visually stunning rendition of unoriginal topics (from 1982 TRON to Chinese Kung-Fu wire extravaganza movies).

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2008)

I first watched this when it first showed in MTL. It IS a visually stunning AND entertaining movie. Actors are good at what they do but please...there is NOT one iota of anything original in this movie! Computer programs as humans or humans in the 'mind' or 'midst' of a computer program? Have you watched 1982 TRON ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084827/)? Synopsis from this site "A hacker is literally abducted into the world of a computer and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program". Sounds familiar? What about people jumping 50 meters high exchanging kung-fu blows? Well, Hong Kong has been milling that kind of cinematic visuals for decades. I really laugh out loud when I read people going ecstatic over Matrix's philosophy... Proper philosophers coined the 'brain in a vat' dilemma (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/brain-vat/) ages ago (the 1980s?), asking whether we can say anything is real and how can we be sure of anything. Troubled teenagers will probably find the movie philosophical appeal irresistible...religious fundamentalists may all find their piece of cake (is Cypher like encryption or Lou...cifer? Trinity? Weird none's called Holy Ghost in there). It's a SFX action extravaganza, not gospel. What about Men in Black? There are people who think they are henchmen of an underground government run by aliens from outer space... It's entertaining and visually stunning and are not Carrie Ann Moss and McClory hot? But just that... Movies about prophecies sell a dime a dozen...oh, and waking up the dead with a kiss: THAT is original and not copied from some fairy tale. Watch out for the "cell-phones for the masses" craze that was becoming mainstream (I am sure popcorn philosophers will just love "the call" mystical subject ).