1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Matrix

#996- The Matrix (1999)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
Directed by: Andy and Larry/Lana Wachowski


Plot Summary: Thomas Anderson is a computer programmer by day and a hacker by the codename "Neo" at night. Another hacker named Trinity tells Neo to find Morpheus, who will tell Neo the meaning of the Matrix. Once Neo decides to believe Morpheus, he takes a red pill and awakens aboard the Nebuchadnezzar many centuries into the future. Neo is told of a 21st century war between humans and the machines they created, that in turn created a simulated world for humans that they are living in that resembles the present day. Morpheus helps unlock Neo's abilities, as he believes Neo is "the One" who will end the war between the humans and the machines. Neo is warned of the dangers of being in the Matrix, including Agents programmed to eliminate potential threats to the Matrix.


I think nearly everyone has that franchise of movies that everyone loves and that you find to just be ok. Not that you absolutely hate the films, but you find them ok and aren't sure what all the fuss was about. When I sat down to watch The Matrix, I was excited based on what I had heard other people say about it, but throughout the film I kept saying to myself that this was going to be one of those movies that I just find to be ok. I'll always give the film credit in terms of its special effects, but I think a lot of my problems with The Matrix can be summarized in my thoughts on the characters. Since it's a character-heavy film with three main protagonists, the film's main task should be to distinguish the three characters as different entities for the audience to latch onto. Instead, their main characteristics are in their fighting abilities and how cool they look in all black clothing while moving around in slow motion.

Keanu Reeves stars as Thomas Anderson, aka Neo. By this point, everyone likes to poke fun at Keanu's lack of acting range, but I think it actually works in a role like this. Neo is the right type of hero that doesn't need a wide variation of emotions and depth. Neo is the role that Keanu Reeves is most known for nowadays, so it's almost bizarre to know that the role was not originally intended for him, but rather for Will Smith (an actor with TOO MUCH personality for the role in my opinion). Call it destiny or luck, but I'm glad that Neo was played by Keanu Reeves for the sake of having a leading man that is comfortable brooding and looking cool behind a leather jacket and a pair of sunglasses.

Speaking of leather jackets and sunglasses, Neo is brought into the world of the Matrix by Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne. Something about Fishburne's voice is very soothing and fitting for a mentor figure. However, one of the biggest problems I have with The Matrix is in one little aspect that a character named Cypher, played by Joe Pantoliano, brings up. Morpheus is the one that essentially brought all our main characters out of our world and into the Matrix, so they follow him blindly and trust him fully. There's some serious drinking of the Kool-Aid in the Matrix, and something about that is just off putting to me. I feel if I was in Neo's shoes, I would have taken the blue pill for the sake of actually feeling like I could think for myself and still feel in control of my life.

Carrie-Anne Moss plays Trinity, Neo's main love interest. Sure, Trinity is utilized in the film's iconic opening sequence and she is one of the three main protagonists, but I can best summarize Trinity with three attributes: she loves Neo, can fight really well, and is supposed to look good in leather. Apart from those three things, there isn't much else to Trinity. Like Neo, she falls into the category of characters who don't seem to think for themselves once they've taken the red pill and become one of Morpheus's lackeys.

One thing the film can boast about is that it has an amazing villain in Agent Smith, played by Hugo Weaving. It goes without saying that Hugo Weaving has been one of the best character actors of our time (he's also played Elrond, V, Red Skull, and Megatron), and it's easy to see why with his portrayal of Agent Smith. His still and quiet demeanor proves that less is more, and has one of the best villain catchphrases I've heard by monotonously greeting Neo with "Mr. Anderson." Add the fact that he can appear anywhere and fights with great force and speed, and you've got a truly formidable opponent worthy of taking on Neo, Morpheus and Trinity.

Fifteen years later (WOW!), The Matrix will probably best remembered as one of those movies that was popular because of the way it looked. It can't be denied that the film was revolutionary with special effects, especially with the introduction of bullet time. If anything, I think the effects have been the part of the film that have aged the best. Even as I was sitting there, picking the plot apart and berating the characters for their lack of depth, I couldn't help but give many of the scenes credit by saying "ok, that looked pretty cool," and that's a sign that the film is doing something right.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I'm sure there are enough people out there with nostalgic sci-fi goggles worn whenever discussing The Matrix. While the effects are groundbreaking, a lot of the plot and theologies are trying too hard to be deep and the result feels overreaching and pretentious. A mild recommendation for a weekend rental for all people who have never seen this film. And please...stay FAR away from the sequels.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review 

The Matrix and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.