"Mr. Anderson..."

Rating: Null/10 (19 August 2002)

You know you've found a special movie when you enjoy it more and more every time you watch it. The Matrix requires multiple viewings. Not to say that it isn't an amazing experience the first time around. It's just that watching it only once robs you of the complete experience. There is so much to this movie that it goes well beyond what any single user comment can provide. The special effects are incredible, the acting is satisfactory on all counts, there are some incredible action sequences (my personal favorite being the helicopter scene) and the story is great, while not entirely original. That's not an insult because these days you really can't make a movie without being influenced by one or several others. This movie was painted with shades of the Terminator, Ghost in the Shell, Hard Boiled and several others and it shows. This movie definitely deserves a place as one of the modern classics of cinema. It's one of the few films that actually succeeds in creating a living, breathing world. It's not too hard to imagine what else can be going on in the world of the Matrix other than what you see. There are so many options, so many exciting possibilities that the anticipation of waiting for the next two sequels makes you want to drag claw marks into the face of the person sitting next to you. At the time of this writing, I am patiently awaiting the sequels, hoping against the history of bad sequels to great movies that Hollywood can't seem to shake without a few exceptions. It's a big bar they've raised for themselves and you've gotta ask if the magic they've captured with the first one is still present enough to last through a trilogy. Let's hope so. Rating: ***** out of *****.