Welcome, to the Real World

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2009)

After the death of good science fiction movies (with a few exceptions) in 1994, the genre made a strong comeback with the release of the highly publicized "The Matrix". Since then, the film has become a common cultural reference, and copied in the stylization and use of slow motion.
It was only recently, on a boring Friday, alone in my room with my Xbox, that I finally decided to view "The Matrix". I rented it off of Xbox Live, and immediately became sucked in by action sequences I recognized from more recent films, films which no doubt had used the Matrix as a large source of inspiration.
The films main strength lies in it's visual appeal. consistently switching between the gritty harshness of the real, machine-ruled world, and the slick, sterilized feel inside the Matrix and other computer programs. The film implements visual styles never before seen in any film, and created a world, stretching the limits of the human imagination.
The films second strength, is in it's mind-bending philosophies. What is the true state of existence? Is what you know reality, or simply a veil to a bigger picture. Questions such as these that go wild within the human mind but are never able to be truly communicated with others. The film draws heavily on Christian and Bhuddist philosophies and concepts.
Very few times has such a mix of both action and philosophy been but together in film form. Thus creating such an automatic appeal to the viewers.
But as with most films, "The Matrix" does come with its own flaws. As with many science fiction and action films. These biggest flaws lie in the ending. As with films such as "Terminator 2" or "Iron Man" the film succumbs to typical "Spiderman-ish" corniness toward its ending, that does not seem fitting with the mature vision the rest of the film contained.
Although sequels offer logical reasoning for the over-played sequences toward the end, it still feels as if to little explanation is left to be fully satisfying.
One thing that has to be fully understood with the Matrix, is that it is almost completely dependant on its sequels to be complete. Not all is resolved in the end (in fact, not even the main conflict is resolved). It is truly a three-part saga, and is what it should really be viewed as.
Science fiction lovers will (and have) found this film to put a fresh perspective on the genre and will love this movie for years to come. Non-geek people will probably enjoy most of it, particularly the concepts which are introduced in the movie.
8/10 stars