The Matrix
Chad'z Rating: **** (out of 4 = excellent)
1999, R, 135 minutes [2 hours, 15 minutes]
[science fiction]
Starring: Keanu Reeves (Thomas `Neo' Anderson), Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Hugo Weaver (Agent Smith); produced by Joel Silver; written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski.
Seen April 17, 1999 at 7:10 p.m. at Crossgates Cinema 18 (Guilderland, N.Y.), Theater #2, by myself for free using my Hoyts' season pass.
Before I could even begin to write this review I had trouble trying to distinguish which genre to classify `The Matrix' as. Considering the basic premise of the film and the sheer title alone, it definitely falls under the science fiction category, yet there are a lot of other elements that make up this film such as action, adventure, fantasy and a helluva lot of deep philosophy. But that's what science fiction is, and this film completely and totally lives up to all aspects of the genre.
It seems that many modern filmmakers have lost the concept `science fiction,' which is as simple as breaking down the phrase into its two words. But instead of taking elements of science and mathematics and bending them to tell a story, creators seem to be relying more heavily on recycling bits and pieces of works of the genre and not concentrating on the basic ideals of science plus fiction.
`The Matrix' succeeds where other films have not because its creators demonstrate a vivid knowledge and personal experience with all aspects of sci-fi and how to make it poignant, interesting and thrilling for a mainstream audience.
The premise of the film and its look is not unlike many of the best sci-fi works Hollywood has produced in the last few years. The art direction, production design and cinematography go to show that the film has many inspirations, thus the result is a movie that does not seem very familiar to any specific work or series. It seems more like a mathematical result of the absorption of every aspect of the genre.
As the film opens it's clear we're about to be told a story of something relative to the world as we know it, but of course with a sci-fi spin on it. And what else could be more scientific and modern than computers? The first shot is of a black screen with a green, blinking cursor in the top left corner which seems to type automatically a message partially understandable and partially coded. Then there's a shot of dozens of rows of letters moving vertically up the screen while changing thousands of times per seconds and slowly a phone number is revealed. It's a simple trace of a call, but listening to the conversation it has a very eerie tone and gives the feeling that what the voices were referring to wasn't remotely simple and mundane.
After a brief, but visually-stunning opening credits sequence, the real story begins. The filmmakers, Andy and Larry Wachowski who are former comic book writers, show us they've been paying attention to what it takes to create a neo-Gothic setting without it coming off as cliche horror or pretentious hardcore. There is a brief but violent scene of arrest in which the arrestee, a seemingly normal woman (Moss as Trinity), moves so quickly and powerfully it's unreal. Then there's a rather typical rooftop chase scene, but at the same time the establishment and the villains who are one and the same, are introduced, demonstrating their power and cold presence.
Soon the real story begins to unfold which revolves around a computer hacker/working stiff named Thomas Anderson (Reeves) who goes by the alias `Neo' on-line. His introductory scene shows him being awaken at his bedside PC by words slowly appearing across the screen. It's as if the PC itself is talking to him and the message is very typical of a sci-fi/fantasy story, yet still interesting and moving. It's reminiscent of `2001' and `2010' where unknown, unseen intelligent sources manipulated man's technology. The overall theme of the film is much the same as Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke and Peter Hyams tried to evoke with those films.
Neo is basically a loner who can tell that something is wrong with the world but can't put his finger on it. He's been searching for the hacker `Morpheus' (Fishburne), who has also been searching for him. When the two are finally introduced it's clear that the rest of the story about to unfold is not going to take place in the reality as we know it, or even one closely related to it.
>>SPOILERS<< It turns out that everything in the world as it exists, or at least as Neo believes it does, was all the biggest conspiracy to ever be concocted in the history of time (probably the biggest ever conceived in a work of fiction). In a series of scenes in which Morpheus explains it all to Neo, we're told that sometime in the early 21st Century man invented artificial intelligence which it could not control and a massive war broke out between man and the machines. Man attempted to fight the machines by blocking out the sun, but machines eventually won the war and enslaved all mankind as energy sources whose brains have been plugged in to one giant virtual reality world known as the `matrix.' Absolutely no one in the matrix has any clue where they are, it's exactly the same as us in the real world as we know it to be told we're actually in a computer program.
Morpheus also broadens the story (and thus the plot) but mentioning something about `Zion,' the last human city and that a man was born inside the matrix who prophesied the coming of `The One' who would free man from the machines. There is also reference to an `Oracle,' a psychic-like woman who will later tell Neo of his significance and will also make some other predictions about him that come true (sort of).
And thus begins a story which is both simple and of epic proportions simultaneously. The conflict is as basic as good versus evil without many sub-plots or goals for the heroes to achieve besides beating the machines. Yet at the same time the Wachowski brothers go out of their way to continue to flesh-out the world they've fashioned and in the process create for numerous philosophies that are profound within the film's context, but many also carry over to the real world.
For example, one of Morpheus's crew members says he liked `Tasty Wheat' when he was in the matrix, but wonders how the machines knew what it tastes like. For all he knows, what he's tasting is the taste of chicken, `which is why chicken tastes like everything,' he says. That might not seem too deep much beyond a one-liner but there is validity to it and many of the other philosophies dropped here and there carry much more weight.
Another sign of the film's intelligence and originality is in the structuring of its story. The basic idea of a man coming to save mankind isn't anything new, that's what the entire Bible (and Judeo-Christian theology) is about. Most creators wouldn't dare try to make such a parallel within a story with such universal implications, but the Wachowski brothers are able to pull it off well here. They don't try very hard to disguise their symbols, though (`Neo' is an obvious anagram of `one,' as is `Morpheus' to `Push Rome.' The last human city is `Zion' which is a term for Heaven in the Bible. Other references: the character name Trinity, the ship Nebuchadnezzar, a Judas-like betrayal of the alleged savior... oh, and a slight case of resurrection).
However, the film is not without its problems. It essentially has no middle act as the first two-thirds of the film are spent explaining the reality and the concept of the matrix to Neo and his importance and his training, and all of a sudden a specific conflict is thrown in as Morpheus and his crew fall into grave danger because of a traitor. The last half hour is mostly a typical series of violent action sequences in the name of the ultimate good versus the ultimate evil.
Even if the last act is somewhat of a cop-out it's no different than many other excellent sci-fi and fantasy films' climaxes (eh hem, >cough<, `Star Wars'). In fact, the Wachowski brothers don't seem to be taking the battle over the fate of the world too seriously because there's a hint of satire in the air. Most notably, the head of those really bad guys, a cyborg-like agent of the matrix itself, known only as `Agent Smith' (Weaving, who nails the role perfectly), speaks in a way that's soft and cold but almost to the point where it's cartoony (he almost sounds as if he's stoned or getting over a novacane injection). The fact that Agent Smith and the other agents all dress and look exactly alike with their sunglasses and suits is a cliche thrown in for the fun of it.
Rumors indicate this film is only the first of a trilogy, but even if it's not, there's so much to the film that the viewer can conclude their own background elements and the long-term finale of the story.
There's really nothing more satisfying than watching a film and getting the sense the creators are simply taking everything they've learned about the genre from tons of other similar works, drawing from them all and producing something new and original without coming off as trite and cliched. That's the feeling that comes with `The Matrix,' which is great because it doesn't rub off after the film is over. It's something to continually ponder how well so many elements were synchronized together to make for such an enjoyable piece of entertainment.
--------------------------------- Please visit Chad'z Movie Page - over 220 new and old movies reviewed in-depth, not just blind ratings and blather capsules.
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