Picture: * * *½ The picture on this DVD in incredible. Besides a few moments where it is a little dark, the picture is sharp and clear. Without having any lines or anything. To me the picture could have been mastered a bit brighter in some scenes, but then again the film in the theatre was dark too.
Sound- * * * * Incredible. The film has 3 ch. English Dolby Surround 5.1, with music-only audio only tracks and commentaries during the film from the cast and crew. When you are in a theatre with great sound and the sound is behind you, even if you have only 2 speakers, the 5.1 surround really is around you and amazing. I would recommend getting audio equipment or speakers for best expierience.
Special Features- * * * * The best feature of the DVD is the special features. It contains bio's of the crew, including awards they've won, films they were in where they were born and so on. It also has a great feature called 'Follow The White Rabbit' in which a little rabbit icon appears at the bottom of the screen and when you press select the DVD shows you how they made that certain special effect. Also it contains the HBO First Look: The Matrix, a documentary of the making of the film, 'Take the Red Pills' which shows you more of the making of the film including the bullet scene. It also has scene selection, english subtitles, Interactive menus, and enhanced features for your DVD-Rom PC, which includes Are You The One? Challenge, Screenplay, Storyboards, and the genre essays 'Do you know kung fu" Original theatrical website and sampler trailers.
Film Rating- * * * Some may be disappointed with The Matrix. I'll tell you I was. I sat there and sat there and sat there waiting for something to happen. Now wait wait, I know most of you loved it, and I'm not saying I didn't like it. What I'm saying is the first half was extremely slow. Now seeing the trailer it makes you think the whole entire movie is one big special effects show. Don't be fooled, this movie has a big story. And big chunks of talky moments. But I will admit the special effects and the acting were above par, deserving the rating above.
Ok now to the story. Well this may take a while. Ok first of all, our world we live in now, is not the real world, actually we live inside a computer generated world known as The Matrix. A man played by Keanu Reeves is about to find that out, when is kidnapped and almost coaxed to go into the real world. He does so, and finds out that he can do anything, be anything he wants to be. But he has to fight a 'Matrix skipping' bad guy, who wants to send him back to his own world or destroy him.
Laurence Fishburne, his guide of sorts plays his character well as does Keanu Reeves. But I sat in the theatre for over and hour wondering where all the special effects were. Yeah there were some in the first half but not enough. The trailer for this movie was really decieving making people think that this was a special effects laden movie.
Now for the second half, it is explosive, and saves the movie. Some of the special effects and fighting were breathtaking. The sound, the music, and all the effects were effective, and the last hour kept us entertained. But with a running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes, this movie is at least 40 minutes too long. One would have wished for a better 'Matrix', but I do have to say, I did like it and I was entertained.
Overall DVD Rating- * * *½ The Special Features, sound, picture and film are all good on the DVD. Though the film wasn't as great as I thought it would be and a bit slow in parts the special effects were definately amazing. The 5.1 Surround was absolutely incredible, and I would definately recommend the DVD of 'The Matrix.
Reviewed by Brandon Herring September 28, 1999. Brandon Herring Movie Review Heaven (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/movie/3160/moviereviewheaven.html
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