Originally when I saw the preview for “The Matrix” a couple of months ago, it seemed to be just another big-budget flick, lots of special effects, little plot. Initially, I had no desire to see it. I’m not sure what changed my mind, but I’m glad I did.
Every facet of “The Matrix” was rich and enjoyable, from the visuals and action sequences to the plot itself. Machines received artificial intelligence and enslaved their creators, the humans. The Matrix is the delusional world the machines created to keep the humans content. It is basically a complex computer program that re-creates the late 20th century.

A group of rebels, led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) has disconnected from the Matrix, and using a ship, hacks into it in an attempt to free humanity from its unknown slavery.

Hacker Thomas “Neo” Anderson, played by Keanu Reeves, is approached by the rebels and also by the Matrix’s creations, being inserted into the Matrix program to try to eliminate the rebels. The twist is that because the Matrix is a big program, the agents can insert themselves anywhere and as anyone, meaning that the rebels are constantly in danger when they are hacked into the Matrix, a very cool concept.

Reeves’ character has be recruited because Morpheus thinks that he is the chosen one who can thwart the Matrix. Probably the first half of the movie is dedicated to Reeves’ character testing out his abilities. A very cool scene takes place between Reeves and Fishburne, where they are in training within a computer-simulated dojo. The two are sparring, but as the scene progresses, the sparring gets better and better. Fists and feet fly at incredible rates, and the two start doing graceful flips and twists at high speed. This also sets a precedent for the rest of the movie.

A lot of the cool effects used in the movie can be seen in the previews, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing. The best sequence is when a couple of rounds are squeezed off by an agent. Time seems to slow as Reeves arches backward, and the bullets react as if they’re moving through Jell-O. While sequences like these are used throughout the movie, they don’t oversaturate the film as I had feared they would. The effects are used as they should be in any such action film — to create a believable fantasy environment.

Although the plot is your basic sci-fi “man vs. machine,” the combination of effects and the richness and detail added to the basic concept make the film very enjoyable on the big screen. Like so many action movies, to get the full experience of its sights and sounds, catch it on the big screen, not when it hits the local rental store.

Originally posted at NandoNext

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 10th, 1999 at 3:32 pm and is filed under Film, Movie Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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