This has got to stop!

Rating: Null/10 (7 March 2000)

The ridiculous worship of this movie has got to stop! I'm not saying it was "bad", but it wasn't that good, either. Contrary to what everyone thinks, it's not even particularly original. The plot has been used many times before, in everything from The Truman Show, to the TV show The Prisoner, to Jacob's Ladder. The special effects, with the exception of the "bullet time" sequences, have all been done before.
There's nothing this movie can do that another movie can't do better. The kung-fu fights were pitiful when you compare them to Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. The acting - with the notable exception of Laurence Fishburne - is horrendous, especially Keanu Reeves (some of his lines had me laughing out loud). The script manages to weeve an interesting and entertaining storyline, but the dialogue itself was extremely clunky and boring...does anyone really talk like that? And most of all, the gun fights were nothing special. Practically the whole thing was in slow motion, making it about as exciting as watching paint dry. For real action, everyone should see a John Woo film, particularly Hard-Boiled. He uses slow-mo as well, but he does it in such a way that it actually adds to the scene, not detract from it. I'm sure the reason everyone thinks the movie is so fresh and new is because it's new to them. See some of the aforementioned films for true art.
Finally, all of the other comments saying the film is a "spiritual" or "inspirational" film is laughable. It's an action film that doesn't really try for anything more. On the other hand, Terminator 2 manages to rise above its "just an action movie" origins and become genuinely moving.
All in all, it was an entertaining and fun film. But high art? No. The best Sci-Fi film ever? Of course not. (ever seen 2001?) The greatest movie of all time? God no! It's good, but it's nothing more than that.
My score: 6/10