Thomas Anderson is living a double life. To most people, he’s a hard working computer programmer who holds down a nine-to-five job for a major software corporation. But, in the privacy of his home, he’s a hacker named Neo who is ’’guilty of virtually every computer crime [there’s] a law for.’’ Neo is dissatisfied with his existence, and, while he’s groping for a meaning to it, he is contacted by a mysterious computer presence known as Morpheus. ’’Wake up Neo, ’’ a printout on his monitor screen reads. ’’The Matrix has you. Follow the white rabbit.’’ And so begins an amazing odyssey for Neo.
It turns out that Morpheus is the captain of a air ship, and he believes that Neo is the messiah. When the two finally meet, Morpheus explains to Neo that all is not as it seems. The reality he is used to is a fabrication, the product of a sinister race of intelligent machines that use human beings as power supplies, to be discarded at will. Morpheus sets out to show Neo the truth. Soon, he is learning how to manipulate the Matrix: a computer generated dreamworld built by the machines to control human minds. But danger lurks ahead for Morpheus and his small band of followers.
The goal of the machines is to eliminate all free humans, and their most powerful weapons, the Sentient Agents (who look like FBI agents), are closing in. Led by Agent Smith, their goal is to capture Morpheus and pry the secrets from his brain.
There’s much more to The Matrix than this, but to explain further would be to reveal plot twists better discovered through viewing. Although the film frequently toys with the blurred line between grim reality and computer generated fantasy, it rarely leaves the viewer completely confused. The Matrix was carefully structured so that the audience is capable of following the action and understanding what’s going on even when all of the secrets have not been revealed.
Stylistically, The Matrix is much like Bound. Both films are visually stunning, with images painstakingly constructed and action sequences choreographed to excite the eye and quicken the pulse. The Wachowskis use a varied pallette that includes shadows, slow motion, quick cuts, and offbeat humor to paint a unique portrait.The shots of Keanu Reeves streaking down a hall with guns blazing all around him and the air thick with shattered bits of concrete is only one of many snapshots that lingers in the mind’s eye long after they have vanished from the screen. The special effects, which are not as numerous as those in many science fiction pieces, are flawless.
The Matrix has a little something to offer for everyone. The die-hard science fiction fan will discover a time that crosses both new and old styles of the genre in a compelling fashion. Action addicts will find that there’s no shortage of electric excitement, whether it’s in the form of hand-to-hand kung fu-type fights or shoot-outs with seemingly limitless ammunition. There’s also betrayal, a little romance, some humor, and a moral dilemma or two, all wrapped into a well-produced package.
Words on Quality of Movie
I find the overall scheme of things to be very well directed and acted out. I will be happy when the Matrix II and Matrix III hit the box office because I saw Matrix twice in the theatres and I have seen Matrix more than 8 times since the movie has been on DVD and video. I have watched this movie this many times because I simply just love all of the cinematography is just absolutely beautiful and the visual effects are completely mind-bending.