Great special effects

Rating: 7/10 (3 November 2000)

THE MATRIX is a great special-effects movie, setting a higher standard for future releases. It was for this reason alone I purchased its DVD. Casting, on the other hand, I found to be weak, its leading roles unable to draw on the significant elements of the story. In this, I failed to sense the peril of a society held hostage in a virtual reality. Keanu Reeves, as Neo, adds to my disbelief by neither portraying a knowledgeable computer hacker or a savior of humanity. Laurence Fishburne, as Morpheus, faired little better as a mentor or a zealot.. If there was an emotional highlight in the film's presentation, it must have been the acting of Carrie-Anne Moss. Her characterization of Trinity showed the loyalty to their cause and the sense of underlying fear needed to make her rebel character believable.
Whatever the problems I found with THE MATRIX, watching a new generation of special-effects debut was pure enjoyment. Future productions will have to reach even higher into our imagination than ever before to match THE MATRIX. Simple copying of its techniques will never produce that sense of wonder found in their first-viewing.