Excellent Popcorn Movie, but no Mind-Blowing experience

Rating: Null/10 (10 May 2003)

It's hard to watch a movie that draws upon every other Sci-Fi and Action Movie before it, see what you like, and disregard the flaws.
My first viewing of the Matrix was as a popcorn movie, at best. Terribly bad wire-fu, combined with cheesy "Chosen One" dialogue, with a handful of half-decent acting within. The movie was an action extravaganza, not a particularly intellectually enlightening film as I was told it would be. It pulls from the Terminator, Christ allegory, Hong Kong Martial Arts, etc. to make a movie that supposedly has none of the flaws.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The plot is comparable to Star Wars, stories of the Christ, the Terminator. Nothing new or special here.
Keanu Reeves is there mostly for the ladies... he's not a particular good actor, but he's at least willing and capable of handling a physical role such as this. Like Carrie-Anne Moss, his selection is, at-best, average. Reeves is the train of thought of modern action stars: "Sex symbols + action movie = Now Sellable to women." On the other hand, I think Moss was chose n for her ability to look like a really pale, dirty refugee on a derelict ship, moreso than her acting.
Laurence Fishburne is good, albeit a bit overblown as the prophetic Morpheus. His ability to convey the magnitude of his faith is particularly... religious in its context.
Hugo Weaving is good, but Agent Smith was no "Proper Villain" even thought it was a figurehead for the Machines.
Joe Pantaliano looked like he really was waiting for a check during the movie... I don't blame him. Wasted talent here.
Watching it a second time only seems to magnify the flaws. The bullet-time effects begin to show why these people are typical, and therefore, annoyingly like contemporary action stars. Emptying two guns into one poor sap of a policeman, then moving on with a totally new gun? The terrible Kung Fu sequences are especially an eyesore for those accustomed to more... experienced and natural-looking Martial Arts.
It is not "Perfect" in any way shape or form, but it is good. One will overlook the less than perfect execution of a cut'n'paste script for the raw, jaw-dropping special effects. Popcorn!