Truly great, but wrongfully unappreciated film.

Rating: 10/10 (10 November 2003)

What a great movie! I went to it hearing nothing but bad comments. But I realized after the second movie came out that everyone has different expectations for the series. Some just want eye-candy (I'm referring to the FX), others want a simple storybook tale acted out, others couldn't care less what it looks like and want a compelling, intriguing or challenging story line.
What you expect will determine what you think of the film.
For those who want to see a special effects movie with a shallow easy-to-swallow story line, they will hate it. For those who, like me, were captured by the sheer inventiveness of the story and its layers-of-significance presentation style, they will find it amazing. This can be enjoyed on so many levels. It's got everything from being great looking/sounding movie to an interpretive and highly symbolic story. I've never read Dante's Inferno, but after watching this, I think I'm going to have to.
This movie will not explicitly tell all the "why"s or "how"s you may have about the Matrix story. Many things are left to be interpreted by the viewer. But clues are always given to generally guide interpretations, though they are not always obvious. There were no major unanswered questions, nor major "plot holes" for me, as I have heard many others complain about. But I had to think about what I saw and answer those questions for myself or (perhaps the most fun part) discuss them with friends to reach satisfying conclusions.
If you believe that a movie should tell you exactly every little thing that happened, then, perhaps, this is not the movie for you. I'm glad to see the Wachowskis did not "sell-out" or water down this story. They made what they wanted to make, the way they wanted to do it. It's nice to see some filmmakers are still willing to break the mold. I look forward to their future projects. Thanks guys!
By the way, as far as special effects movies go, this can't disappoint. Who goes to see FX movies for the story anyway?