Pure Genius!

Rating: 10/10 (5 May 2003)

The Matrix is nothing short of an absolute cinematic masterpiece that will re-define modern filmmaking. It is a once in a lifetime special event that nobody should miss.
The elegant combination of mystery, suspense and action with a dark religious and social under-tone combined with a genuine shock factor create a visual and intelligent tour de force of celluloid not to be missed.
The story follows a computer Nerd or hacker named Neo who seeks the answer to a question that he cannot yet comprehend. Not feeling right in the world, as if something is wrong, Neo searches for a man named Morpheus who can answer the question: "What is the Matrix?" What follows is a horrific and realistic vision of our technological futuristic hell that more than parallels our own existence.
As Neo discovers the true meaning of his question and the shocking reality of his existence we are treated to some of the most stylish and exciting action sequences ever to make it to the silver screen. It is rare that an all out action film can create and maintain a sense of intelligence and social commentary without feeling completely poxy and contrived.
Despite all its complexity, deep and meaningful parallels and the questions it raises, The Matrix can still be enjoyed and completely superficial Saturday night entertainment basis, thus making its re-watch ability extremely high.
Each and every shot, scene, musical piece, sound effect and piece of dialogue feels perfect as if someone wasted endless hours ensuring it was all perfect from vision to reality. There is hardly a fault in its complete construction, pacing, editing, cinematography or any other filmmaking aspect for that matter.
The acting is more than sufficient on the whole save for two noteworthy performances: Hugo Weaving's perfect and extremely likeable Agent Smith and the exception Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus who is almost like a religious prophet instilling a sense of faith in audience, helping us to suspend our disbelief.
Finally the special effects, which have been copied and spoofed in countless films since, will simply stun. Admittedly as the film ages, so will the effects, but at least for the time they are nothing short of amazing.
In the end the film is a rollercoaster ride of everything that is good in a film, and certainly some of its financial success must be attributed to the fact that this film was not hyped at all, in fact it almost left the cinemas before the mainstream discovered it. Warners Brother even predicted that it would fail and the first comment from critics would of indicated as such. Now it is the single biggest grossing film that Warner Brothers has ever made.
This is filmmaking at its best, and as the film races on from climax to climax and you get sucked into the fantastic world of The Matrix, we can all feel something special Intelligent action can work  and Hollywood can make a film that does not insult you either.
5 stars! A must see film!