From Plato to Gibson a modern philosophy lesson

Rating: Null/10 (2 June 1999)

Is a film that derives itself from a multitude of sources necessarily un-original?
For me most of the depth and colour in The Matrix was derived from the fact that I had an idea what it was talking when it referred to Zion or not being in Kansas anymore. With a screenplay and visual effects that refer not only to cyberpunk and SF sources (William Gibson, T2, etc) and to other "modern" cultural icons (Bruce Lee, etc) but to both literary (Alice in Wonderland, Oz), philosophical (Plato, Nietzsche) and religious (Revelation) sources, the film has a depth that goes far beyond anything else that I have seen.
In drawing on the depth of it's inheritance the Matrix becomes something novel without throwing out the baby with the bath water. It's SFX were stunning, the visual feel a delight, but to me it was this sense of cultural awareness that made the film
I would recommend The Matrix to anyone but I understand that not everyone will like it. Yet to anyone who has grown up with Alice, Oz and Azimov and grown into the likes of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson it is a feast to be savoured. In my case one which has already been savoured more than once and will no doubt be enjoyed again.