The Matrix (1999) (Movie Review)

   The year was 1999, and during that summer, everyone was excited about a colossal Sci-Fi Blockbuster titled “Star Wars 1: The Phantom Menace”. Who can blame us, “Star Wars” is a major franchise and the concept of a new film after so many years was beyond thrilling. However, there was another Sci-Fi blockbuster released that summer which quietly snuck into the theaters, wasn’t part of a major franchise, yet it surpassed the new Star Wars film by a mile. 

When “The Matrix” premiered, there was little marketing, the trailer didn’t show much and it was mostly shrouded in mystery. All the intrigue surrounding this movie revolved solely on the question “What is the Matrix”, and no-one knew what to expect. Of course, most people know the premise today, but back then, “The Matrix” wasn’t just a hit summer movie, it was a discovery, something original and it blew everyone’s mind. To this day, “The Matrix” is proudly regarded as one of the great classics of the Sci-Fi genera, and it’s inspired a whole generation of filmmakers. Personally, it’s one of my favorite movies, and arguably it’s the film that had the biggest impact on my early teenage years. In fact, I always viewed this movie as my transition from childhood to teenager. Something you’ll notice several times in this review is that I refer to certain aspects of the film as “the best of” or “my personal favorite of”. Some would say that “The Matrix” is dated, and while it might be in parts, I still view it as a classic, and an important reminder of how originality can leave an impact on a generation. 

   When a computer hacker, alias Neo, is summoned by a mysterious group leader named Morpheus, he learns that the real world isn’t what it seems. In the future, all of human kind is in-fact enslaved by machines, who are all wired to a system called The Matrix, which makes the humans believe their living normal lives in 1999, when in reality their merely vessels to feed and power the monstrous machines of the future. Morpheus leads a small resistance of people on a hover craft called the Nebuchadnezzar, and from there they hack into the machines system. In short, they aim to free human kind from their robot captures, and believe that Neo is the key that will lead them to victory. While the films concept isn’t without flaw, or is even 100% original, it’s the experience of “The Matrix” that made it so captivating. Make no mistake, while different variations of the films concept had been around for years, the overall execution of it was the most exciting action movie experience the Sci-Fi genera delivered sense “The Terminator”.

   Before I get lost in the films many details, lets quickly take a moment to talk about the characters. Keanu Reeves plays our main hero Neo, and while his delivery is hit and miss, I still view it as one of the iconic movie hero portrayals right alongside Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. Basically, Neo is the everyday man who steps into a larger world. For this first movie it helps put the audience in his shoes, and experiencing all the wonder around him. For me, it’s his wide-eyed curiosity that makes him an enduring lead, and when he emerges as a hero in the end, I find myself cheering for him more than any other action star. One minor annoyance is that he gets branded as “The Chosen One”, in fact his name Neo is an anagram for One. It works in the contents of the story, but personally I prefer heroes who can accomplish great things on their own, without the added bonus of being a prophesied chosen one. The one good thing about his arc is that he views himself as “any other guy” up until the ending in which he discovers his true nature, and it is a genuinely triumphant moment.    

    My favorite character by far is Morpheus, who’s played brilliantly by Laurence Fishburne. He has this aura, like the master with all the answers, yet gradually we see both his humanity and vulnerability come through. In short, he just feels like the most well-rounded character. Just like with both “Star Wars” and the Harry Potter films, it’s the films iconic characters that really help cement this series in our minds. There’s also some memorable side characters including the operator named Tank, who has wit, charm, and helps liven the films tone. The late Gloria Foster is also very charismatic as the mystical Oracle, who’s a computer program that’s turned against the machines and guides our hero on his journey. If there was any one character I didn’t care for, it would be the love interest Trinity, who’s played by Carrie-Anne Moss. While the actress is perfectly fine in the role, and obviously looks good in skin tight black leather, there’s still just something about her that comes off as very bland to me. Supposedly she set a new standard for bad ass action chicks, and while she definitely has cool moments, she just can’t leave a lasting impression. I also didn’t feel any chemistry between her and Neo, but this really doesn’t become an issue until the sequels in which their relationship is given way too much attention.

    The greatest threat to our hero’s while in the Matrix are computer programs that can take over any humans still connected to the machines. These foes are simply referred to as “the agents”, who have enhanced strength and can’t be gunned down. The leader is Agent Smith, who’s played by Hugo Weaving and subsequently one of the greatest movie villains of all time. While these agents in general are basically programmed to terminate all who resist, Smith has his own personal goal, to break out of the Matrix system, and become an individual. Hugo Weaving absolutely shines in the role, and gives the character a sheer presence of dread and menace. The best villains are the ones who always keep calm, collected, and yet can still put up a good fight. I also love antagonists that are polar opposites of the protagonists, and Smith is a perfect offset to our hero Neo. It’s hard to explain, but in my opinion, the rivalry between Neo and Smith is one of the most engaging hero/villain dynamics I’ve ever seen. Outside the Matrix is another threat that comes in the form of Robot killing machines called Sentinels. Personally, I never really liked the designs of these things, as they resemble squids, and they just didn’t look all that unique or particularly threatening either.

    Rounding up the cast is Joe Pantoliano as a crew member named Cypher, who was once a loyal follower to Morpheus, but down the road turns into a metaphorical Judas. Basically, he betrays the Nebuchadnezzar crew by turning Morpheus over to the agents, and all for the exchange of being reinstated into the Matrix. This might just be my favorite traitor character I’ve ever seen. 

Joe Pantoliano is nothing short of charismatic and despicably charming in the role, and we the audience so badly want to see him get his comeuppance. Despite his traitorous ways, Cypher is also very understandable, and maybe even relatable in his motives. He hates the real world of the future and wants to return back to the computer-simulated world of the Matrix. This also brings up an interesting dynamic, is it better to be set free in a real world that sucks, or live as a slave in a simulated world that’s peaceful. This is what characterizes “The Matrix” as it’s more than flashy effects and thrilling action. This is a movie that raises intriguing questions that don’t have easy answers, and it interweaves its subjects with references to philosophical, mythology and religious ideas. Admittedly the pseudo religious aspects of the film, and even the Philosophy come off as hit and miss at times, but I admire the attempt to make this film equal parts entertainment and also a thinking mans film. The most obvious of the religious aspects is Neo taking the metaphorical role of Jesus, but then there's less obvious ones. The plaque on the the Nebuchadnezzar for example is branded "Mark III No.11", which refers to this passage in the bible ... "Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." The boy with the bending spoon is a reference to Buddhism, and his line about seeing the truth that "There is no spoon", is like a Zen riddle, as well as one of the more intriguing statements of the film.    

    More then anything, I love a film that can pay homage to multiple other works and yet still have its own distinct, even original identity. For the sake of this review, I’ll try to keep the comparisons light, as the influential details of this film can fill a 9-hour biography, but I at least want to address some of the big influences. The main influence of "The Matrix" is "Plato's Allegory of the Cave", which also revolved around people that are trapped their whole lives in a shadowy illusion of the world, then one person is set free, and discovers the real world outside the cave. 

I'll never forget taking a High-school literature class, learning about "Plato's Allegory of the Cave" for the first time, and discovering where the roots of one of my favorite movies first grew. "The Matrix" also pays homage to "Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation", which is a French philosophical treatise that examines the relationships among reality, society and symbolism. In fact, a copy of “Simulacra and Simulation” can briefly be seen in Neo’s apartment early in the film. In many respects, “The Matrix” also makes me think of a super-hero movie, it just didn’t have an original comic book sours material. The characters all display superhuman abilities, and the story is very superhero-esk at heart, especially in regards to Neo who has to discover his true powers, and his destiny to free all humanity.

    Let’s not forget about “Alice in Wonderland”, because this film is like a modern-day retelling of it, and there’s frequent references to Wonderland all throughout the film. The White Rabbit for example comes in the form of a tattoo on a woman who leads Neo away from home and on his journey. Every building in the Matrix has checkered tile floors, there’s a black cat which raises questions just like the Cheshire Cat, and when Neo leaves the dream world, he does so by touching a mirror, which is a reference to “Alice Through the Looking Glass”. 

If you’re a fan of Japanese anime, you’ll definitely notice that “The Matrix” was heavily influenced by films like “Akira” and especially "Ghost in the Shell". In fact, the now iconic green cereal-cod of The Matrix is directly lifted from the opening title cards of “Ghost in the Shell”. If you haven’t seen either of those movies, I highly recommend checking them out, just to see what helped inspire this film. Now the movies concept of people living in an illusion world had been utilized well before “The Matrix” in several TV shows like “The Twilight Zone”, “Star Trek: TNG” and various films during the 90’s including “Dark City” and “The Truman Show”. What "The Matrix" defined was a distinct personality and tone, which lead to the inception of the cyber punk sub-genera, in which countless other films tried to replicate the exact style and feel of “The Matrix”. However, there’s no mistaking “The Matrix” for any of it’s pretenders. Just about every scene from this film is iconic, or maybe I should say … you could walk into any select moment from this film and instantly recognize what movie it is. “The Matrix” has also been parodied more then any other film I can think of, so even if you’ve never seen the movie, you’ve probably still seen a film that satirized it.

   I was first introduced to this movie as a young second-grader, walking in on one of the films nastiest scenes, and it gave me nightmares for months. The first half of this movie is almost like a Sci-Fi horror film as Neo slowly discovers the truth, and gets into situations like his mouth getting sewed up, and a bug getting placed into his stomach. There’s actually a very joyless tone for the first half, and it’s my only real problem, as it starts things on a gloomy note. Once Neo is separated from “The Matrix” and we’re given the frightening backstory of how the machines took over, the movie officially begins and I’m hooked. Another thing that separated “The Matrix” from all the others that came before it was a unique “video game style” approach to the story. Setting the film in a world where the rules of physics can be bent, or even broken, allows not only for spectacular visual effects but imaginative, computer game-like scenarios impossible in any normal environment. When plugged into the Matrix, people can request things like martial arts skills or helicopter flight training uploaded right into their minds with the push of a button. That concept alone is so wildly original, and it’s easily my favorite aspect of the film. Now despite these video-game elements, action still maintains a great sense of urgency and you still feel the danger.

     The highlight for any true action fan is the moment when Neo simply requests “Guns, Lots of Guns”, which are then uploaded for his use, leading into easily one of the most excessive, balletic and personally my favorite gunfight ever captured on film. Seeing the lobby shoot-out scene for the first time was one of the most breathless experiences I’ve ever had, and it still holds up today. On that note, I think this movie has the best variety of action on display. We have helicopter chases, gun fights, chases on foot, Sci-Fi robot clashes, and Kung-Fu martial art fight sequences. Now there isn’t much action at all in the first hour of the film, but it works to the movies advantage. Letting us get to know the characters and get fully submersed in the films unique universe allows the action to thrill once it finally comes around in the third act. The combination of camera work and editing is also some of the tightest I’ve ever seen. There’s a select moment featuring Neo running up a stair case, which on paper is nothing special, but the way this moment was shot, edited and scored makes it feel like the most exhilarating feat of action. Naturally the films editing, sound design, and especially the visual effects all won Oscars at the 2000 Academy Awards. Oh, and about those special effects … lets finally talk about those.

   Of course, the most famous scene of the movie is the built time sequence in which we see Neo dodging bullets. This was a revolutionary feat of special effects, which allowed the camera to move around an object in three dimensions, and in slow motion. In general, slow motion took off like wild fire after this film. I could honestly spend this entire review just talking about select favorite moments that have stuck with me over the years. In fact, this movie features one of my all-time favorite movie scenes, which takes place during the films exhilarating final act. After a daring rescue, we get a thrilling helicopter chase that culminates into a spectacular crash into the side of a building, and Neo saves his companions just in time. Aside from being a big spectacle, this is the moment when Neo excepts who he is, and learns the difference between knowing the path and walking the path. The shots, the angles, the music ... just everything building up to Neo’s epiphany is sensational. It’s a moment where I really felt myself cheering for the hero, and it’s always satisfying to see where a character’s journey begins. It’s just a great little scene that masterfully combined wisdom with adrenaline fueled action. 

    The movie then closes in the subway with a nail biting final duel between Neo and Agent Smith. It’s hard to explain why, but of all the climactic final duels I’ve seen between hero’s and villains, this has always been my absolute favorite. Right from the start, this duel is like a classic western showdown, and it even includes a newspaper blowing in-between them like tumbleweed. Aside from being beautifully choreographed, this is a battle that really highlights the hero as an underdog rising to a challenge, one who keeps getting knocked down, but is still determined to get up and keep going. I love the tense fight choreography, I love the setting, I love how the momentum builds, and the music is absolutely pulse-pounding. As the battle wraps up, our hero finally rises above his foe, amusingly fights with one hand behind his back, and in the end, it's just so satisfying to see Neo vanquish Smith.  

    In short, “The Matrix” is what you’d call “a guy flick”, as it’s got guns, cool black glasses, lots of action, woman in leather, and awesome special effects. However, there’s still so much more to this film that can appeal to a wider audience. If you like philosophy, superhero stories, Japanese Anime, Fantasy tails with a modern spin, martial arts cinema, or intriguing Sci-Fi, then this film has something for you. I can’t pretend that "The Matrix" is a perfect film, but it is an experience that was more meaningful to me then most other movies I grew up with. To put it simply, “The Matrix” is a film that reminds me why I love movies, why I love to analyze and review them, and it’s inspired me to be imaginative. Perhaps one day I’ll make movies like this, because it’s just one of those experiences that inspires me to do so. No, “The Matrix” isn’t without flaw, but it’s still one of my most favorite movies, and I highly recommended it to anyone who loves the art of imaginative film-making.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1999 Sci-Fi classic “The Matrix” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you love!