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By following up their debut thriller Bound with the 1999 box-office smash The Matrix, the codirecting Wachowski brothers--Andy and Larry--annihilated any suggestion of a sophomore jinx, crafting one of the most exhilarating sci-fi/action movies of the 1990s. Set in the not too distant future in an insipid, characterless city, we find a young man named Neo (Keanu Reeves). A software techie by day and a computer hacker by night, he sits alone at home by his monitor, waiting for a sign, a signal--from what or whom he doesn't know--until one night, a mysterious woman named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) seeks him out and introduces him to that faceless characterhe has been waiting for: Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). A messiah of sorts, Morpheus presents Neo with the truth about his world by shedding light on the dark secrets that have troubled him for so long: "You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad." Ultimately, Morpheus illustrates to Neo what the Matrix is--a reality beyond reality that controls all of their lives, in a way that Neo can barely comprehend.

Neo thus embarks on an adventure that is both terrifying and enthralling. Pitted against an enemy that transcends human concepts of evil, Morpheus and his team must train Neo to believe that he is the chosen champion of their fight. With mind-boggling, technically innovative special effects and a thought-provoking script that owes a debt of inspiration to the legacy of cyberpunk fiction, this is much more than an out-and-out action yarn; it's a thinking man's journey into the realm of futuristic fantasy, a dreamscape full of eye candy that will satisfy sci-fi, kung fu, action, and adventure fans alike. Although the film is headlined by Reeves andFishburne--who both turn in fine performances--much of the fun and excitement should be attributed to Moss, who flawlessly mixes vulnerability with immense strength, making other contemporary female heroines look timid by comparison. And if we were going to cast a vote for most dastardly movie villain of 1999, it would have to go to Hugo Weaving, who plays the feckless, semipsychotic Agent Smith with panache and edginess. As the film's box-office profits soared, the Wachowski brothers announced that The Matrix is merely the first chapter in a cinematically dazzling franchise--a chapter that is arguably superior to the other sci-fi smash of 1999 (you know... the one starring Jar Jar Binks).--Jeremy Storey ... Read more

Reviews (2882)

What is the Matrix?
The Matrix will go down in film history books as "The film that changed cinema forever". True, films have done that before: (Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction et al) but the Matrix is different in that not only did it change audience's expectations of action cinema but also impacted on countless movies to date.

The film itself is the epitome of cool that stands out from the slew of unimaginative science fiction that Hollywood reels out, and with Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss making an unlikely duo in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by artificially intelligent machines, the film finds itself worlds away from admittedly second-rate sci fi cinema.

You could argue, as some critics did, that the film's plot is simply an excuse to hang cool effects on, but the premise slowly shapes into such an intricate plot, where machines have taken over the world (a popular idea for sci fi films, with this having similarities to Terminator 2) and then the small amount of snotty critics are silenced. What the Wachowski brothers have done is so imaginative that no film has ever come close to its intricacies and futuristic ideas. Add hints and nudges from Vertigo, classic Western films and Kung-fu karate films into the story and the amazing journey is made even more fascinating and involving.

The visuals incorporated throughout the story are absolutely amazing; with the "flow-mo" being the coolest visual effect those effects boffins have done since that water tentacle flowed through air in The Abyss. Imitated to death, the scene where Keanu's character Neo dodges bullets is nonetheless the pinnacle of uber-coolness. With thought provoking, mind-bending lines like: "It's the smell, if there is such a thing"; the film's script is peppered with fascinating lines concerning the very nature of "what is real?" Hence the clever advertising campaign for the movie's release: "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself".

The Matrix has indeed changed cinema. Regardless, it's a great film, loaded to the retinas with out- of- this-world effects, great villians (Agent Smith!), great action set-pieces and awesome stunts from martial arts expert Wu Ping. And with the DVD (awesome stuff, everyone has to own this disc) and upcoming sequel in progress- The Matrix Reloaded, the Matrix is a film that not only has affected filmgoers everywhere, but has also leaked into the fan boy culture of the movie world. To quote Neo: "Whoa".

A dynamic and intelligent triumph
A stunning blend of action and science fiction, "The Matrix" tells the tale of a computer programmer who stumbles into an alternate world that forever changes his perception of reality. There's a reason why "The Matrix" won a pile of awards (and made a pile of money at the box office). A masterpiece of technical wizardry and storytelling skill, this is one of those memorable films that succeeds on every one of its many ambitious levels.

Fans and critics have raved about the film's mind-blowing special effects and fight scenes, but they are only part of the film's excellence. The superb performances of the actors are equally important. Particularly noteworthy is Laurence Fishburne's as Morpheus--his is a performance of controlled but passionate intensity. And Carrie-Anne Moss' performance as Trinity brings to the film a tenderness and humanity which greatly complement the high-tech milieu.

"The Matrix" is a wonderfully literate film whose dialogue includes references from Greek mythology, the Bible, Christian theology, and English literature. And one of the central themes of the film--the defiant resistance to an enslaving force--is one that can be found in many of the world's great works of literature. Watch "The Matrix," and then read the 1845 classic "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave"--you'll appreciate the film even more.

very good
very good action, acting, plot, and dvd. much better than the dissapointing reloaded. haven't seen revolutions.

"Why oh why didn't I take the BLUE pill?"
After hearing so many good things about this film, I was actually underwhelmed the first time I saw it. I already new the basic premise so it wasn't a surprise to me. It wasn't until the SECOND time I saw it that it really hit me. Very well written, with some philosophical underpinnings hidden throughout, the Matrix is a smart sci-fi action film -- but not TOO smart: that would have to wait until The Matrix Reloaded (which is so dense it's hard to understand what's going on with just one viewing).

mind-blowing special effects
LOVE ALL 3 MOVIES SO DAMM MUCH. ALL HATES GO AWAY AND YOU'RE SO STUPID AND UGLY CAN'T WATCH THESE MOVIES. BYE BYEEEE!!!!! ... Read more

Description

Provocative Futuristic Action Thriller.The Matrix Revolutions marks the final explosive chapter in the Matrix trilogy. ... Read more

Reviews (887)

Part 3: It was Inevitable...
Neither Part-2 or Part-3 matched the brilliance of the original "Matrix". It was inevitable - the Wachowski brothers simply couldn't do it. With that said, "Revolutions" was better than "Reloaded"... but that's not saying much. It was better as a movie overall, but it didn't have a truly memorable action scene that left you sitting on the edge of your seat (i.e. the freeway chase scene in "Reloaded", or the top of building helicopter crash scene in the original "Matrix"). There were times in "Revolutions" where Neo just disappeared - at one time it was for over 30 minutes. Trinity disappeared numerous times and I often wondered where these main characters had gone. Too much time was spent with characters in Zion that I didn't care about (like Link & Zee... what did they bring to the movie?). "Revolutions" needed more Neo, more Morpheus, more Trinity, and more Agent Smith. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne. Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving are all wonderful actors... and they simply were not on the screen enough. The computer-generated special effects were great, but the story-line, action, and dialogue (monotone and so very emotionless) was simply sub-par. The final battle scene between Neo and Agent Smith flying around in the rain between tall buildings was down-right comical. I loved Trinity in the first "Matrix", but that lessened in Part-2 and in I found myself in Part-3 thinking her death scene just dragged on way too long. The entire ending to the movie was pure cheese. The success of the great trilogies like "Lord Of The Rings", "Indiana Jones" and the original "Star Wars" is so hard to come by these days in Hollywood. The original "Matrix" will forever be the best of the series (should they have stopped at this one?). Replay value = Next to none.

a letdown from the first 2.
well if you like bullets,lasers and explosions,this one is for you.problem is,thats it too.they go to the central core of whats holding the computer world together and rage war on it.then these millions and millions of robotic squid things come out.theres a big bunch of shooting and boom boom boom.the end.its too violent for kids i think.it seems as though they spent so much money on the squids,they forgot a storyline or anything else that goes with a movie.just boom boom boom.outof the 3,it basicly just wraps the first two up.in the first 2,there were stories,chicks,plots,scenes,and places.this had a dark place filled with squids.of the 3,this one is a distant 3rd.if you like sci fi and action youll love this one.this one black chick does some awesome pilot work in one of the movies most exiting parts.the hype was better than the movie actualy turned out to be.not to discredit it though as an excellent movie.this is keeono.uuuuhhhhhhh.....teds third best movie ever.ill give you one guess what the other two are.the trilogy ends here.it is a bit long,but good.

Brilliantly Written, overly special-effected
I would give this movie 4.5 stars if I could, but I can't. It like The Matrix Reloaded wasn't quite as good as the original, but still is a brilliantly written and important piece of sci-fi literature. Although it starts out directly where Reloaded leaves off, the situation is completely understandable and not confusing to a non-Matrix person. Like the others, its soundtrack of classical music with a blend of rock gives a nice feel.

Mind-boggling conversations between characters sieze to get old and Keanu Reaves gives his best preformance in the trilogy. It ends strangely, with Buddhist-Christian philosophies that balnket the sad ending with a happy, touching feel.

My only problem with this film is that the battle scenes are to elongated, and after a while become tedious, and just blurres of flashing light and loud noises.

Overall, I thought this was a great ending chapter to a science-fiction masterpiece.

And then there were three...
The first Matrix movie was revolutionary at the time. In retrospect, almost frustratingly so(I'm sure we're all tired of directors trying to impress us with bullet speed special effects). However, I enjoyed it. It was good science fiction, and the premise was interesting.

Now, in the second Matrix, it was painfully obvious that the directors were thinking throughout the entire process "man, in the first movie, they liked it when we did this. So lets do it A LOT!" However, despite a weak first hour, and a lackluster ending, it still eeked out an hour of entertainment (especially the incredible car chase scene).

And here, the last arrives, and it is not a good thing. They stopped trying to hide the fact that they were ripping off the first two movies. You see Neo fight Smith, start losing, get kicked into a wall, dramatic music plays, Smith looks triumphant. Neo gets up, Smith looks startled, Neo brushes himself on, and does a kung fu move to say "bring it on".

That doesn't sound familiar AT ALL, does it?

I was almost chuckling at the absurdity of it. It looked like they were trying to duplicate the lobby scene of the first film, only have it with programs who walk ON THE CEILING! The movie tries, and fails to be cerebral. The first film kept it more down to earth, and later on, it tried adding the mystical aspects to the approach, and it fails. And the ending is frustrating in itsself, only serving to remind those of us who didn't pick it up that Neo is supposed to be a Christ-figure.

I won't get started on the acting... basically, this film loses all acting, plot, or originality that the first had, and the second had to a lesser extent. This is the lowest wrung of a series which got worse at each attempt. I'm not giving it 1 star just because there are a few action scenes and plot points that aren't COMPLETELY contrived. But not many. I can't recommend this film.

It was decent
When I first saw this on an IMAX screen, it was intense - I had to look away several times to avoid being overwhelmed by the images. And I can't say as how I enjoyed it - I loved how the first movie dealt with the transformation of the reality of the matrix and how the second one told more about how the matrix came to be (except that whole dancing/sex scene - that was just weird). The third one I had higher hopes for. I thought maybe that the movie makers would explain why the machines allowed zion to exist. I thought there was a chance that it would turn out with zion being a second matrix on top of the first and so no one was ever really free from the machines. Now that would have been mindblowing if they had done it right.

All in all, if you ignore the first and second movies and put this movie on its own, it's pretty good (though it doesn't have too much character development) and it's a very good hollywood action movie. Put with the first two movies and it doesn't quite measure up. ... Read more

Description

In the second chapter of the Matrix trilogy, Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army. In their quest to save the human race from extinction, they gain greater insight into the construct of The Matrix and Neo's pivotal role in the fate of mankind. ... Read more

Reviews (1449)

Only the third film can make it good
Warning - Spoilers ahead . . .

When I first saw the film, well, I didn't like it too much. It seemed to be over-packed with CGI Fight scenes and a storyline that didn't really mean anything. While Zion is under attack, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus must find the keymaster to unlock the doors to the mainframe and end the war, thus freeing Zion.

This entire storyline, to me, seemed contrived, making the fight scenes seem meeningless, their overzealous and sometimes long running effects just becoming tiresome.

But, then I got it. Weeks after seeing it, it finally clicked.

They symbolism of these films is much deeper than the average action-movie viewer is usually given. Yes -- the entire "The One-Saves the world" storyline is meaningless, and that's the point. While paying too much attention to events within the computer-generated fantasy world of the Matrix, the real world, and Zion, fall into greater danger.

We are introduced to two 'french' characters, programs, which exist simply to experience life. While they are among the long list of villians in this piece, they are also the key to the story. They describe the situation in as much in the film, seeing our heroes as mere puppets in a meaningless plot, which, in fact, they are.

While are main characters are engaged in a meaningless task, struggling to achieve goal after goal in a virtual world, events of the real world are dire, and, just perhaps, if more attention were paid to the real-world events, perhaps the situation would not be so dire.

It is not until Neo discovers that his existance as 'the one' is simply another level of control set in place by the machines, that the entire struggle within the virtual world of the Matrix has no real meaning, only then does the truth come to light, just in time for this second chapter to come to a close.

Think about it, how many people do you know who obsess on politics, or sports, or their favorite television show, or even the Matrix itself? We engage in meaningless struggles to achieve goals that, in the end, really have no meaning but to feed our own ego.

A very profound statement to be made by an action film, that is, if the third and final installment draws this observation out.

As I see it, the value of this second episode is entirely dependent upon the content of the third chapter, but the potential is much greater than most people give it credit for.

Thank you for your time.

Spectacularly average
"The Matrix" (1999) delivered an engaging mix of Eastern religion, martial arts and digital cool, all wrapped in a story which was as well-written as it was well-told. "Reloaded" gives us more mysticism, though it's less interesting; more fights, though they're less convincing; and more digital trickery, but without a strong narrative to hang it off. The result is a film which feels like a two-hour philosophy lecture you occasionally spice up with a surreptitious burst on your Gameboy. The film's digitized set pieces - Neo's fight with a legion of Agents Smith, and the much-anticipated freeway sequence - are admittedly thrilling, but they try too hard. When will directors realize that the instant characters start looking like Nintendo sprites, the audience completely disengages? There's no spirit in this movie, no heart, and despite the alleged threat to a pretty invulnerable looking Zion, it doesn't feel like anything's really at stake. Neo's climactic meeting with The Architect should have been the film's most compelling moment. The chilling performance from Aussie uber-director Helmut Bakaitis means it almost is, but the dense dialogue and distracting TV screens ensure you'll probably miss the point - ergo, you'll need to see the film again, which guarantees the kind of repeat business on which boxoffice bonanzas are built. But this was never going to be anything but a billion-dollar hit, so I'm surprised the Wachowskis played it so safe. Why stake the film's appeal on some ultimately vacuous and surprisingly transparent digital imagery, when they had the chance to give a captive audience something audaciously original? It's not like they don't have the talent. I went home after seeing this and watched the first film again on DVD - it's so much better it hurts. The strength of the first film and the weakness of the second come down the same thing: the power of the premise. The idea of an illusionary universe and one man's messianic enlightenment is endlessly appealing (and as old as Hinduism). The philosophy of causation, on the other hand, is dense, complex and ultimately paradoxical - and for those reasons terminally boring. That doesn't mean it isn't worth exploring. It just means that the local Cineplex is probably not the best place to have the conversation.

Excellent movie
The fight scenes were great; the graphics were amazing... the dancing was a bit fluffy (is that all they do down there... well, but, hey, what else is there to do?)... worthy of being the Matrix 2 (but, of course, not even close to beating #1).

Say What?
If you disengage your brain you might enjoy Elrond of Rivendale by case attacking Neo in his Priest's get up, but by the time, you are skirting dangerous toward brain burnout! I have watched it several times, thinking maybe it was the mood I was in, but nope. Matrix was a mind-blowing one-trick-pony that just did not stretch into to a second movie well. There are a lot of interesting scenes, but Neo aka up up and away, just brought a giggle out in me. The LONG action sequences make you want to go okay, enough! Less is More is NOT the banner of this movie! After Neo b**** slap's Elrond and his brother Elrond and his other brother Elrond 100 times it just redefines redundant. Then Neo reaching in to pull out the magic bullet...oh, please...sigh...and the religious overtones are so pretensious.

It was good to see Anthony Zerbe a long under rated talent get a nice spot. The effect are good, just overdone ad nauseoum. Elrond take the ship to into the West quickly!

Surpasses Reloaded but falls quite short of the original...
I absolutely loved the original Matrix. I still do. It got me thinking about things I'd never considered all that seriously, such as the potential negative implications of artificial intelligence and ultra-sophisticated technology. I was also drawn to the philosophical issues it raised, and I was motivated to learn more about the ideas presented in the story. For me, no other film has held such strong intellectual appeal. I've watched the DVD an embarrassing number of times. I've never grown tired of it.

When I learned that two more Matrix films were in the works, I was overjoyed. Unfortunately, my joy came to an abrupt halt when I saw Reloaded. I fully admit that my high expectations contributed to my disappointment, but that certainly doesn't account for all of it. Among other things, Reloaded is so top-heavy with bombast and claptrap that I actually stopped caring about the characters and had no further interest in what might happen. I definitely don't enjoy these kinds of feelings.

I wanted so much to like Reloaded that I actually saw it several times hoping I'd missed a crucial element, or that it would grow on me, or *something*. But it continued to leave such a bad taste in my mouth that I had no desire to see Revolutions.

As luck would have it, however, I recently had an opportunity to rent Revolutions for practically nothing -- so out of curiosity, I went for it. I'm glad I did, because it helped redeem the overall trilogy for me, although not as much as I would have liked. The only expectation I brought to Revolutions was that it couldn't possibly be worse than Reloaded. Luckily it isn't, but it still can't touch the original.

One of the other reviewers has mentioned that an indefinable "something" is missing from Revolutions. Well, I can identify at least three things that are absent from this film: a plot, convincing dialog, and decent acting (with one exception, which I'll get to momentarily). I also discovered that Revolutions essentially has no human stars, despite the presence of Reeves, Fishburne, Moss, et al. The only true stars of this film are its special effects.

Granted, the effects are spectacular. The battle for Zion is a feat of CGI splendor -- although I would have appreciated it more had it been shorter. It's almost like the Wachowskis are trying to compensate for the film's shortcomings by clobbering the audience with protracted high-tech eye candy.

I was relieved that there aren't many hand-to-hand (or should I say foot-to-head?) combat scenes in Revolutions. There are only so many ways to kick a bad guy in the face, and I got more than my fill of such things in Reloaded.

Of the fight sequences that *are* in Revolutions, I found the super-duper burly brawl between Smith and Neo -- in the rain, no less -- to be cartoonish and silly. It was almost as bad as the "Trinity crashes through a window and repeatedly shoots at an agent while falling about a million stories toward the pavement" sequence in Reloaded.

Revolutions also continued the nonsensical double-talk so prevalent in Reloaded. I'm sure it's meant to sound profound, but to me, it only sounds foolish. "Why are you here?" "Because I choose to be." "What are you going to do?" "What I need to do." "What's going to happen?" "What's meant to happen." (Where's a wall that I can smash my head into?) Both Reloaded and Revolutions perfected the art of answering questions without answering them.

And what's with all of the endless squabbling in Zion, which started in Reloaded and continues in Revolutions? You'd think that people who have so much at stake would learn to work together more harmoniously and effectively. Instead, they engage sniping, whining, cursing, yelling, tantrums, petty jealousies, and head-butting. This became so tedious that I stopped caring whether or not Zion and its residents would survive.

Be that as it may, I consider Revolutions to be a worthy diversion if taken at face value. Any meaningful philosophical underpinnings vanished for me after the original Matrix. I approached Revolutions with the intent of trying not to think too much and just going wherever it wanted to take me. On that level, I feel it succeeds.

The one character I thoroughly enjoyed throughout all three films is Agent Smith. In Revolutions, I love the way Hugo Weaving pulls out all the stops and chews the scenery with such diabolical glee. In contrast, the other characters are merely boring. In some places, they're boring and irritating.

As other reviewers have noted, Revolutions ends in a way that leaves a back door open for a fourth Matrix film. Well, I have something to say to the Brothers Wachowski about that, starting with some hokey dialog that they, themselves wrote: "Everything that has a beginning has an end." (Naaah...really?) For me, the Matrix ended after the first film. That's where it should have stopped. Please don't make it worse by grinding out a fourth installment. Let it end now.

Meanwhile, since "cookies need love like everything else does," I'll be doing my part. I love cookies. ... Read more

Description

In the second chapter of the Matrix trilogy, Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army. In their quest to save the human race from extinction, they gain greater insight into the construct of The Matrix and Neo's pivotal role in the fate of mankind. ... Read more

Reviews (1449)

Only the third film can make it good
Warning - Spoilers ahead . . .

When I first saw the film, well, I didn't like it too much. It seemed to be over-packed with CGI Fight scenes and a storyline that didn't really mean anything. While Zion is under attack, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus must find the keymaster to unlock the doors to the mainframe and end the war, thus freeing Zion.

This entire storyline, to me, seemed contrived, making the fight scenes seem meeningless, their overzealous and sometimes long running effects just becoming tiresome.

But, then I got it. Weeks after seeing it, it finally clicked.

They symbolism of these films is much deeper than the average action-movie viewer is usually given. Yes -- the entire "The One-Saves the world" storyline is meaningless, and that's the point. While paying too much attention to events within the computer-generated fantasy world of the Matrix, the real world, and Zion, fall into greater danger.

We are introduced to two 'french' characters, programs, which exist simply to experience life. While they are among the long list of villians in this piece, they are also the key to the story. They describe the situation in as much in the film, seeing our heroes as mere puppets in a meaningless plot, which, in fact, they are.

While are main characters are engaged in a meaningless task, struggling to achieve goal after goal in a virtual world, events of the real world are dire, and, just perhaps, if more attention were paid to the real-world events, perhaps the situation would not be so dire.

It is not until Neo discovers that his existance as 'the one' is simply another level of control set in place by the machines, that the entire struggle within the virtual world of the Matrix has no real meaning, only then does the truth come to light, just in time for this second chapter to come to a close.

Think about it, how many people do you know who obsess on politics, or sports, or their favorite television show, or even the Matrix itself? We engage in meaningless struggles to achieve goals that, in the end, really have no meaning but to feed our own ego.

A very profound statement to be made by an action film, that is, if the third and final installment draws this observation out.

As I see it, the value of this second episode is entirely dependent upon the content of the third chapter, but the potential is much greater than most people give it credit for.

Thank you for your time.

Spectacularly average
"The Matrix" (1999) delivered an engaging mix of Eastern religion, martial arts and digital cool, all wrapped in a story which was as well-written as it was well-told. "Reloaded" gives us more mysticism, though it's less interesting; more fights, though they're less convincing; and more digital trickery, but without a strong narrative to hang it off. The result is a film which feels like a two-hour philosophy lecture you occasionally spice up with a surreptitious burst on your Gameboy. The film's digitized set pieces - Neo's fight with a legion of Agents Smith, and the much-anticipated freeway sequence - are admittedly thrilling, but they try too hard. When will directors realize that the instant characters start looking like Nintendo sprites, the audience completely disengages? There's no spirit in this movie, no heart, and despite the alleged threat to a pretty invulnerable looking Zion, it doesn't feel like anything's really at stake. Neo's climactic meeting with The Architect should have been the film's most compelling moment. The chilling performance from Aussie uber-director Helmut Bakaitis means it almost is, but the dense dialogue and distracting TV screens ensure you'll probably miss the point - ergo, you'll need to see the film again, which guarantees the kind of repeat business on which boxoffice bonanzas are built. But this was never going to be anything but a billion-dollar hit, so I'm surprised the Wachowskis played it so safe. Why stake the film's appeal on some ultimately vacuous and surprisingly transparent digital imagery, when they had the chance to give a captive audience something audaciously original? It's not like they don't have the talent. I went home after seeing this and watched the first film again on DVD - it's so much better it hurts. The strength of the first film and the weakness of the second come down the same thing: the power of the premise. The idea of an illusionary universe and one man's messianic enlightenment is endlessly appealing (and as old as Hinduism). The philosophy of causation, on the other hand, is dense, complex and ultimately paradoxical - and for those reasons terminally boring. That doesn't mean it isn't worth exploring. It just means that the local Cineplex is probably not the best place to have the conversation.

Excellent movie
The fight scenes were great; the graphics were amazing... the dancing was a bit fluffy (is that all they do down there... well, but, hey, what else is there to do?)... worthy of being the Matrix 2 (but, of course, not even close to beating #1).

Say What?
If you disengage your brain you might enjoy Elrond of Rivendale by case attacking Neo in his Priest's get up, but by the time, you are skirting dangerous toward brain burnout! I have watched it several times, thinking maybe it was the mood I was in, but nope. Matrix was a mind-blowing one-trick-pony that just did not stretch into to a second movie well. There are a lot of interesting scenes, but Neo aka up up and away, just brought a giggle out in me. The LONG action sequences make you want to go okay, enough! Less is More is NOT the banner of this movie! After Neo b**** slap's Elrond and his brother Elrond and his other brother Elrond 100 times it just redefines redundant. Then Neo reaching in to pull out the magic bullet...oh, please...sigh...and the religious overtones are so pretensious.

It was good to see Anthony Zerbe a long under rated talent get a nice spot. The effect are good, just overdone ad nauseoum. Elrond take the ship to into the West quickly!

Surpasses Reloaded but falls quite short of the original...
I absolutely loved the original Matrix. I still do. It got me thinking about things I'd never considered all that seriously, such as the potential negative implications of artificial intelligence and ultra-sophisticated technology. I was also drawn to the philosophical issues it raised, and I was motivated to learn more about the ideas presented in the story. For me, no other film has held such strong intellectual appeal. I've watched the DVD an embarrassing number of times. I've never grown tired of it.

When I learned that two more Matrix films were in the works, I was overjoyed. Unfortunately, my joy came to an abrupt halt when I saw Reloaded. I fully admit that my high expectations contributed to my disappointment, but that certainly doesn't account for all of it. Among other things, Reloaded is so top-heavy with bombast and claptrap that I actually stopped caring about the characters and had no further interest in what might happen. I definitely don't enjoy these kinds of feelings.

I wanted so much to like Reloaded that I actually saw it several times hoping I'd missed a crucial element, or that it would grow on me, or *something*. But it continued to leave such a bad taste in my mouth that I had no desire to see Revolutions.

As luck would have it, however, I recently had an opportunity to rent Revolutions for practically nothing -- so out of curiosity, I went for it. I'm glad I did, because it helped redeem the overall trilogy for me, although not as much as I would have liked. The only expectation I brought to Revolutions was that it couldn't possibly be worse than Reloaded. Luckily it isn't, but it still can't touch the original.

One of the other reviewers has mentioned that an indefinable "something" is missing from Revolutions. Well, I can identify at least three things that are absent from this film: a plot, convincing dialog, and decent acting (with one exception, which I'll get to momentarily). I also discovered that Revolutions essentially has no human stars, despite the presence of Reeves, Fishburne, Moss, et al. The only true stars of this film are its special effects.

Granted, the effects are spectacular. The battle for Zion is a feat of CGI splendor -- although I would have appreciated it more had it been shorter. It's almost like the Wachowskis are trying to compensate for the film's shortcomings by clobbering the audience with protracted high-tech eye candy.

I was relieved that there aren't many hand-to-hand (or should I say foot-to-head?) combat scenes in Revolutions. There are only so many ways to kick a bad guy in the face, and I got more than my fill of such things in Reloaded.

Of the fight sequences that *are* in Revolutions, I found the super-duper burly brawl between Smith and Neo -- in the rain, no less -- to be cartoonish and silly. It was almost as bad as the "Trinity crashes through a window and repeatedly shoots at an agent while falling about a million stories toward the pavement" sequence in Reloaded.

Revolutions also continued the nonsensical double-talk so prevalent in Reloaded. I'm sure it's meant to sound profound, but to me, it only sounds foolish. "Why are you here?" "Because I choose to be." "What are you going to do?" "What I need to do." "What's going to happen?" "What's meant to happen." (Where's a wall that I can smash my head into?) Both Reloaded and Revolutions perfected the art of answering questions without answering them.

And what's with all of the endless squabbling in Zion, which started in Reloaded and continues in Revolutions? You'd think that people who have so much at stake would learn to work together more harmoniously and effectively. Instead, they engage sniping, whining, cursing, yelling, tantrums, petty jealousies, and head-butting. This became so tedious that I stopped caring whether or not Zion and its residents would survive.

Be that as it may, I consider Revolutions to be a worthy diversion if taken at face value. Any meaningful philosophical underpinnings vanished for me after the original Matrix. I approached Revolutions with the intent of trying not to think too much and just going wherever it wanted to take me. On that level, I feel it succeeds.

The one character I thoroughly enjoyed throughout all three films is Agent Smith. In Revolutions, I love the way Hugo Weaving pulls out all the stops and chews the scenery with such diabolical glee. In contrast, the other characters are merely boring. In some places, they're boring and irritating.

As other reviewers have noted, Revolutions ends in a way that leaves a back door open for a fourth Matrix film. Well, I have something to say to the Brothers Wachowski about that, starting with some hokey dialog that they, themselves wrote: "Everything that has a beginning has an end." (Naaah...really?) For me, the Matrix ended after the first film. That's where it should have stopped. Please don't make it worse by grinding out a fourth installment. Let it end now.

Meanwhile, since "cookies need love like everything else does," I'll be doing my part. I love cookies. ... Read more

Reviews (114)

BOUND to Please
A thoroughly absorbing caper from the first scene to the last. If you like sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering what in the world is going to happen next, then you'll love being plopped down into the intricate maze of this film. The story twists and turns unpredictably, and the billiantly quirky cinematography and seamless editing add to the fun. Great star-turns by Jennifer Tilly, Joe Pantoliano, and especially Gina Gershon who never hits a false note. There's also an edgy, over-the-top performance by Christopher Meloni as a gleefully sadistic mobster; Meloni makes his scenes crackle with barely contained malice, and proves once again that he's a highly capable actor with a commanding on-screen presence.

The DVD presentation of this underrated gem is quite good. "Bound" is much more enjoyable when viewed in widescreen, and the sharp transfer offered on the disc is a vast improvement over the VHS version. The theatrical trailer and audio commentaries are enjoyable extras. A "making of" featurette would have been a nice bonus - but even without it, this is a great DVD that current and future fans of the movie will be proud to own.

A brilliant mob movie played against type.
This is a wonderful movie, and being used to the standard offering where macho italian mobsters beat up on their dumb molls, it is a real breath of fresh air.

Jennifer Tilley oozes sexuality from the opening scene in this movie, and never stops right to the end. She plays Violet, her character, brilliantly. A mob club Vamp who is there as furniture for the boys, and they drool and fight over her, little realising her true nature.

Enter Gina Gershon, the butch ex-con called Corky, flaming obvious lesbian, replete with tattoos and leathers. Boom! Violet moves from Vamp to seductress in some of the hottest sex scenes ever filmed - gay or straight!

Having formed a sexually charged but shallow bond, the ladies embark on a plan to relieve the mob of a couple of million in blood money. Violets significant other, Caesar (played brilliantly by Joe Pantoliano) is busy in the apartment laundering the money for the mob. In a tongue in cheek parody, he actually has to launder the money, washing off the blood, haning it to dry, and ironing it.

In classic Hitchcock tradition, Violet and Corkey tell us exactly how the heist is going to go down. And of course, it all goes horrible wrong. Caesar is not as dumb as they thought, and the plot escalates into angst, madness, violence and murder with a neat Tarantino-esqe twist.

This is a great movie - Hitchcock meets Tarantino. Lots of atmosphere and suspense, but also lots of laughs, not to mention mayhem and murder. Not a movie for those who are squeamish around blood, murder, violence, lesbianism or drain clearence. But highly recommended for those who love bondage, leather, tattoos, butch lady decorators and shiny stainless steel sink traps.

Very entertaining movie
for what it is: a decent caper film with a great performance by Joe P., one of his best. Tilly isn't bad either, but it's hard to take her seriously with that voice, I have to admit. But it's still holds your attention. BTW, don't buy this if the lesbian scene between Tilly and Gershon is all that interests you. Yes, it's steamy, but we're talking maybe 30 seconds on screen. That's it. Buy this because it's an enjoyable movie.

By the Directors of the Matrix
I heard of this movie when I saw the Matrix DVD bonus extras. This was the movie that got them the Matrix. I felt that is was excellently done with plot twists and mistakes in plans that were excellently directed. Well worth seeing.

Innovative film portrayal of lesbians and good noir.
For warchild27: Yes, on track 18 of my DVD, Joey Pants' commentary cuts out for most of the rest of the track. From track 19 on, the commentary should be fine. However, I bought a used copy which has visible scratches. If your audio cuts out on some other track than 18, then you have a defective disk (and so do I).

Film is an actor's film, rich in suspense and nuance. Joey Pants is great as always. Tilly is odd, and Gina Gershon is a bit disappointing to me, but all of the character actors were great, especially Law & Order SVU's Christopher Meloni, a riot as a whacked-out psychopathic henchman.

I was a bit disappointed in the editing, although some shots and editing are clever. Some of the editing decisions are explained in the commentary, which I found to be a hoot and which genuinely enriched my experience of the film. Too bad all of the stars showed up late for the commentary session, Tilly and Gershon coming in about 30 minutes before the end of the flick!

This is not a lesbian suspense film; it's a suspense film in which the protagonists are lesbians. The film attempts, I think successfully, to make their lesbianism seem normal. ... Read more

Description

Provocative Futuristic Action Thriller.The Matrix Revolutions marks the final explosive chapter in the Matrix trilogy. ... Read more

Reviews (887)

Part 3: It was Inevitable...
Neither Part-2 or Part-3 matched the brilliance of the original "Matrix". It was inevitable - the Wachowski brothers simply couldn't do it. With that said, "Revolutions" was better than "Reloaded"... but that's not saying much. It was better as a movie overall, but it didn't have a truly memorable action scene that left you sitting on the edge of your seat (i.e. the freeway chase scene in "Reloaded", or the top of building helicopter crash scene in the original "Matrix"). There were times in "Revolutions" where Neo just disappeared - at one time it was for over 30 minutes. Trinity disappeared numerous times and I often wondered where these main characters had gone. Too much time was spent with characters in Zion that I didn't care about (like Link & Zee... what did they bring to the movie?). "Revolutions" needed more Neo, more Morpheus, more Trinity, and more Agent Smith. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne. Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving are all wonderful actors... and they simply were not on the screen enough. The computer-generated special effects were great, but the story-line, action, and dialogue (monotone and so very emotionless) was simply sub-par. The final battle scene between Neo and Agent Smith flying around in the rain between tall buildings was down-right comical. I loved Trinity in the first "Matrix", but that lessened in Part-2 and in I found myself in Part-3 thinking her death scene just dragged on way too long. The entire ending to the movie was pure cheese. The success of the great trilogies like "Lord Of The Rings", "Indiana Jones" and the original "Star Wars" is so hard to come by these days in Hollywood. The original "Matrix" will forever be the best of the series (should they have stopped at this one?). Replay value = Next to none.

a letdown from the first 2.
well if you like bullets,lasers and explosions,this one is for you.problem is,thats it too.they go to the central core of whats holding the computer world together and rage war on it.then these millions and millions of robotic squid things come out.theres a big bunch of shooting and boom boom boom.the end.its too violent for kids i think.it seems as though they spent so much money on the squids,they forgot a storyline or anything else that goes with a movie.just boom boom boom.outof the 3,it basicly just wraps the first two up.in the first 2,there were stories,chicks,plots,scenes,and places.this had a dark place filled with squids.of the 3,this one is a distant 3rd.if you like sci fi and action youll love this one.this one black chick does some awesome pilot work in one of the movies most exiting parts.the hype was better than the movie actualy turned out to be.not to discredit it though as an excellent movie.this is keeono.uuuuhhhhhhh.....teds third best movie ever.ill give you one guess what the other two are.the trilogy ends here.it is a bit long,but good.

Brilliantly Written, overly special-effected
I would give this movie 4.5 stars if I could, but I can't. It like The Matrix Reloaded wasn't quite as good as the original, but still is a brilliantly written and important piece of sci-fi literature. Although it starts out directly where Reloaded leaves off, the situation is completely understandable and not confusing to a non-Matrix person. Like the others, its soundtrack of classical music with a blend of rock gives a nice feel.

Mind-boggling conversations between characters sieze to get old and Keanu Reaves gives his best preformance in the trilogy. It ends strangely, with Buddhist-Christian philosophies that balnket the sad ending with a happy, touching feel.

My only problem with this film is that the battle scenes are to elongated, and after a while become tedious, and just blurres of flashing light and loud noises.

Overall, I thought this was a great ending chapter to a science-fiction masterpiece.

And then there were three...
The first Matrix movie was revolutionary at the time. In retrospect, almost frustratingly so(I'm sure we're all tired of directors trying to impress us with bullet speed special effects). However, I enjoyed it. It was good science fiction, and the premise was interesting.

Now, in the second Matrix, it was painfully obvious that the directors were thinking throughout the entire process "man, in the first movie, they liked it when we did this. So lets do it A LOT!" However, despite a weak first hour, and a lackluster ending, it still eeked out an hour of entertainment (especially the incredible car chase scene).

And here, the last arrives, and it is not a good thing. They stopped trying to hide the fact that they were ripping off the first two movies. You see Neo fight Smith, start losing, get kicked into a wall, dramatic music plays, Smith looks triumphant. Neo gets up, Smith looks startled, Neo brushes himself on, and does a kung fu move to say "bring it on".

That doesn't sound familiar AT ALL, does it?

I was almost chuckling at the absurdity of it. It looked like they were trying to duplicate the lobby scene of the first film, only have it with programs who walk ON THE CEILING! The movie tries, and fails to be cerebral. The first film kept it more down to earth, and later on, it tried adding the mystical aspects to the approach, and it fails. And the ending is frustrating in itsself, only serving to remind those of us who didn't pick it up that Neo is supposed to be a Christ-figure.

I won't get started on the acting... basically, this film loses all acting, plot, or originality that the first had, and the second had to a lesser extent. This is the lowest wrung of a series which got worse at each attempt. I'm not giving it 1 star just because there are a few action scenes and plot points that aren't COMPLETELY contrived. But not many. I can't recommend this film.

It was decent
When I first saw this on an IMAX screen, it was intense - I had to look away several times to avoid being overwhelmed by the images. And I can't say as how I enjoyed it - I loved how the first movie dealt with the transformation of the reality of the matrix and how the second one told more about how the matrix came to be (except that whole dancing/sex scene - that was just weird). The third one I had higher hopes for. I thought maybe that the movie makers would explain why the machines allowed zion to exist. I thought there was a chance that it would turn out with zion being a second matrix on top of the first and so no one was ever really free from the machines. Now that would have been mindblowing if they had done it right.

All in all, if you ignore the first and second movies and put this movie on its own, it's pretty good (though it doesn't have too much character development) and it's a very good hollywood action movie. Put with the first two movies and it doesn't quite measure up. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Revolution
The Matrix redefined the movies and has been copied to no end. Perfect in every sense: acting, story, depth and effects. Phylosophically deep to the point of spawning several books and essays on it's study. Ignore second and third parts.

The fil is great but this pack is not worth the price.
Ok, the movie is GREAT, I love it, but this edition did not satisfy my. The dvds are just the same that were released previously, the film and the matrix revisited. No extras, no deleted scenes ( I believe there are none though :) ), no extra making of... Pay more than the lord of the rings - the fellowship of the ring, that even come with the statues, and 5 DVDs, 2 only for the movie, with great compression quality and dts sound. they could at least reencoded the film and removed the documentary from the movie dvd, saving space for better video quality, using more disc space. There are no other languages, but english, both for audio and subs. I regret payin 90 buck for a fake film frame, tha not even has dolby digital sound printed on it, like the Star wars episode 1 vhs special edition had. PLEASE buy the normal combo: the matrix and the matrix revisited, its the same thing for much less money.

MATRIX
If you do not appreciate the matrix with the utmost sincerity, then you truly do not understand the matrix, and even if you do, there's a high chance that you do not fully understand either. This, of course, is not to say that I completely understand myself. The Matrix redefines cinema and bridges the gap between film and reality. To call it a rip off is a baseless insult to those who are 5000 times more seeing and visionary than yourself. Bravo to the Boys.

Absolutely Amazing
This film is simply one of the best films I have ever seen...add the amazing gift things (high quality slipcase, 35mm image in frame, etc.) which I'm always a sap for, and you get simply the best "Matrix" version out there. Plus there's the indispensable "Matrix Revisited" DVD, which has great insight into how they made the film, plus info about the upcoming ones (Matrix 2 and 3). I can't recommend this enough.

If you're buying this (which you should, definitely), and you're into the psychology part of it (reality vs. simulated reality, etc.), then buy these as well:

"Simulacra and Simulation (The Body, in Theory: Histories of Cultural Materialism)" by Jean Baudrillard

"Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World" by Kevin Kelly

"Introducing Evolutionary Psychology" by Dylan Evans; et al

"The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (Popular Culture and Philosophy, V. 3)" by William Irwin

Oh, and a Merry Christmas to you all. :-)

OK! Be a sap
The Bros. Wachowski (aided by the secret people who control things) take the basic story line of the life, both past and future (as recorded in Revelation, Daniel, and the 4 Gospels) of Jesus, rewrite the characters a bit, add some great special effects, add LOTS, and I mean LOTS of schmootz, and even more creative arrogance (and license), and shake it, up until it just barely looks like plagiarism, take out a ton of difficult to deal with matter, garnish with contemporary nonsense, and voila...You have The Matrix.

These guys get rich and laugh all the way to the bank while you work your 9 to 5 and believe with all your heart that they are geniouses.

If you just have nothing more to waste money on, go for it, but understand that the Hollywood crowd has discovered new ways to milk BILLIONS from the very foolish viewing public. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

billions oblivious
Huge entertainment. The story addresses such hitherto unsolved human problems as the conflict between fate and free will, the true (?) nature of reality, the oppression of the individual by the system, the crushing of creativity by the bureaucratic machine, the silence of the deity, the power of self-belief, the traitor within every organisation, the hope of escape, the dream of annihilating the faceless suits, and the fantasy of redemption by faith and love. It targets the nerd within all of us (all of us?). It urges us to take the red pill, not settle for safety, steak and french fries. It reduces the rest of the world and mankind to the mindless, knee-jerk, pavlovian, birth-conditioned ant-heap that it is. All the parts are excellently performed, right in line. Great stuff, wondrously executed. Maybe just a little too much kung-fu.

WOW
Did you see that STEAK??? If they're going to serve meals like that I wanna live in the Matrix - hook me up to your powerplant, I'm not doing anything with this bio-electricity anyway! ;)

Seriously, it's a brilliant story and extremely well executed. I understand it's the first in a trilogy and I'm looking forward to the next installment to see how they top themselves.

Makes you hunger for the sequels!
Seeing is believing and only by watching this ground-breaking film on DVD can you truly appreciate the wonder and the majesty of its technique and the talents behind it. The movie is almost forgotten in the joy of exploring the extras included, but once you finally get to it, KA-POW, man, you're blown away.

"Woah"
Truly an a amazing movie. With a deep, multifaceted plot and revolutionary special effects, The Matrix is everything that an action/sci-fi movie should be. Although Keanu Reeves is mindlessly inept as an actor, Laurence Fishburne, his mysterious mentor, and Hugo Weaving, the emotionless, robotic nemesis, Agent Smith, easily pick up the slack. The Matrix is truly a stylish and interesting adventure into the "desert of the real."

He is the one!
Not only is Keanu Reeves hot but he portrays the computer hacker Neo sooo well! My favorite part is the major fight action in the gov. building! I can't wait for the next two movies. The VHS has only a few mistakes but all were removed on the DVD's. So instead of buying the VHS try the DVD for a little bit more for a better show! The action is packed in this and I think it rocks! ... Read more

Reviews (2882)

What is the Matrix?
The Matrix will go down in film history books as "The film that changed cinema forever". True, films have done that before: (Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction et al) but the Matrix is different in that not only did it change audience's expectations of action cinema but also impacted on countless movies to date.

The film itself is the epitome of cool that stands out from the slew of unimaginative science fiction that Hollywood reels out, and with Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss making an unlikely duo in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by artificially intelligent machines, the film finds itself worlds away from admittedly second-rate sci fi cinema.

You could argue, as some critics did, that the film's plot is simply an excuse to hang cool effects on, but the premise slowly shapes into such an intricate plot, where machines have taken over the world (a popular idea for sci fi films, with this having similarities to Terminator 2) and then the small amount of snotty critics are silenced. What the Wachowski brothers have done is so imaginative that no film has ever come close to its intricacies and futuristic ideas. Add hints and nudges from Vertigo, classic Western films and Kung-fu karate films into the story and the amazing journey is made even more fascinating and involving.

The visuals incorporated throughout the story are absolutely amazing; with the "flow-mo" being the coolest visual effect those effects boffins have done since that water tentacle flowed through air in The Abyss. Imitated to death, the scene where Keanu's character Neo dodges bullets is nonetheless the pinnacle of uber-coolness. With thought provoking, mind-bending lines like: "It's the smell, if there is such a thing"; the film's script is peppered with fascinating lines concerning the very nature of "what is real?" Hence the clever advertising campaign for the movie's release: "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself".

The Matrix has indeed changed cinema. Regardless, it's a great film, loaded to the retinas with out- of- this-world effects, great villians (Agent Smith!), great action set-pieces and awesome stunts from martial arts expert Wu Ping. And with the DVD (awesome stuff, everyone has to own this disc) and upcoming sequel in progress- The Matrix Reloaded, the Matrix is a film that not only has affected filmgoers everywhere, but has also leaked into the fan boy culture of the movie world. To quote Neo: "Whoa".

A dynamic and intelligent triumph
A stunning blend of action and science fiction, "The Matrix" tells the tale of a computer programmer who stumbles into an alternate world that forever changes his perception of reality. There's a reason why "The Matrix" won a pile of awards (and made a pile of money at the box office). A masterpiece of technical wizardry and storytelling skill, this is one of those memorable films that succeeds on every one of its many ambitious levels.

Fans and critics have raved about the film's mind-blowing special effects and fight scenes, but they are only part of the film's excellence. The superb performances of the actors are equally important. Particularly noteworthy is Laurence Fishburne's as Morpheus--his is a performance of controlled but passionate intensity. And Carrie-Anne Moss' performance as Trinity brings to the film a tenderness and humanity which greatly complement the high-tech milieu.

"The Matrix" is a wonderfully literate film whose dialogue includes references from Greek mythology, the Bible, Christian theology, and English literature. And one of the central themes of the film--the defiant resistance to an enslaving force--is one that can be found in many of the world's great works of literature. Watch "The Matrix," and then read the 1845 classic "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave"--you'll appreciate the film even more.

very good
very good action, acting, plot, and dvd. much better than the dissapointing reloaded. haven't seen revolutions.

"Why oh why didn't I take the BLUE pill?"
After hearing so many good things about this film, I was actually underwhelmed the first time I saw it. I already new the basic premise so it wasn't a surprise to me. It wasn't until the SECOND time I saw it that it really hit me. Very well written, with some philosophical underpinnings hidden throughout, the Matrix is a smart sci-fi action film -- but not TOO smart: that would have to wait until The Matrix Reloaded (which is so dense it's hard to understand what's going on with just one viewing).

mind-blowing special effects
LOVE ALL 3 MOVIES SO DAMM MUCH. ALL HATES GO AWAY AND YOU'RE SO STUPID AND UGLY CAN'T WATCH THESE MOVIES. BYE BYEEEE!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (2882)

What is the Matrix?
The Matrix will go down in film history books as "The film that changed cinema forever". True, films have done that before: (Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction et al) but the Matrix is different in that not only did it change audience's expectations of action cinema but also impacted on countless movies to date.

The film itself is the epitome of cool that stands out from the slew of unimaginative science fiction that Hollywood reels out, and with Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss making an unlikely duo in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by artificially intelligent machines, the film finds itself worlds away from admittedly second-rate sci fi cinema.

You could argue, as some critics did, that the film's plot is simply an excuse to hang cool effects on, but the premise slowly shapes into such an intricate plot, where machines have taken over the world (a popular idea for sci fi films, with this having similarities to Terminator 2) and then the small amount of snotty critics are silenced. What the Wachowski brothers have done is so imaginative that no film has ever come close to its intricacies and futuristic ideas. Add hints and nudges from Vertigo, classic Western films and Kung-fu karate films into the story and the amazing journey is made even more fascinating and involving.

The visuals incorporated throughout the story are absolutely amazing; with the "flow-mo" being the coolest visual effect those effects boffins have done since that water tentacle flowed through air in The Abyss. Imitated to death, the scene where Keanu's character Neo dodges bullets is nonetheless the pinnacle of uber-coolness. With thought provoking, mind-bending lines like: "It's the smell, if there is such a thing"; the film's script is peppered with fascinating lines concerning the very nature of "what is real?" Hence the clever advertising campaign for the movie's release: "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself".

The Matrix has indeed changed cinema. Regardless, it's a great film, loaded to the retinas with out- of- this-world effects, great villians (Agent Smith!), great action set-pieces and awesome stunts from martial arts expert Wu Ping. And with the DVD (awesome stuff, everyone has to own this disc) and upcoming sequel in progress- The Matrix Reloaded, the Matrix is a film that not only has affected filmgoers everywhere, but has also leaked into the fan boy culture of the movie world. To quote Neo: "Whoa".

A dynamic and intelligent triumph
A stunning blend of action and science fiction, "The Matrix" tells the tale of a computer programmer who stumbles into an alternate world that forever changes his perception of reality. There's a reason why "The Matrix" won a pile of awards (and made a pile of money at the box office). A masterpiece of technical wizardry and storytelling skill, this is one of those memorable films that succeeds on every one of its many ambitious levels.

Fans and critics have raved about the film's mind-blowing special effects and fight scenes, but they are only part of the film's excellence. The superb performances of the actors are equally important. Particularly noteworthy is Laurence Fishburne's as Morpheus--his is a performance of controlled but passionate intensity. And Carrie-Anne Moss' performance as Trinity brings to the film a tenderness and humanity which greatly complement the high-tech milieu.

"The Matrix" is a wonderfully literate film whose dialogue includes references from Greek mythology, the Bible, Christian theology, and English literature. And one of the central themes of the film--the defiant resistance to an enslaving force--is one that can be found in many of the world's great works of literature. Watch "The Matrix," and then read the 1845 classic "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave"--you'll appreciate the film even more.

very good
very good action, acting, plot, and dvd. much better than the dissapointing reloaded. haven't seen revolutions.

"Why oh why didn't I take the BLUE pill?"
After hearing so many good things about this film, I was actually underwhelmed the first time I saw it. I already new the basic premise so it wasn't a surprise to me. It wasn't until the SECOND time I saw it that it really hit me. Very well written, with some philosophical underpinnings hidden throughout, the Matrix is a smart sci-fi action film -- but not TOO smart: that would have to wait until The Matrix Reloaded (which is so dense it's hard to understand what's going on with just one viewing).

mind-blowing special effects
LOVE ALL 3 MOVIES SO DAMM MUCH. ALL HATES GO AWAY AND YOU'RE SO STUPID AND UGLY CAN'T WATCH THESE MOVIES. BYE BYEEEE!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (2882)

What is the Matrix?
The Matrix will go down in film history books as "The film that changed cinema forever". True, films have done that before: (Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction et al) but the Matrix is different in that not only did it change audience's expectations of action cinema but also impacted on countless movies to date.

The film itself is the epitome of cool that stands out from the slew of unimaginative science fiction that Hollywood reels out, and with Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss making an unlikely duo in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by artificially intelligent machines, the film finds itself worlds away from admittedly second-rate sci fi cinema.

You could argue, as some critics did, that the film's plot is simply an excuse to hang cool effects on, but the premise slowly shapes into such an intricate plot, where machines have taken over the world (a popular idea for sci fi films, with this having similarities to Terminator 2) and then the small amount of snotty critics are silenced. What the Wachowski brothers have done is so imaginative that no film has ever come close to its intricacies and futuristic ideas. Add hints and nudges from Vertigo, classic Western films and Kung-fu karate films into the story and the amazing journey is made even more fascinating and involving.

The visuals incorporated throughout the story are absolutely amazing; with the "flow-mo" being the coolest visual effect those effects boffins have done since that water tentacle flowed through air in The Abyss. Imitated to death, the scene where Keanu's character Neo dodges bullets is nonetheless the pinnacle of uber-coolness. With thought provoking, mind-bending lines like: "It's the smell, if there is such a thing"; the film's script is peppered with fascinating lines concerning the very nature of "what is real?" Hence the clever advertising campaign for the movie's release: "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself".

The Matrix has indeed changed cinema. Regardless, it's a great film, loaded to the retinas with out- of- this-world effects, great villians (Agent Smith!), great action set-pieces and awesome stunts from martial arts expert Wu Ping. And with the DVD (awesome stuff, everyone has to own this disc) and upcoming sequel in progress- The Matrix Reloaded, the Matrix is a film that not only has affected filmgoers everywhere, but has also leaked into the fan boy culture of the movie world. To quote Neo: "Whoa".

A dynamic and intelligent triumph
A stunning blend of action and science fiction, "The Matrix" tells the tale of a computer programmer who stumbles into an alternate world that forever changes his perception of reality. There's a reason why "The Matrix" won a pile of awards (and made a pile of money at the box office). A masterpiece of technical wizardry and storytelling skill, this is one of those memorable films that succeeds on every one of its many ambitious levels.

Fans and critics have raved about the film's mind-blowing special effects and fight scenes, but they are only part of the film's excellence. The superb performances of the actors are equally important. Particularly noteworthy is Laurence Fishburne's as Morpheus--his is a performance of controlled but passionate intensity. And Carrie-Anne Moss' performance as Trinity brings to the film a tenderness and humanity which greatly complement the high-tech milieu.

"The Matrix" is a wonderfully literate film whose dialogue includes references from Greek mythology, the Bible, Christian theology, and English literature. And one of the central themes of the film--the defiant resistance to an enslaving force--is one that can be found in many of the world's great works of literature. Watch "The Matrix," and then read the 1845 classic "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave"--you'll appreciate the film even more.

very good
very good action, acting, plot, and dvd. much better than the dissapointing reloaded. haven't seen revolutions.

"Why oh why didn't I take the BLUE pill?"
After hearing so many good things about this film, I was actually underwhelmed the first time I saw it. I already new the basic premise so it wasn't a surprise to me. It wasn't until the SECOND time I saw it that it really hit me. Very well written, with some philosophical underpinnings hidden throughout, the Matrix is a smart sci-fi action film -- but not TOO smart: that would have to wait until The Matrix Reloaded (which is so dense it's hard to understand what's going on with just one viewing).

mind-blowing special effects
LOVE ALL 3 MOVIES SO DAMM MUCH. ALL HATES GO AWAY AND YOU'RE SO STUPID AND UGLY CAN'T WATCH THESE MOVIES. BYE BYEEEE!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Greatest Movie Ever Made
On a top 10 list of the greatest movies of all time, this is easily #1. The next best movie would be a distant 2nd. Fantastic storyline, unmatched special effects, great acting (even from Keanu Reeves), this movie is simply a masterpiece. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Follow The White Rabbit.
And we did, right down the rabbit hole into the world of the Wachowski brothers fabulous scifi thriller The Matrix. This visually stunning film introduces us to the world of the future where machines rule, and most of humankind has been reduced to a power source.But there are rebels. Morpheus {Laurence Fishburne},and the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar are searching the matrix looking for the "One". The prophecized saviour of humanity.Is Neo {Keanu Reeves}, the crews latest extraction from the matrix,the One? Does he believe he can be? With a heart pounding pace this film takes you on a special effects ride through this machine world, with new technologies like Bullet Time and CGI's, along with Hong Kong style wire fight scenes it held me gluded to my seat until the end. I throughly enjoyed the ride and anxiously await the sequel. ... Read more