A big disappointment, but still enjoyable

Rating: 6/10 (24 January 2005)

I'm afraid I have only to reiterate what others have already said on here - 'The Matrix' is hugely overrated. I, like others, did enjoy it for its sheer escapism, sense of adventure and regular conventions of good vs. evil. There is a great deal to admire in it - the stylistic qualities, good soundtrack, and of course special effects. The fight scenes - to begin with - are fairly mind-blowing, but throughout the 3 films as a whole there are far too many of an almost identical nature. It seems the choreographers ran out of different moves & poses.
Onto the less good - as I agree with others, the utterly pretentious and convoluted 'morals' or 'underlying themes' of the film. It seems like just another of a particular ilk, that seeks to confuse the viewer as much as possible, to hide the fact that there is very little intelligent substance in there. As others have noticed, the basic philosophy running through the 3 films has been expressed many times before, only without the needless drivel that is heard in 'The Matrix'. This becomes more apparent in the second film, I must admit, but what IS there from the very beginning, and what annoys me most, is the OVER-CONSCIOUS nature of the film as a whole. It appears set up, from the first, that 'this is going to be a landmark film' - there is a sense of over-importance and worthiness which is, frankly, unconvincing.
Not only this, but the dialogue is clichÃ©-ridden, some of it reminding me distinctly of old Bond villain lines, recycled and delivered as if Shakespearian quotes; "I will enjoy watching you die" etc. Unlike others, I found Hugo Weaving's performance one of the weakest. The best way to describe it, in a word, is over-acting, and possible one of the worst accents in movie history. I will give credit to Joe Pantoliano, and most of the cast are reasonably likable, but the characters themselves are weak to say the least, and as others have commented the love story is both shallow and superfluous to the plot.
In short, I was disappointed with this film as I went into it with an open mind and was ready to enjoy it, from what I had heard from others. However, it fails to deliver on many levels and the over-complicity of the 'philosophy' ruins what enjoyment could have been had from a pretty good and interesting premise. On a final note, I would have to say that the dark glasses - not given a purpose in the film, as far as I can tell - are the ultimate example of what this film really succeeds in: IMAGE. Apart from that, it all seemed rather wasted. I'll give the first instalment of the trilogy 6/10, for pure entertainment value!