Sci-Fi done well. Try to watch "The Matrix" before seeing ANY reviews (including this one)

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 1999)

(Correction of a reference I made in my review of April 12,1999)
1. The feel of "The Matrix": This is a movie that envelops you, and is reminiscent of two works: a movie and an excerpt from a novel. The first is the 1-hour made-for-TV-film "The Lathe of Heaven," by Ursula K. Le Guin which was broadcast on Channel 13 / Educational TV back in 1980: after the film, I felt I was a character living in the film. "The Lathe of Heaven" was about a character whose dreams become reality; every time he wakes up, he is in a new future / futuristic setting where everything changes in accordance to his dream.
Kurt Vonnegut (in "Breakfast of Champions") had a small sci-fi concept in one of his books called (approximately) "A message from the creator." In this story, God writes a book to the only person in the world. God tells him that the entire world was created for him, all religions were invented so he could have a choice of religions, and other people were merely robots who had a specific purpose, such as fighting with him. Thus, whatever he does doesn't matter, since no one else is real but him. The character reads this book, and goes insane, thinking that it is true.
Similarly, when you leave "The Matrix," you wonder what is real and what is a simulation. After the movie, my friend walked across the street blindly ignoring cars, perhaps trapped in the illusion that this was not real. It took several minutes for him to escape this fantasy world. It affected me similarly.
2. Personal Reactions: a) Movie was great (tentatively on my list of "top 12 movies" for me). b)I did not like Fishburne's pockmarked face and grimaces. c)Some corniness in the awakening kiss given to Keanu/Neo, that in my mind, could be traced to reality: people in comas do hear and can respond after what appears to be death.
3. Plot Holes: How did the Operator recover from being killed/shot? How did the Oracle know what would happen?
4. Political Correctness: a) Two to four black heroes who could easily have been white; b) a possible lesbian; c)a Latino; d)a short person; e)bad white guys(and no bad ethnic types); f) a middle-aged kindly motherly type, g)even a few kids as potential heroes, with one being a guru.