I Can't Tell You How Bad "The Matrix"- but I'll try.

Rating: 1/10 (25 August 1999)

I made every effort to be open minded about "The Matrix." I put aside such questions as "Why does Hollywood see Keanu as a cyberpunk? How came everyone is making making a big deal about these fx which you can see in shampoo commercials?" I can honestly say I gave it every chance. The fact that the creators were trying to create fully developed worldview was admirable, and the movies surprises hadn't yet been revealed.
So as the movie rolled, and I got too see one of the worst, most painful movies I have ever seen, I could honestly say it wasn't me. I enjoy scifi and Hong Kong films, enjoy Philip K. Dick, so I was basically the ideal audience for this film.
The plot was so full of loopholes, maintaining suspension of disbelief was impossible. Except for one or two supporting cast members, the acting was lifeless, and the action was unsupported by any motivation. The antagonists were far more sympathetic than the protagonists, whose cold-blooded killing sprees did nothing to endear them to me. Finally the washed out lighting and coloring took away a lot of depth from the images.. when someone seems to leap from building to building, if the buildings look collapsed together, it's not that impressive.

And the fighting.. when you watch Jet Li or Jackie Chan fight, even when they are obviously assisted by wires, you feel an exhilaration at what they are physically capable of doing. The fights flow, and the character is maintained through out. In The Matirx, there is no real joy or sense of exertion. People punch each other, pull some interesting feats, but without any sense of risk or accomplishment.
What people saw in this waste of film, time and money, I do not know. But I include it with the American remake of Godzilla as one of the worst movies I have ever seen. If you want Phillip K. Dick reality warping, see Blade Runner. If you want good cyberpunk anime, see Akira or Ghost in The Shell, or for martial arts, a good Bruce Lee or Hong Kong flick.
But don't waste your time on this.