Not a bad film, even with the "Keanu" Factor

Rating: 7/10 (24 April 1999)

I had a bit of reluctance to see "The Matrix". I had figured it for one of those run-of-the-mill stupid sci-fi films without a brain and all special effects and didn't give it much thought after that. The reasons were simple.
1. "Matrix", "13th Floor" and "Existenz" are all films that play with "alternate realities" and none of their previews made me want to see them much, with "The Matrix" perhaps tugging at my wallet just a bit.
2. Lawrence Fishburne pulled me in to "Event Horizon" which was a pretty bad film that I didn't expect "Matrix" to be any better than, and I still haven't forgiven him for that.
3. Perhaps the strongest factor of all, Keanu Reeves, not being a bastion of good taste or strong acting ability, whom the public can stand if he simply can manage to not suck too badly. He brings a fairly robotic element to all of his roles that may be appreciated in another century and make him the actor of the millennium.
4. Lots of teenagers were raving about it. The same kind of people whom I suspect are already lined up for the "Phantom Menace" which is the clearest indication and proof of a loser with time on their hands as could ever be devised. Lawn chairs + Laptops + 6 weeks = Loser.
The reason I caved in to see it, however, was based on some positive reviews from some reliable and trustworthy sources, and a good friend whom I don't see much was eager to see it. My good friend Kalev also took the time to relate some of the finer points of the film with great enthusiasm, and so I promptly decided to see it. But most importantly of all, the Wachowski Brothers were behind it, and I thoroughly enjoyed their film "Bound", so there you have it.
The film is a visually stunning, no contest. The acting is passable and the dialogue is just on the edge of being too expository but the story's elements are at times so complex, this measure can be forgiven quickly. This is a film for the Marital Arts fan. The fight scenes are fantastic and executed with originality.
The story line owes a great debt to "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers", which if you enjoyed the Matrix you should check out one or both of the first two versions only. But as one of my "computer g_ _ k" friends has informed me, "The Matrix" writers really did their homework and those aspects held up well. Which is a factor that could easily get past me, but it's always nice to find out that the writers cared enough to do their research. This film almost assuredly will have you trying to figure out the finer points in the parking lot.