The Matrix

Rating:
Summary: Just buy it
Review: With hundreds and thousands of reviews here (which I haven't read), there's not much I can add. But here goes:

This movie is a great action adventure, with great action sequences, and some very imaginative images (and mediocre acting, but hey, who cares). It might not make complete sense (wouldn't it have been less troublesome for the machines to harness nuclear power?), but then, what other movie does? It's just very cool.

The DVD complements this beautiful movie with great production values. You get the best scenes running at the beginning of the movie, and in the background behind the menu. The transitions are very nice, without taking too much time. The behind-the-scenes feature is pretty fascinating. The commentary track is nice, and does give some more insight into the movie, but is not that exciting. The music track is great. It's amazing to hear the music without the actor voices or effects. It's just so cool, and I wish that more movies would do this. There's also an exciting feature called "follow the white rabbit", where a rabbit supposedly appears on the screen and you can then select it and see special things. I didn't see it at work due to the software player I use (and I had a bit of trouble with the other features, too).

You also get some PC stuff, including a storyboard and some articles. The features didn't seem to fit that well with my screen resolution of 1280x1024, and are not terribly exciting, but the storyboard is nice.

All in all, this is a great movie and a very nice DVD, a recommended addition to any home DVD library.

Rating:
Summary: Mindblowing!
Review: With its unconventional storyline , excellent acting , out -of-this-world special effects and non-stop action The Matrix is probably the best sci-fi\action movie I have ever seen. Right from the beginning to the end I was glued to the screen anxious not to miss anything. The fact that I saw it 9 times should tell you something. Excellent music too. If you didn't like the Matrix you should probably see a shrink.

Rating:
Summary: For those cybergeeks who haven't a life
Review: With out a doubt this as got to be one of if not the worst movies of all time. It's appeal is generated by special effects, and the fact that so many people today lead their non-existant lives through a computer instead of in the day to day world where events do happen in a humanly manner, and reality is not virtual. Aside from the script which has enough holes in it that you could drive a tractor trailer truck through the movie at any given point, and the...poor acting. The movies main message that you can only experience life by picking up your cell phone and turing on your computer is both sad and shallow. However for our current generation of geeks out here who relish the thought that the virtual is reality such a message is very appealing. Include in this vast hodge podge of, special effects, bad acting, and poor writing are snippets of mysticisim drawn from several religions. All of which help the movie reek even more of a slick sales pitch designed to get your bucks. In short if you walk out of this movie feeling awed, and inspired you may seriously want to consider just how shallow a life it is your leading. If you walk away half way through the movie, or else see it entirely and then wonder just where in the heck the movie was...well then your doing something right in your life. But don't worry cybergeeks, theres more to come..sad to say.

Rating:
Summary: IT WASN'T JUST KEANU REEVES WHO RUINED THIS ONE
Review: With rare exception ("Parenthood," "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure"), Keanu Reeves is a detriment to every film he appears in. We've all seen him destroy great films like "Devil's Advocate" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula." This time, Keanu, don't feel bad, it wasn't you. The script in this film stinks! In a strange attempt to tell the story of Jesus Christ through a futuristic sci-fi film (doesn't sound like a bad idea, right?) this picture only manages to showcase the latest in CGI effects. I must mention, however, the one reason I gave this picture 2 stars instead of one: Hugo Weaver is brilliant as Agent Smith! He is also fortunate to have the only good lines in the film when Smith is telling Neo what he thinks of the human race and our world. What other movies has Weaver been in?

Rating:
Summary: Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Not Superman!
Review: With the birth of AI(artificial intelligence) computers evolve beyond human control within the next two hundred years. In actuality, we already have forms of AI existing today. They become more complex and wonderous at a rate paralleling that of the advancement of technology itself. Therefore, the beginning of the end for the human race lies in the birth of a sentient life form, created from information alone. Other movies that expound on this future phenomenon are T2 Judgement Day(like you haven't seen it already), and Ghost in the Shell. The latter is an animated movie that I highly recommend, second to The Matrix.

Rating:
Summary: Overhyped, Underwritten
Review: With the plot device of 'virtual reality made real' (don't ask) the sky was potentially the limit for the writers. But after the first hour or so of interesting but too numerous and convoluted twists, the film devolved into a very prolonged shoot-em-up/kung-fu show down. What a waste. It took me half a dozen sittings over several weeks just to get through it because it became so mind numbingly boring and predictable. If slick special effects and gunplay are all you need in a movie then go for it. Personally I'd rather watch my lawn grow.

Rating:
Summary: an enjoyable punch just left of center
Review: With thousands of reviews written on THE MATRIX, it seems rather silly to regurgitate what others have already written. Still, I'm compelled to comment on a movie that is slightly left of center. People will claim that this is a good special effects movie, a good action movie, and an excellent commentary on the nature of reality itself. Indeed, Lawrence Fishburne's character Morpheus asks us, "What is real? How do you define real?" And this question is the one that pervades the movie in every sense, starting from a very coherent whole and spinning deeper and deeper until it emerges into a very fresh approach to the "apocalypse" movie theme that was previously dominated by the Terminator movies.

I am not personally fond of Keanu Reeves's acting in this movie. He seems detached and emotionless in comparison to his efforts in movies like Point Break and, I'm amazed to say, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Carrie Ann Moss seems slightly better in her role as the painfully slim but otherwise fashionably attired Trinity. Her performance at least had more depth than that of Reeves. I personally think that Laurence Fishburne was the best of all the leads, taking his character Morpheus to places emotionally that Reeves hardly touches and Moss approaches, but teeters on the edge of.

The movie as a whole intrigued me, then proceeded to fascinate me. The concept, a post-apocalyptic twist with vague associations to the machine wars of "Terminator" and "Terminator II", was intriguing enough to me that I seriously considered the "what if" idea of a pseudo-reality imposed by computers. It's enough to make your mind boggle if you take it *too* seriously, but I think those are the most enjoyable movies. Just close enough to reality to make you really wonder, and just far enough out of touch with reality to make the movie enjoyable, fresh, and watchable again and again.

Now about the action...the fight scenes are great. Watching the "Follow the White Rabbit" cuts interspersed on the DVD and watching the "making of" information available really rounds out the value of this movie purchase for me. It's stunning to watch the training and the technology of movie making meld together to make a final scene that pushes the bounds of physical reality just enought that you think "Damn! I wish I could do that myself!" In my house, when a group of friends come over and discuss martial arts, THE MATRIX inevitably ends up in the DVD player as a visual aid to the discussion.

Would I rescue the DVD from a fire? Probably so. Would I buy a copy for a friend who didn't have one? Absolutely. Would I see it again if they re-released it in the theatres? Without a doubt.

Rating:
Summary: Whoa!
Review: Without a doubt a landmark and influential film. The DVD is the "Platinum Standard" for DVDs. An instant classic. I can't wait for the next two films!

Rating:
Summary: Worth Every Penny!
Review: Without a doubt, the best DVD I've purchased! The first time I saw it, I just put it away when done and said "not bad". Then, decided to watch it again to "follow the white rabbit". Not only was it an interesting "ride", but I got a lot more out of the film. Now, every time I watch it, (5-6 times) I enjoy it more and more. An interesting plot with the best affects to date. For those who wrote bad reviews, they've probably only watched it once and didn't bother with the extras DVD viewing offers. To them - watch it again! To the prospective buyer - DO IT! You'll be glad you did.

Rating:
Summary: A classic...one to be remebered for generations
Review: Without all of the sequels...subplots...etc this movie would be great. that is to say it could easily be a stand alone and the best movie that this decade has produced (last decade? watever) I was so enthused with this movie that i made my own web page about it. be amazed and go here : http://www.outwar.com/page.php?x=1719175