The Matrix, unparalleled

Rating: 9/10 (27 March 2006)

When it first premiered in the spring of 1999, I believe few individuals could predict the impact that The Matrix would have, not just on cinema, but on pop culture in general. What began as a modestly budgeted action-science fiction film starring an actor with little thespian acclaim quickly became a touchstone for the popular zeitgeist, and arguably cut into the popularity and impact of the soon to be released Star Wars Episode I. Time has not been kind to the franchise that was The Matrix: the two back to back produced sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, were met with critical derision and public indifference, especially Revolutions, which did not live up to the box-office success of Reloaded. However, looking back at the original film, it's easy to be reminded of why The Matrix was such a hit in the first place.
For those unaware of the basics, The Matrix focuses on Thomas Anderson, aka Neo (Keanu Reeves), a computer hacker who is searching out a fellow hacker, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), whom Neo believes will give him answers to several questions he is holding, most specifically the question "What is The Matrix?" Neo eventually meets Morpheus through an associate of his, Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss), and Neo is finally told what he may not have truly been ready to hear: The Matrix is an interactive software program that the entire human population is connected to and through which they appear to live out normal lives. In reality, humans are connected to a giant power plant and are held here by a race of sentient machines that have conquered the world and use humans as a power source. To keep them under control, they are attached to The Matrix, but some humans have managed to break free from the machine's control and are now building a resistance, with the eventual intention of destroying the machines and the Matrix and freeing all humans from bondage. Morpheus believes that one of the keys to accomplishing this goal is Neo, whom he believes is "The One", an individual with the power to control and reshape the Matrix at will, and who will lead the humans to victory.
To be completely honest, much of the Matrix is not tremendously new. Many elements are lifted from countless science-fiction novels and stories, and the film's writers-directors, The Wachowski Brothers, Larry and Andy, were unabashed in their love of particular types of cinema that they liberally ape here: martial arts and action movies, as well as a hint of Japanese Anime. However, as a package deal, The Matrix works stunningly well. While those who have read science fiction, or are fans of the genres of film that the Wachowski Brothers used as their inspiration for The Matrix, may be able to recognize some aspects of the film, most viewers of mainstream cinema would not have seen most of the components in The Matrix, therefore making it a unique experience. Even for those that can pick out the source elements, The Matrix is an entertaining blend of much of the familiar in fresh packaging. It's difficult to remember now, with all the knockoffs and "homages" in the years since, what a new look and feel The Matrix had at the time. The fetishistic use of black leather costumes, the impressive martial-arts sequences, the elaborate visual effects, most specifically the "bullet-time" super-slow-motion shots and the film's rather understated religious undertones were not worn out and overused by countless other films picking at The Matrix's bones. Everything here was new to the mass audience, and that alone could account for a large chunk of the film's success.
Now, with the hindsight of seeing the two sequels, it's easy to see what a pared-down film The Matrix truly was. While it is obvious that the film has to take time to set up it's characters and situations, it is a very fast paced film, with very little fat on it. The Matrix glides along, never overstaying it's welcome in a particular scene and sequence. Many accused Reloaded of being a overstuffed film, but none of that is in The Matrix.
One of the film's greatest strengths is it's character development. Neo, Morpheus and Trinity are not the most fleshed out characters in film history, but at the same time, they are not shallow. Each is developed enough to give us some insight into them, becoming individuals that we come to be invested in. Neo especially, being the focus of the film, is given the most screen time, and he acts as a surrogate for the audience, taking us slowly into the world of the film, allowing the new environs and situations to unfold in a natural, unforced way.
Visually, The Matrix is stunning. It's production design and visual effects are both noteworthy (the film won the Academy Award for best visual effects for that year), with the ever popular "bullet-time" sequences, as mentioned previously, being the standout. The Matrix also benefits from the decision made by the filmmakers to have the main actors train to perform most of the fighting sequences themselves, giving them all the more verisimilitude, as opposed to stunt doubles.
Despite the bad taste left in many viewers and fans mouths by the two sequels, The Matrix is still a powerful and memorable piece of film that is as influential and pivotal as the Star Wars franchise, and deserves it's place in history.