Quick Reviews!!

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2004)

POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!
Many people on this site have this as either their favourite film, or claim that it is the best movie ever made, while others completely loath it. The simple answer is that it is a superior action movie combining great effects with a plot which left the opportunity for so much more. Easily one of the most influential movies of recent times, at least when dealing with effects, but it takes most of its ideas from past films such as The Terminator films. What matters is not the basic philosophy speeches, destined to be repeated by fans, but that it is an enjoyable movie in many ways, looks awesome, and has lots of memorable moments and set pieces. Perhaps if the sequels had been better, this could rightfully be seen as one of the best movies ever. Either way, it is still one of my favourites.
The film tells of Thomas Anderson, a man with two lives- his day job, and his life as a hacker known as Neo. He is caught by a group of agents who tell him he can live his normal life, or die. As time passes he meets Morpheus who explains that the world Neo has been living in is a false world created by machines to keep humans in order. The real world has all but been destroyed in a human and machine war. Morpheus believes that Neo is the chosen one, the one who will free mankind from slavery. At first it seems that this is not true, but as the film progresses, we see that Neo is not like the other humans- he can do things they cannot do.
The Matrix is one of the most clever action films ever, the philosophising can become extremely annoying till the point that you realize a world of philosophers would not be very difficult to conquer. However, it all sounds cool, and there is truth in it, but then again, what is truth? Sigh. The effects are genuinely revolutionary, the performances are all good, especially from Weaving as Agent Smith whose monologue on the pointlessness of the human race is perfectly understandable, but at the same time pinpoints the exact reason for our existence. But that's not for me to say. The film has a good soundtrack, excellent fight scenes, and there is at least one memorable or iconic image every ten minutes. Not the greatest movie ever, but easily one of the best of its kind, and has its rightful place in cinematic history.
8 out of 10