A truckload of SFX can't save this movie from its own absurdity

Rating: Null/10 (4 September 2001)

It's hard to define the standards of what makes a good sci-fi movie but, IMO, they must challenge and question our concepts of the world as it is and where it's heading. Whether they paint an optimistic or darker portrait of the future, they should avoid merely projecting present trends into the future and try instead to focus on all aspects of human society.
The Matrix tries very hard to fall into that categorie but it fails on all accounts.
The movie owes a lot of its mass appeal to the fact that it combines a number of things that are highly popular in modern culture. Among these is the age-old cliche concept of "me-against-a-large-scale-ennemy-entity". When I was a teenager, I went to see every sci-fi movie in which Charlton Heston played. I thought he was so cool the way he wielded guns and pitted himself against a mob of vampires or a totalitarian police state that wanted to control and dominate people.
Today, Keanu Reeves has filled in for ol' Charlton who's still in love with guns. Sci-fi movies may have gotten more sophisticated, thanks to computer imagery and SFX, but in other aspects, they seldom offer innovation and originality. The idea that the physical world is an artificial construct meant to deceive us is not new and original. Sci-fi writers such as Alfred Bester or Philip K Dick have used it in their novels way back in the '50s and '60s.
Recommendation? At its best, this movie is a roller coaster ride filled with terrific stunts and special effects. Much like Total Recall. If that's your idea of a good movie, then go for it. It will meet your expectations.
At its worst, it's a silly combination of computer games, martial arts, sci-fi and film noir style and look. The characters portrayed have as much deepness as the typical comic book heroes. Add to that the naive pretention that computer hackers and information technology will eventually help us save the world and you've got one of the most absurd movies of all times. Still worth renting if you haven't seen it, just for curiosity's sake.
Trendy? Yes, all the way. Prophetic? You gotta be kidding!
Rating: 5/10