Cruise reprises Keanu's role..?

Rating: 8/10 (11 July 2002)

While it took Keanu Reeves' character a short time to escape the Matrix... it takes Cruise the entire movie! Yes, it's the same idea retold cleverly... but...
We have no idea what the heck is going on in this movie. The clues are so subtle as to be almost non-existent! Crowe said that he did this intentionally, but I belong to the "other school of thought", and I like to have a fighting chance to enjoy the movie whilst it is happening. I can see what it's all about - it's striving to put us in the same confused situation as the central character. However, those clues were not working for me.
Penelope Cruz... she has got to go! She has to be the most annoying person who ever thought she could act.
Cruise did some nice over-acting, though I'm going to forgive him as the most obvious example ties in with a joke... and it made me laugh so that's okay.
I now wish to see the original. Maybe Cruz isn't so annoying in her mother tongue...