That one that everybodys watched

Rating: Null/10 (14 April 2002)

Borrowing many of its ideas from Hong Kong movies yet subverting them to create an experience like no other, this often spoofed and pretentiously scripted affair is nevertheless an action movie classic; a breath-taking masterpiece that firmly established the end of the nineties with one solid roundhouse kick. Its pumped-up and highly-charged action sequences blend a dazzling array of firepower with kung fu, expertly handled by the genius of Yuen Woo Ping, who's digitally-enhanced fight scenes intertwine with a hyper-stylised narrative that moves at a breakneck pace, designed solely for the short attention span of the MTV generation. The story takes us into the bleak apocalyptic future where the machines rule the earth, and what we believe to be the `real world' is merely a computer program designed to shield us from the horrid truth. Neo (Reeves) is said to be the 'chosen one' who can save the human race from its inevitable annihilation, but with a few Agents, traitors and lovers along the way, it's not going to be an easy quest. The Wachowski's state-of-the-art cinematic vision has very few flaws - although hardened martial arts fans may find the Keanu `I know kung fu' Reeves fight scenes a little hard to swallow - this is still inspiring theatre, revolutionary in its style and ever-so cool. Frankly, if you haven't seen this movie, you don't deserve to be here.