Jon Monsarrat review: intelligent thriller with a soul

Rating: 10/10 (1 April 2002)

"The Matrix" doesn't exactly have "something to say that changed my life", but it definitely has a powerful theme and lots of deep thinking mojo. In a way, that makes it like "Star Wars (1977)", where "The Force" is basically silliness but it's sculpted in a way and presented so elegantly that just knocks you over and makes you want to laugh and cry both.
Laurence Fishburne carries the film. I'm not ashamed to say that Keanu Reeves has grown on me a lot since the early days.
Don't worry, if you're turned off by intellectual-ism, you can still enjoy it as a straight action movie. Lots and lots of stuff blows up, some of it in a stop-motion crescendo that won The Matrix the Oscar for visuals.
And if you're the arty type who's turned off by action movies, you can appreciate the amazing visuals, acting, and directing, and themes.
The Matrix is rated R but I would say it's basically PG except that it's got a dark and scary edge to it. So definitely not for young-ish kids but safe for your mature-ish teens.
Who should see this film:
-- Everyone who doesn't mind if the film has a bit of an "edge",
I mean this is not exactly "On Golden Pond", but it's
definitely not as nightmarish as "Brazil". More like "Alien 2"
than "Alien".
-- Action fans -- a must-see. What, you missed it when it came
out? Stupido! Stupido! Go rent it now ten times as penance.
-- Art/drama buffs who are really into visuals, or on a rainy
day with nothing better to do
I'll give "The Matrix" a 10 out of 10.