The Matrix (1999) is a defining stamp in the science fiction genre. We all know and love Star Wars and Star Trek, but what is considered #3? Some may say this franchise. While the OG film is obviously the best one, the second received good reviews and mixed for the third. However, this will not be a trilogy anymore with another movie being released in 2021. Let's dive into the world of The Matrix!
Neo is given a rude awakening as he finds out his world is not real. He must help a band of rebels to stop the machines, and reclaim the humans' place in the world.
The world-building is stellar in this piece of cinema with a scary dystopian future. Humans are used as cattle to supply power to intelligent AI. The production design helps makes these excellent sets including the ship. Also, the CGI is amazing for its time, and it is surprisingly not that bad compared to today's standards. It won visual effects among three other Oscars for good reason. I've seen sci-fi CGI that sucks compared to this in films that went to theaters many years later. I mean think about everything that happens. We have them leaping roofs, dodging bullets, diving through windows and so much more!
We can't overlook the action scenes. This changed the landscape of how we see action films. Everything is overdone on purpose with all kinds of martial arts moves to wow the audience. The dojo scene where Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne fight are almost entirely the two actors performing the stunts. They were dedicated to doing as many of the stunts as they possibly could, and that's pretty cool. By the way, the director of John Wick (Keanu Reeves stars in that film, see review here) was Keanu Reeves stuntman. Chad Stahelski was needed because Reeves had neck surgery, so certain stunts for him were off-limits.
I have to write about the actors themselves. The character Neo will forever and always be associated with Keanu Reeves. However, he wasn't the first pick. Will Smith turned this film down to be in Wild Wild West. Answer me this. Did you know that the movie existed, or have you ever seen it? Now I believe Smith would have been great, but this is Reeves's most iconic role until arguably John Wick now. He perfectly performs this amazing character. Then, we have Laurance Fishburne as Morpheus. It's everything you want in a mysterious mentor. The toughness, leadership, fighting capabilities and more make him a force to be reckoned with. Also, I think Carrie-Anne Moss is great as Trinity, and Hugo Weaving is perfect as the AI Agent Smith.
One particular moment in the movie has been coined "Doing the matrix." The picture here shows Keanu Reeves bending backward to dodge speeding bullets. Naturally, we tried to do this a lot as kids... and failed most of the time. Another iconic term to come out of this is "Red-pilled". This represents the scene where Morpheus gives Neo the choice to stay oblivious or to see the truth. This phrase is used by many today to describe similar situations.
Overall, it's an iconic film that ranks high on many movie lists and not just in sci-fi. People love The Matrix. I understand why. Maybe it's time you rewatch it. My movie rating is A+.
Click here for The Matrix Reloaded Review
Click here for The Matrix Revolutions Review
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