Good entertainment and premise, but sacrifices much

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 1999)

My rating: 8 out of 10.
I admire this movie for introducing millions to an idea that I have explored extensively for over 20 years: That everyone's mind might be hooked up to some type of virtual reality system and therefore, maybe, nothing is "real". Since I was so familiar with this premise, nothing that happened in the movie took me by surprise and I found myself wishing its many crucial plot devices were consistently plausible.
For the sake of entertainment and a dramatic, unpredictable storyline, the Wachowskis decided to give all the characters (both good and bad) many simple physical limitations that they really wouldn't have in a real "matrix". That's all I'll say, I don't want to give too much away, but after you've seen the film use your imagination and you'll see what I mean.
The physical limitations and other technical flaws are all set up to create an instability and balance of power that allows for plenty of suspense, drama and what my friends call "excessive gratuitous violence" in the lengthy combat scenes that showcase the film's groundbreaking (for 1999) special effects.
So, if you're seriously interested in the premise of the movie (and we all should be, as it plays a very real and central role in Humanity's future) and the lessons it has to teach, just remember that "The Matrix" is first and foremost designed as entertainment. Its "lessons" are but a few basic ideas which you will need to explore on your own elsewhere.
Why, after all this, do I still rate it 8/10? Because The Matrix is d**n good entertainment, for anyone who enjoys gratuitous violence and dark science fiction, and it has gotten an important message out to many people.