Often imitated, but never duplicated

Rating: 8/10 (14 November 2014)

Whatever one thinks about the original 'Matrix', its influence on sci-fi and action cinema in the early part of the new millennium is beyond dispute. It was a game changer the likes of which we hadn't seen since the original 'Star Wars'. But with its fancy bag of technical tricks now as outdated as a 56K modem, does the 'The Matrix' still hold up? Yes, and then some.
'The Matrix' is a triumph. Yes, it remains a visually dazzlingly film, with its bullet-time moves and fast-paced kung-fu choreography, but what makes it a classic is its ability to move us emotionally. Too often in this post-Michael Bay world movies seem to think that action is enough to entertain, but what they seem to forget is that we must first care about the characters and the stakes before the action can do its job.
Like any such film, there are holes in its logic should you choose to look for them, but this is a very well conceived and thoughtfully crafted world that the Wachowski's have built. It's totally immersive to the point that you don't even question it. Every single thing has been meticulously crafted. I can't think of a more fully realized fiction in my lifetime.
It spawned an entire sub-genre of imitators, but the original 'Matrix' stands alone as a bona-fide new millennial classic.