The Matrix (1999)

Originally Written

Tuesday, June 6, 2006

What is real? Is reality what is forced upon our eyes, what we are made to believe? These are questions burning through the mind of Neo (Keanu Reeves). As he's looking for something, but doesn't know what it is he is looking for, that is until that which he's looking for comes looking for him!

The Matrix is a wild ride, a hackers' modern day Alice In Wonderland in which it attempts to explain the world in the future as a pixel based illusion. Man became infatuated with technology and soon that same technology, "AI" Artificial Intelligence took over. In their attempt to stop the machines man thought by blocking out the sun it would in turn block out the machines energy source with which they needed to survive, but all it did was cause the machines to look to a new source of energy... man. Man became harvested for the energy he produced through body heat; man became the batteries for the machines.

Of course man had to be kept alive, and in good condition to produce the needed energy, so the Matrix was created, a simulation of what the world was like before its destruction. Here the minds of all the people are hooked into the Matrix where they live out there lives oblivious to the truth. Yet there are a small few who were somehow able to escape the Matrix and find refuge in the ruins of civilization, living underground attempting to free themselves and humanity from the machines.

One such person is Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Morpheus believes in a certain prophecy that states there is one man who will have the strength to bring about the end of the reign of machines and give back life to mankind, this man he believes is Neo. Neo has always had a feeling there was something missing, something going on that no one else was aware of, so the prospect of finding out those answers intrigued him to follow Morpheus. After being freed from the Matrix this new found truth is disposed upon him and becomes too much for him to handle, especially Morpheus's belief that he is some kind of savior.

With the ability to hack into the Matrix at anytime Neo begins his training, training he will need to stay alive within the Matrix and deal with the Agents. The Agents are a programs built by the Matrix to keep order and eliminate those who have managed to escape, especially Neo. With more and more experience within the Matrix, Neo begins to realize his ability and starts to accept his fate, but will he be able to bring order to chaos?

The Matrix is a at minimal a very entertaining film which broke new boundaries in film making with its drop dead gorgeous special effects. Aside from that The Matrix has something more important, a very unique and entertaining story, which is not only well written but also well cast. Keanu Reeves gives what has to be one of his best performances, if not the best as a hacker turned "the one".

Overall, what more is there really to say? The Matrix is probably one of the Top 10 greatest science fiction films ever made. I certainly wish I could instantly learn anything by uploading information directly into my brain! While for a first time viewer the film can be quite confusing, it's one of those films that makes even more sense each time you watch it. Its perfect balance of action, drama, and comedy mixed with a great story, making it an instant classic, too bad the same can't be said for the sequels... but that's for a later time.

9/10