A cyberpunk classic

Rating: 10/10 (28 February 2012)

Like many people I was fairly awestruck by the special effects when I first saw this film but was unsure how I would feel watching the film again several years after I last saw it; after all special effects are advancing all the time and this is over ten years old... I needn't have worried; I enjoyed it just as much as I did first time.
The story begins with computer hacker Neo receiving strange message telling him somebody was about to knock on his door and that he should 'follow the white rabbit'; his door is knocked and his friends invite him to come out with him; he is about to refuse when he sees a white rabbit tattooed on one of their shoulders so goes with them. While out he meets another hacker, a woman called Trinity, who tells him that the legendary hacker Morpheus wants to meet with him. The next day at work he receives a call telling him the authorities want to take him into custody and he must follow precise instructions if he wishes to escape; he fails to do this and is arrested. During the interview with Agent Smith a strange bug is implanted and in a nightmarish manner his mouth becomes fused closed! The next thing he knows he is waking up in his apartment assuming it was just a strange nightmare but it soon becomes apparent that is was real. Taken to Morpheus by Trinity he learns that the world is not as it seems; he isn't in 1999 but 2199 and none of his life so far has been real; his body is plugged into a giant machine and he is experiencing something called The Matrix.
Once woken he finds himself in a dead mechanical world with Morpheus, Trinity and a few other free people; they mention the last human city; Zion, but we never see it. Now he is free he must prepare to return to The Matrix which means learning the skills he will need to survive and gaining an understanding of what The Matrix really is. Once inside they will have to avoid Agents, parts of the program that will hunt them down as well as assuring that they stay hidden in the real world; if they die in either place their life is over.
This is a must see for all science fiction and action fans; it has a fine story and spectacular action sequences; many of them reminiscent of those in Chinese Wuxia films with characters running up walls and doing impossible leaps... of course within The Matrix nothing is impossible if you believe you can do it. Keanu Reaves might not have the greatest acting range but he is just right for the role of Neo, a man understandably a little confused at finding everything he had experienced so far was unreal. Hugo Weaving is great as Agent Smith bringing a sense of menace to the role. Other main actors Carrie Anne Moss and Laurence Fishburne also perform well. Writer/directors the Wachowski brothers did a great job; the film is incredibly stylish without lacking substance. I can't imagine many people haven't watched this but if you are one of those I strongly recommend checking it out.