You think that's air you're breathing now?

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2000)

When my family wouldn't stop raving about this movie called "The Matrix" and insisted that I see it, I was pretty skeptical. So, I thought, I'm to be subjected to yet another futuristic, unmemorable action flick starring Keanu (see Point Break, Johnny Mneumonic, etc.). Plus, hasn't this plot been done before, anyway?
(REALITY CHECK: For all you starry-eyed "Matrix" super-fans out there, these plot elements are NOT that original! Man vs. machine in the future, "reality is not what it seems," "it's all a big conspiracy," etc. -- believe me, versions of "Matrix" have been done before in lots of varying forms. Trust me I'm a big scifi fan & I wouldn't lie about it.)
But I digress.
So, reluctantly, I was dragged to a theater and made to watch "The Matrix:" a movie I assumed would be overrated and thankfully only had to pay a dollar for.
Such naivete. After seeing it, I couldn't stop thinking about it all day, and thought about it much of the night as well. I was filled with the urge to watch it again ... and again ... and again.
Isn't that the mark of a great movie -- it sticks with you, and you can watch it many times without getting tired of it?
"The Matrix," at the risk of sounding too bold, IS one of those defining science fiction films that will shape filmmaking for years -- like it or not. I for one LOVE it, own it, and will watch it over and over again until the VHS tape burns out, and then I will buy the DVD and a DVD player and watch that (EXCELLENT DVD version, BTW)!
So why do I like it so much? Gee, where to begin ...*SPOILERS COMING UP*...how about that sweet, sweet kung-fu fighting scene between Neo and Morpheus?(My personal fave!) Or when Keanu Reeves shows off his "Oscar-caliber" acting? (I still think the only line he delivered with any real power was "Hell, Yes!"; whoa, that's deep). Or those incredibly chic Italian suits Morpheus & Co. wore; you know, the trenchcoats that always dramatically flutter in the wind, and the little glasses of Morpheus's that always show reflections of Keanu's bewildered face. Or those agents which looked like the MIB but whose voices sounded like records being played backwards. Or that truly chilling scene when Neo "awakens" connected to a bunch of pipes in a pool of goo in a giant robotic harvesting plant. Or when the helicopter explodes. Or when the building lobby is destroyed by gunfire. Or the "jump program". Or the "squiddies." Or when Rage Against the Machine is playing really loud in the background and Keanu stands there in his Raybans and looks like King of the World after beating the crap out of everybody. And so on and so on.
I could go on forever about the fun little details. What really made the movie for me, though, was the surprisingly thoughtful premise and the flawless execution of it.
First, the concept. Although it's not the most original, it is plotted out in a novel and complex fashion that actually makes the viewer stop and think a little bit. "The Matrix" isn't insulting to your intelligence, like most other action and scifi movies to come along in recent years (like "Armageddon" and "MI2,"to name just two). It's also (surprisingly) multilayered. Every time I see the movie, I see a new reference or hear a new bit of dialogue that entirely changes the way I view the movie. It manages, despite all its trappings, to really make you question what our reality is and what humanity really is.
Second, the Wachowski brothers have taken their premise and run with it, creating a sensory environment that perfectly matches the story. The story comes from the comic books and it shows, yet it succeeds brilliantly in being translated to the screen thanks to superb editing, some of the best production design since the original "Batman" movies, and of course the effective SFX (BTW the bullet-time camera effects are NOT new here, but they are well-utilized in the movie and really accentuated the surreal atmosphere). Overall, the FX helped break new ground and pave a new path for the way scifi will look in the next several years (THAT's why "The Matrix" took the Oscar -- they didn't just use CGI retreads like "The Phantom Menace"--which gets too many comparisons to this movie BTW, THEY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT).
And, for those who complain about the acting, I have just one thing to say -- this movie is NOT about acting. ANYONE could have played Neo or Morpheus -- the Hollywood-savvy directors simply knew they needed big names or no one would watch the movie. And, I think that Keanu was the best "big-name" star to play Neo, because he is smart(?) enough not to overplay the part. Can anyone imagine Tom Cruise in this role? Ugh. His ego would've taken over and he would've turned the film into his own personl star vehicle. Neo is supposed to be an Everyman, and Keanu was perfectly adequate in conveying an Everyman's confusion at being in an extraordinary station. That said, there ARE some decent performances in the movie -- Fishburne does well and obviously has fun with his role, and the much-overlooked Carrie Ann Moss does a great job as Trinity. She is tough but sensitive, and she does a really good job in many scenes conveying the confusion, fear, and frustration anyone would feel in her desperate situation.
It's only in the last hour, when the story takes a backseat to the action, that I ever felt the movie was pandering to me. But by then, the setup had been effective enough and I cared enough about the situation and the characters that it didn't bother me. At that point, it's just best to sit back, smile, and watch the carnage unfold.
"The Matrix" is not a perfect movie; it definitely has some plot flaws and weak acting that (I hope) will be resolved or explained away in the sequels. For those reasons, it cannot get a perfect score. However, it is one of the most searing sensory/emotional experiences I've had at the movies in recent years, and its sheer enjoyability (and viewability) alone would make me give it a 10/10.
Oh, and I wanna be Trinity when I grow up. That girl kicks some!

VERDICT: 9.5/10 -- Matrix 2 & 3 can't come soon enough!