Buckle Up!

Rating: 9/10 (4 April 1999)

Combine engrossing Sci-Fi storytelling with the non-stop action of a martial arts film, then add a large dose of special effects and you have The Matrix.

Set is the distant future, machines have taken over a devastated Earth. Humans have long-since been enslaved, spending their entire lives suspended in liquid pods providing energy to the machines. For their part the machines have created an artificial reality in which the collective consciousnesses of Earth's inhabitants reside, The Matrix. Guess what? It's patterned after 1999 Earth, and the humans are clueless as to what's happened to them.
But not everybody's in The Matrix. A rebel band led by Fishburn dash in and out of it, rescuing humans and searching for their promised Messiah. One whom they target is computer programmer Reeves who begins to receive some very odd communications at his terminal...and thus begins the story.
The Matrix is both a thrill-a-second roller coaster ride, and a skillfully presented science fiction story. The story unfolds slowly, as Reeves goes from complete ignorance of his and humankind's fate, to his destiny revealed. The journey's a trip.
If you enjoy films like the Terminator, T2, RoboCop, Face/Off, and Blade Runner definitely go see this film. If you're a My Dinner with Andre, or Sleepless in Seattle type, give it a pass.