An exciting, although ultimately disappointed, roller-coaster ride

Rating: Null/10 (7 April 1999)

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of this movie is disappointment. I can't help but feel cheated when a movie starts off with an interesting plot and then forgets it 45 minutes later in favor of slam-bang action. That said, the action sequences are probably the best I have ever seen, blending stuntwork with amazing special effects. The story itself is very derivative of Dark City, but unlike Dark City which reveals itself gradually right to the end, the Matrix seems to be in a hurry to get over with the plot in order to start wowing us with special effects. I did not like the way that the characters explained the plot to the protagonist. I was looking forward to the hero discovering the truth for himself, but maybe I am just spoilt by the superior, but similar, Dark City. The movie could have explored Keanu's reaction to the truth a little more, and focused more on the following question: Are we really who we are the day we are born, or are we the result of our experiences? There is one line in the movie when Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) rather bluntly tells Neo (Keanu Reeves) that the computer cannot tell us who we are, implying that we are innately who we are. But that is about all we hear of this idea, which could have been so wonderfully explored, the way that it is in Dark City( sorry for mentioning this movie again and again, but it really is an illustration of how this movie could have been so much better.) It was as if the directors could not juggle the intricate plot and the action sequences, so they decided to get rid of the former altogether. The only thing I was looking forward to was how the ending was gonna be. I expected some truly miraculous change in the Matrix world, but all I got was a cop-out narrative. This review might sound too negative though. The action sequences are, as mentioned earlier, the best I have ever seen. Camera tricks, such the 360 degree rotation thingy, are put to great use. In fact, the John Woo inspired action sequences made me forget the initial disappointment I had over the plot being given away too quickly. So all I can say is, go watch this movie, but do not expect it to be as mind-bogglingly original and complex as many of the reviewers that I have read would like to have you believe.