The Matrix
I have already seen _The Matrix_ three times, and this was within a week and a half. I never do that.
Part of it was my fault: I told too many people that I would see the film with them. But part of it is my complete fascination with this film, perhaps the first truly original sci-fi film with mass audience appeal since, dare I say it, _Star Wars_. Oh, I'm sure there are many others, but my head has a low attention span. Very few films can create a world so entirely different from our own, and push the boundaries of plot development, mythical references and special effects as this.
The first time I saw it, it was solely as one being totally envelopped by the story and them phenomenal action sequences. When we first meet "Trinity" (Carrie-Anne Moss), she effectively disarms the four policemen around her, running up walls, kicking people in mid-air, and using her karate kicks. If that sequence didn't wake you, nothing will.
But then the story kicks in. And without detailing too much, it's about the hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves, perfectly cast, but still can't act), who comes to understand that this current world isn't really what it seems. He is introduced to Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), the leader of a small troupe of cool-looking rogues out to save the world.
The "big secret" will not be spoiled by me. How can I? It is impossible to really explain the film within a space of a couple of paragraphs, and it takes up more than an hour to do so. I will, however, name it's influences: _DreamScape_, _Brainstorm_, _The Terminator_ films, Greek mythology, _Tron, _Blade Runner_, martial arts films, _Die Hard_, _Soul Food_, the Plasticman cartoon, the Superman phone-booth, and the Bible. Whew.
The second time I saw it, I was contemplating its references. Neo. Morpheus. Nebuchadnezzer. Trinity. Zion. The Traitor. "The One." An argument can be made that this is a modern retelling of the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. (The articles in www.hollywoodjesus.com/matrix.htm is highly recommended). I enjoyed it even better the second time. (I can't say no to action films with religious themes).
The third time, it was starting to be a little overkill, I admit. I focussed more on the acting of the film, and it resulted in a resounding thud. It's easy to pick on Keanu, but he's not the stinker of the bunch. Like I said earlier, he can be perfectly cast, and still not act. The screenplay fully exploits his lack of emotion in anything he says, or his monotone voice. There's one sequence that's totally laugh out loud as he fights with a baddie with the most laconic expression on his face.
No. The stinker actor is, sadly, Laurence Fishburne. Ouch. He combines Shakespeare with Shatner. "I know, (pause) EXACTLY, (pause) what-you-mean." His methodical annunciation of every line only serve to add to the mundanity of the script.
Even so, it is rare for my every emotion to be engaged while watching a big-budget popcorn flick. It presented a world that fully held my mental attention. Then the special effects came in to dazzle me. Then the action sequences came to thrill me. Little nuances between the characters came to humor me. The underlying story came to inspire me. And even a little romance came in just the right dosage, at the right point. My prediction: The Matrix will change moviegoing, and inspire plenty of imitators.
P.S. Whoever you are, stop blaming "The Matrix" for the trenchcoat look that inspired the Littleton massacre. The movie had hardly been out a week, and these horrible kids were wearing the coats for _years_.
Nick Scale (1 to 10): First time: 8 Second time: 9 Third time: 7
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