The Matrix **** (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano Director-Larry and Andy Wachowski Rated-14A Released March 1999 Warner Bros.
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If you see one sci-fi/action movie with Keanu Reeves this year, I would highly recommend seeing The Matrix.
I was thoroughly pleased with this film, on more levels than one. First off, in a world chock-full of brainless science-fiction movies with irrelevant plots, it has a storyline that can carry the viewer from beginning to end on a cushioned seat. Keanu Reeves', obviously not the best actor in the world, makes for a fairly believable savior of human-kind in the form of Thomas `Neo' Anderson. He is contacted by a world-famous computer hacker named Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), who thinks Neo is the `chosen one'. But I'm sure you're asking `What is the Matrix?' and `The chosen one for what, exactly?'
The Matrix is, to quote a character in the movie, `the world that has pulled over your eyes to shield you from the truth..' I'll not reveal anything else, but consider this a favor toward you.
To learn how to manipulate the Matrix to his advantage, Neo first must learn all the tricks of the trade (which involve spectacular stunts of defying gravity, dodging bullets and leaping tall buildings in a single bound, ala Superman). Then he must face-off against the enemy, called the Sentinent Agents. They are dressed in black with strikingly cool shades, and are headed by the immensely droll Agent Smith (the delightfully deadpan Hugo Weaving). The acting is an all-around surprise. In addition to Reeves there's the always excellent Fishburne filling his role perfectly, and a hot newcomer named Carrie-Anne Moss, who can seriously bruise a SWAT team. The special effects are seamless and jaw-dropping, but they don't upstage the human dimensions of the story.
I'll get right to the point: the action sequences in this film are absolutely the best I've ever seen. The Wachowski brothers, Larry and Andy, have obviously covered the book on how to construct a jaw-dropping shootout. Until now, John Woo has been the unprecedented king of a slo-mo action sequence. Until now. Even more impressive, however, are the film's martial arts battles, which use a familiar device from the Gap TV ads, where the camera circles the room while a character freezes in midair with a drop-kick maneuver. Your reaction is bound to resemble `Wow', or `Holy...' after seeing these unbelievable feats.
I had my grievances. There was an unnecessary double-cross scenario planted unwisely into the 2nd act, and a few of the supporting characters were only clichés from other movies of this kind. The Matrix as a whole is a dazzling, wonderfully exciting escape from reality. What is the Matrix? No, I won't tell, but it's a heck of a lot of fun finding out. .........................
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