The best Science-Fiction film of 1999, "The Matrix" is certainly a whole leap above "The Phantom Menace."

Rating: 9/10 (25 September 2000)

Of all the blockbuster movies that were shown last year (1999), I would rate this second only to Fight Club in overall appeal. Even as "The Phantom Menace" entered into the summer, "The Matrix" was definitely the premier Science-Fiction of the year, making up where "The Phantom Menace" failed so miserably. (Anyone that up-plays "The Phantom Menace" over this movie is jealous because everyone ragged on their "precious, infallible Star Wars" and placed this one far ahead of it, which is rightfully so. Don't get me wrong, I love Star Wars, but this movie is definitely better than Episode One).
There were at times some cheesy moments, most notably the romantic moment between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). Neo wasn't as strong as one would hope our hero to be, but it can be understood that he is taking his situation in all at once, converted from just a simple programmer/skilled hacker in the process of reorientating his entire knowledge of things. To understand the movie of course, one would have follow the advice of Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne), "Unfortunately, nobody can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."
The effects were excellent as well as the action sequences, not to mention the plot concept had been very intriguing, original no less. It is certainly worth seeing for anyone who wants to think about new concepts afterward. Anyone who thinks this was a terrible movie DOES NOT appreciate Science-Fiction, and probably believes classic literature is the only kind of literature. Let them watch "Citizen Kane" if they like and leave these movies alone.