Brilliant - but will it last?

Rating: 10/10 (2 April 2002)

As a huge Science Fiction fan, I really enjoyed The Matrix. When I first saw it I was blown away with many aspects of the film, notably the special effects, cinematography and the philosophical message contained within. I went out and bought it on VHS and have just gotten around to buying it on DVD along with the recently released companion DVD 'The Matrix Revisited.' As such, this review is a retrospective - it assumes you've seen the movie, although it does not contain spoilers.
As I said, The Matrix was truly ground breaking. As a fan of comic books in my youth, I immediately recognised the stylized characters and settings - it was a blast from start to finish. The Special effects were mind boggling - the slow motion scenes using the 'bullet time' effect were innovative and hadn't been seen before.
After repeated viewings, my opinions have changed slightly. No longer do the effects totally amaze me - we can see the bullet time effect on everything now from TV ads to comedy movies (e.g. Scary Movie.) This doesn't take anything away from the movie in itself, it just lessens the impact.
The cinematography looks as good as it did the first time I saw it and is truly the greatest thing about The Matrix. It's like the directors decided to ignore the rules of what you can do with a camera and just dreamed up angles and shots straight from a comic book where imagination is the only limit. Each time I watch it, I'm truly stunned by the sheer inventiveness of these guys - there are few films that come close.
As for the plot and messages within the movie - I'm sot so sure. The idea that we live in a construct and are slaves to the system isn't new - films such as 'They Live' or 'Solyent Green' (and many others) covered this ground a long time ago, although admittedly without the eye candy. The quasi religious message within the movie is interesting but ultimately feels gimmicky, as if it was put there in order that fanboys like myself can endlessly discuss it on usenet. Don't get me wrong - better we have hidden messages and philosophies than a straight 'kill everything in sight' action flick - but at times it felt like it was being self consciously clever.

And am I the only person who noticed the similarities between the plot and that of several 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episodes? You know, the ones where Picard and the crew leave the holodeck and return to the Enterprise, only to find that they are in fact still in the holodeck and they've been fooled? Sure, a Star Trek episode doesn't compare in it's depth or scope, but still, it takes something away from the idea that The Matrix plot is innovative and new.
To finish, I must reiterate that this is a superb movie. However, my experiences with The Matrix tell me that special effects are seductive and can make the viewer feel as if a movie is better than it really is. There were times when I was enjoying them so much that I half believed Keanu Reeves could act, but after repeated viewings I took the red pill and woke up. Sure - the Matrix is excellent, but when the dust has settled and the effects aren't so stimulating - what do we have left? Stripped bare of eye candy - all we have is actors and plot. It should stand up on these merits alone, but does it? It's certainly a great film but an all time classic? I'm not sure, but I do know that I can't wait for the sequel - roll on The Matrix 2!!!