Wild!

Rating: 8/10 (3 April 1999)

I was a big fan of "Bound," so I knew the Wachowski brothers had a great sense of style and art direction, and also a sly, campy sense of humor. "The Matrix" has style to burn. It's one of the greatest looking science fiction movies in a long, long time, and the visual effects are cutting-edge miraculous. The performances are fine, and the sometimes-wooden Keanu Reeves is sympathetic and believable.
My biggest reservation is that the plot isn't exactly original. It's the old "the machines have taken over and a small band of humans is fighting back" idea that was used in the Terminator movies and various other sci-fi movies and books through the decades. Also, like in the Terminator films, the savior of the human race is, of course, a man, who succeeds partly because of a supportive woman. Why can't the savior be a woman for a change? Also, Reeves' character is supposed to be an accomplished computer hacker, but these skills are never utilized in his battle against the machines.
I don't mean to sound negative, because I really had a great time at this movie. It's easily one of the best of its type.