Directed and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski Keanu Reeves as a martial-arts master and savior of the earth? Laurence Fishburne as his mentor? The world as we know it does not even exist’surely, you can’t be serious. Welcome to the fascinating and confusing world of “The Matrix. ” In this sci-fi thriller, Reeves stars as Neo, a computer programmer by day and cyber-hacker by night. Out of nowhere, he is contacted by a group of super hackers who tell him that his life is in danger and his only hope is to trust them.
The group’s leader, a quiet but confident man known as Morpheus (Fishburne) tells Neo that he is the one chosen to save the world and that the “Matrix is the wool that has pulled over your eyes – that you are a slave. ” Neo is the world’s only hope. In a nutshell, Morpheus explains that computers developed on their own and won a brutal war against man. So the computers made a program to put all of the slaves back in the past, which is our present day. He tells Neo that he can chose either to live now or to see what the world is truly like.
Neo chooses the latter, and the trip down the rabbit hole begins as does the fight for the salvation of humanity. But the battle must be fought out in The Matrix, not the real world, where computer sentinels are seemingly invincible and where the laws of physics can not only be bent, they can be tossed right out the window. With that kind of freedom, characters can run up the sides of walls, leap incredible distances, dodge bullets, and with the help of Hong Kong stunt specialist Yuen Wo Ping, pull off some of the most impressive kung fu fight sequences ever filmed.
Slow-motion film sequences, some shot at the rate of 12,000 frames per second, allow the filmmakers to manipulate the on-screen action much like in the Gap commercials where the dancers are frozen and the camera angle shifts around them. Andrew Mason lends the film the same look he gave Dark City, only this time the good guys wear black and everyone else is either a sentinel or prime fodder for target practice. Another reason this movie is so great is that the stars actually did their own stunts and learned martial arts. There are close-ups during the fight scenes of the actor’s face, not some stunt double.
Each showdown between good and evil, in the form of robots that look like human agents, becomes more thrilling with both the action and the special effects. The acting in this movie is exceptional. Keanu Reeves was perfectly past for his part as Neo. The part did not require an extreme amount of depth, something that Reeves is not known for. But he is able play the part very well. Carrie-Anne Moss also plays in her best role to date. She was able to act her part out very well without having to talk brainless mush, as most women have to do in action flicks today.
The two most amazing performances were by Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving. They both had not been known for anything except a few low budget films. Laurence Fishburne plays the part of Morpheus to perfection. He uses his cool demeanor and his commanding presence to give life to a charater the world will not soon forget. Similarly Hugo Weaving also plays a part few people will ever forget. I mean who can forget his famous Mr. Anderson line. He uses his perfect enunciation and dry demeanor effectively to create a menacing villain that audiences will love to hate. Another part The Matrix excelled in was its use of theology.
Many movies that come from Hollywood tend to shy away from religious debates, while The Matrix has allusions to the Bible all over the place. The movie is a new testament for a new millennium, a religious tale of the second coming of mankind’s messiah in an age that needs salvation as desperately as ever. In conclusion the special effects in this film are amazing and worth the cost of renting the movie. What’s great about the film is it has the performances and story to back it up. Reeves is as good as he can be, Fishburne is wonderful as always, Weaving is the perfect unrelenting bad guy and Moss is strong and smart.
The fighting sequences are also pretty incredible. The martial arts instructors created a fantastic show. This is an intense film that really brings the “computers taking over the world story” to a different level. What if our reality was just a computer simulation? Would you want to know or not? All interesting concepts. The movie also has a lot of replay value. The multiple story layers will have you watching the movie over and over again just so you can see what new information you can find on The Matrix. If you’re a sci-fi fan and you still haven’t seen this film, this is one you do not want to miss.
