The Best Sci-Fi Action Kung-Fu Philosophical Allegory Out There (And It Stars Keanu Reeves (!))

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 1999)

In Hollywood, you get used to a certain way of things - the serious, critic-dependent movies are the ones that will make you think about key issues of our lives, while the shoot-em-up action flicks are supposedly there only for our entertainment. This flick is the rarest of all birds - a movie that combines revolutionary special effects and the most incredible action sequences ever shot on film, with a strong plot about humanity's dependence on machines becoming reversed, the nature of reality, and the need for rebellion.
The Matrix's strength above all is its refusal to talk down to its audience - it assumes you know a little about technology and/or philosophy before you walk in the door. It is the thinking man's action movie - one that pulls you into a world remarkably like our own, then peels it back, layer after layer, showing you the world of the Matrix.
The special effects are fantastic, both in their execution and their restraint - they are used only to undercut the intensity of one scene, or to showcase the otherworldly nature of the three main stars.
Speaking of which, the stars of the show do their jobs exceedingly well. Laurence Fishburne plays the role of Morpheus with a type of detached calm, as one would expect from someone whom knows that what they see isn't real. Carrie-Anne Moss is the heart of the movie as Trinity, Morpheus's right-hand woman and a martial arts powerhouse to boot. Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith does a perfect job as the villain - you hate him completly by the end of the movie, but love him for being so evil. And questions about Keanu Reeve's worth as any kind of star are put to rest - he seems born to play the role of Neo, a man whom loses everything he ever had, and must relearn everything he's ever known.
The Matrix is a movie I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone. It's a movie anyone can grasp, even if they only appreciate the action sequences, which don't seem shot on film so much as they seem painted (possibly due to the storyboards, which were drafted by comic book professionals - a trend I hope will continue.) And for those who look deeper, there's a wealth of subtle shading to the story, which fleshes it out - and rewards repeat viewing by hiding many subtle details that you'd miss on the first go-around. It's the type of movie that restores your faith in movies - that yes, you can combine great action with a great story, and that yes, you don't need to have name directors or actors to make it all fly.