A gorgeous film that demands subsequent discussion

Rating: 9/10 (18 August 2006)

I've put off writing this review for ages because I feel as though I could never do a classic like The Matrix (1999) justice. I happily panned Matrix: Revolutions as a disappointing end to a fantastic trilogy, but I dare not touch the original film. There is no way I could capture its innovative brilliance on paper, because the film is a visual experience. So I'll just throw out as much rambling, semi-coherent praise as I can muster.
I imagine that when the Wachowski brothers approached the film studio with a storyline that went something like this: "a hacker in the near future discovers that the universe and the world he is living in is nothing more than a dream--and elaborate computer programme called the Matrix controlled by machines as a means to dominate humanity" all they got were raised eyebrows from executives. Yet, somehow, they must have convinced them to finance the project, because The Matrix is 65 million dollar production, sparing no expense at glorious visual effects and science fiction elements.
It puts forward totalitarian ideas like many dystopian films, but it adds more depth to them, more philosophy and more relevant notions. What's more is that it approaches and treats these in a much more effective way. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly how, but most of its content is communicated through dialogue (Morpheus telling Neo about the Matrix and what it means) and stunning visuals. Just like Terminator, it tells us that A.I. will grow stronger and eventually spiral into thinking minds of its own, leading to the demise of mankind. Unlike Terminator however, The Matrix tells us the machines are hiding this fact, creating an illusion. We are living in a dream world. That is enough to make you question a few things.
The Matrix catalyzed a whole new style of film-making and it is referenced to, spoofed and homaged in literally hundreds of films just a couple of years after its release in 1999. Even children's animations like Shrek features Matrix segments (Fiona rising in the air Trinity-style, battling forest rangers). So it is safe to say this film has had considerable influence on contemporary films.
As the trilogy drags on, the novelty of the fresh science fiction mixture and special effects has worn off; the ideas are no longer as riveting; the story itself becomes too widely-scoped to grasp and with an opening films of such flair, it is setting itself up for disappointment. But The Matrix alone is a near-perfect film.
9 out of 10