hole to see how far it goes.

Redefining cool, the action and stunts in The Matrix are nothing short of unbelievable. Focusing heavily on carefully choreographed martial arts battles and highflying helicopter stunts, this film will enliven your faith in the action genre.

Utilizing slow motion in a dance of magical cinematography, scenes which would otherwise be exceptional are transformed into pure genius. A helicopter shootout on a rooftop with gushing water, blazing bullets, slow motion diving through mid-air, and a plethora of machine-gun bullets kicking out of a mounted Gatling gun so hard and fast that they fall like metal rain, is only one example of stylized action that is truly beyond unique. In perhaps the most famous scene of the franchise, Neo and Trinity march through a heavily guarded security terminal packing dozens of automatic weapons - all in beautiful slow motion. To see the look of shock on the security officers faces as they set off the alarm and open fire on the unsuspecting guards is sheer bliss. What ensues is the gunfight of the 20th century as they defy gravity and blast their way through a hallway loaded with shotgun-toting SWAT troopers.

Magnificently blending science-fiction action and a good old-fashioned love story, to delve too deeply into the intricacy of The Matrix is to do it injustice. Complex and well-organized, the multiple colliding themes of betrayal, destiny, fate and hope, help to serve up a scrumptious cinematic dish. The detail-oriented acting and character development is outstanding, and drives the film with sincerity and determination. The sinister Agent Smith, played by Hugo Weaving, is immortalized as one of the greatest screen villains and manages to be cool and collected in a disconcerting manner, and startlingly malevolent in his final confrontation with Neo. Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus is stern, resolute and commanding. Trinity is the anti-femme fatale, lithe and sexy in her shiny black leather and skillfully deadly. These admirable and awe-inspiring characters are intertwined into an intricate world magnificently crafted by the Wachowski Brothers. Their previous feature, Bound, proved they had a knack for eye-pleasing storytelling and characters. The Matrix is inspired by many themes and ideas suggested in Japanese Manga comics, but the way the characters and storyline is depicted is a vision for which they deserve undivided credit.

The special effects are particularly noteworthy as brand new technology and CG methods were invented for several of the shocking fight sequences. During the rooftop melee, bullets pierce the air around Neo and he reels backward in an attempt to dodge them. While ripples of waves circulate around the slowed down bullets, the camera circles around him in over 360°. Special features on the DVD supplement The Matrix Revisited delve into the complex camera set up and green screen approach used for this often mimicked shot.

Few science-fiction films have been so heavily praised, let alone a film from less than ten years ago. The Matrix spawned two sequels, as well as The Animatrix, a collection of animated films, as well as video games, comics, action figure lines and more. If you haven't seen this film, don't delay - The Matrix is waiting for you.

- Mike Massie (www.MoviePulse.net)