Amazingly good film... though I think it was an accident

Rating: 9/10 (12 March 2017)

Bottom line is that the Matrix was awesome and still is. The idea was not new, and certainly it had been covered in film in the past, but the ideas of what life was really like outside the Matrix were fresh and the action made the movie thrilling to watch. The chemistry between characters was also excellent and I think that this was one of Laurence Fishburne best performances and certainly Reeves best as well. They fit their roles to the T.
That said, I really think that the greatness of the 1st film (of the trilogy) was a sheer accident. A wonderful accident, but an accident none the less. How do I know? Because the sequels straight up stunk and at the time, were considered a huge disappointment, so much so, that sci-fi fans stopped talking about the movies out of sheer frustration with the sequels. If the sequels were not so bad, then the Matrix franchise would easily rival Star Wars today because the first film was that good. It was on the mind of every sci-fi fan for 3 years. We talked about it like it was Star Wars but after the sequel... the buzz was completely gone, and people forgot about the movies. Many kids today have not even heard of this trilogy for that reason.
Still, a great movie in its own right. Easily one of my favorites. Just brace yourself for the terrible sequels...