Your mind is in for a rollacoaster ride. Watch out Star Wars!

Rating: 9/10 (14 June 1999)

Over here in little old England, something of a storm is brewing. The streets have seemed strangely deserted of late, and people have a eerie expectancy about them. No, it's not 'That Film' (Star Wars Episode I doesn't come out over here until July 1999) - in fact, most people are watching the Matrix, which could be the biggest surprise smash of the year. Already proven its worth in the US box office, it had got myself and a few friends whipped up into something of a sci-fi frenzy with trailers spouting unprecedented camerawork and visual effects. We managed to get ourselves into a preview showing a day before the opening weekend. It cost a little more, but, oh boy. Was it worth it.
The Matrix stars Keanu Reeves as Neo, a small-time software programmer by day, and a solitary computer-cracking software pirate by night. Apart from the occasional nightmare, nothing troubles Neo until a strange encounter with a woman (Trinity), and a nasty run-in with FBI-style agents force him to start asking questions - are his dreams real? Who is Morpheus? And just what is the Matrix? Confused yet? More I cannot say (you find out about 30 minutes in), except this: if this film is a rollacoaster, this far is the gentle climb up the first ramp to the top. Get ready for a whirlwind ride.
Many people will go to see this film because of the gun-toting, spine-tingling effects shots. The camerawork is ground-breaking and un-surpassed. The 'Flo-mo' technology, used for clever spinning slow-motion shots, is surely set to be a regular feature on our movie screens due to the huge fat atmosphere it gives to stunts and explosion scenes. Others will love the superb kung-fu action scenes, practiced for months by the cast with a technique known as 'wire-fighting'. These scenes (I am assured by my Tae-Kwon-Do toting friend) are all genuinely performed and accurate to the art. Others will love the potent plot which, while admittedly recycled from hard-core sci-fi, is given a firm twist of freshness and is guaranteed to turn your head inside out at least twice during the film.
For myself, I simply loved The Matrix because, well, it was so darn cool. From the the fantastic camera work and the impeccable fashion sense to the fresh, exciting plot, it looks set to be at least as popular over in the UK as it proved to be in the US. The faults were few and far between - an awkward romance and some slightly wooden "Keanu moments" being the only ones I can remember.
But the minor niggles don't begin to mar the quality of the film. I came out of the theatre feeling at least a half foot taller for knowing something just about no-one else did - what the Matrix actually was. But, in the words of Morpheus: "Unfortunately, no-one can be told what the Matrix actually is. You have to see it for yourself."