Exceptional Sci-Fi fare

Rating: 8/10 (18 November 1999)

"The Matrix" is a stunning achievement in both the science fiction genre as well as visual effects. The movie, visually, is simply without flaw. The "bullet time" photography, backgrounds, lighting, everything point to a great time of care and effort.
Character wise, the movie fares just about as well, although I found Lawrence Fishburn's Mephesto to be a bit overly dry. Keanu Reeves returns from exile to star as Neo, a programmer by day and hacker at night. He is suddenly drawn into a rebellion against the matrix, or what we know as the world. Little does he know that he is the one of prophecy, the one who will set mankind free.
Carrie-Anne Moss is wonderful in her role, its nice to see a strong female lead who is both sexy and strong at the same time. Her character of Trinity is one of the strongest female role models currently on film.
Lawrence Fishburn plays Mephesto, the head of the resistance movement and the one who finds Neo and brings him into the movement. His acting is good, but his presence is a bit dry. He acts a bit overly serious, like he is truly a messiah. He doesnt detract from the movie at all, but I felt he tended to overplay the role a bit.
Supporting cast: an A....all strong characters and central to the storyline. Tank in particular, as he was the controller of travel between the "real world" and the matrix.
You might notice I havent talked much about what the matrix is...lets face it, there are some of us out there who havent seen this yet, and its really difficult to explain...I dont feel like ruining the "surprise" of the movie for anyone. Suffice it to say that this review doesnt really exist..
"The Matrix" is a spellbinding film...full of rich visuals and wonderful characters. Do yourself a favor and see this one soon
4 1/2 out of 5