Cool looking but highly overrated film

Rating: 7/10 (23 January 2015)

This movie looks cool.
I think I could end the review there. I should end the review there if I want it to stay really positive about the film. That is what this movie is about: its looks.
This is a movie that either invented or perfected bullet time, which is actually two effects in one: the effect of bullets flowing through the air in slow motion leaving trails behind them and the filming of an object that is frozen in place by using several still cameras and digital motion compensation. The green computer code (digital rain) has become a signature Matrix effect as well as the effect of showing a 3D image in Matrix code. The black longcoat outfits, which by the way is a look that I had invented for myself long before this movie was created (maybe that is what bothers me the most about it), have become universally associated with that movie. Just say the "Matrix outfit" and people know.
The action is jaw dropping and the acrobatic scenes with guns and martial arts are superbly choreographed.
This film can have all the Oscars for its visuals but this can never fix the fact that the story is garbage.
Now, the way the events are structured is fine and the movie is actually really good at keeping tension. It is quite mysterious and awesome until the premise is revealed. Everything that happens after that moment and everything that happened before it stops making sense. I do not want to spoil anything, but your enjoyment of the film from that moment on is entirely dependent on your ability to let go of thinking. This ability is granted to many people because of how awesome the visuals and audio presentatoin is, but that persentation eventually ends and common sense kicks you in the head...well, at least it should have.
How is the acting? I will tell you when I see more of it, because for most of the movie the characters are walking around with no expressions on their faces and lines are spoken calmly. Isn't that convenient. Not only that, but their eyes, the most expressive part of a human face, are covered with sunglasses. Those f$&*%(g sunglasses, man! All these people are wearing sunglasses when there is no sun...like at night...indoors.
This film has indeed entered the depth of popular culture. A near infinite amounts of spoof videos and cartoons have been made and many would call that an ultimate compliment, and to some degree it is a complement, at least a complement to the film's visual presentation.
But upon closer examination, I have never heard any of the quotes from this film be used with respect like something from the Godfather movies would be. It is fun to make fun of the film's silly writing.
The bottom line is that this film was visually innovative and unique, and because that was its whole gimmick right from the start, it deserves praise. However, the acting and the underlying story in this film are terrible. Additionally, various people started attributing some sort of philosophy to this movie that is not there. There have even been books written on the subject. This makes either the movie or the people doing the attributing very pretentious. I would like to believe it is the latter and that Matrix is a show that is meant to be admired for what it is: a flashy cool action scene.