The Matrix

Rating:
Summary: <<<question>>> What was the name of the hollow book?
Review: The hollow book, which hid illegal sony minidiscs in an earlyscene, is labelled "Simulacra and Simulation". If you wantto learn what "The Matrix" represents, read this book. It's not easy reading, and is translated from French (post-modern thought).

(exerpt) "Such is simulation, insofar as it is opposed to representation. Representation stems from the principle of the equivalence of the sign and of the real (even if this equivalence is utopian, it is a fundamental axiom). Simulation, on the contrary, stems from the utopia of the principle of equivalence, from the radical negation of the sign as value, from the sign as the reversion and death sentence of every reference. Whereas representation attempts to absorb simulation by interpreting it as a false representation, simulation envelops the whole edifice of representation itself as a simulacrum. " (p.6, Simulacra and Simulation, Baudrillard)

Rating:
Summary: The Curates Egg
Review: The hype about this film is unwarranted. True, there are some excellent special effects - realistic ones, but many are too false eg gunfight in hall with pillars when gunfire too easily splinters junks of concrete and it falls like polystyrene - as it is. The storyline is somewhat boring, and I fell asleep during twice trying to view the whole film; the third occasion I managed to stay the course but only by fast-forwarding the chunks of dialogue which apart from being boring were also too far-fetched to be believable. In all the film was much like the Curates egg - a mixed bag - some good some bad. I am in my 60s and have viewed many hundreds of films and, generally, I agree the average viewing star-rating. This time I did not.

Rating:
Summary: This was the best actoin movie that will ever be made
Review: The intencity of this movie is never ending. It is a great movie for any special effects buff.

Rating:
Summary: A New Classic
Review: The interesting thing about this movie is, whether you like it or not, it is a classic already. We don't need to wait and see if it lasts another 20 or 30 years. Let's hope it isn't pulled out that long anyway, look what happened to Star Wars. The great thing about it is that it is not just eye-candy. It is what we have all been waiting for- sci-fi that makes you think. The only downside is that I am tired of people being confused by it. Sure, maybe it is a complicated movie, but please pay attention. To sum up, I think the movie is best described in the words of Keanu Reeves- "Whoa!"

Rating:
Summary: Pioneer into the Movie Multimedia
Review: The invigorating, twisted, and psychodelic plot streams it's way though dazzling and memsmorizing special effects. Although the movie might seem untterdly confusing, beneath a couple viewings for the average watcher, reveals a writers masterpice. The movie represents many parrallels, for kids (special effects) , average viewer, a (difficult inviting plot), and the analytic mind, (maybe a taste of something real). Definitly a masterpice,as it combines special effects, brilliant wriitng, and anythign but simplicity, into a viewer's dream. contact me, via [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: imaginative
Review: The laurels for this movie are accumulating and not undeservedly-it's full of invention and captivating energy. Consider two elements. Hugo Weaving's ( the bad guy )deeply modulated tone of voice. This guy encapsulated his performance entirely in the idea that his voice, which is the only physical attribute that is truly available to him in his rapidly changing incarnations, can be the menacing, darkly efficient force that his character is meant to suggest. Given so little to work with, but having some of the best dialogue, Weaving portrays one of the most rational, smart, ruthless, and, consequently, scary villains in a long time. I'll bet this is one of the performances he will be remembered for his entire career.

Another element to consider is the screenplay. A great many people are either confounded by Wachowskis' work or dismiss it as a contrived cop-out to hang the F/X on, but look at the genuine invention that calls attention to itself in practically every scene. Those who compare The Matrix unfavorably to Dark City miss a fundamental point. DC is a smooth and interesting narrative because it evades explanations and works more by implication, by relying on tone and atmosphere to tell the story. Matrix is there on the screen to be scrutinized in every aspect, as the fault-finders see the misses (which there are), but don't see the cumulative, visionary stroytelling that is also there. Wachowskis' is an inquisitive, dynamic intelligence, which attempts not only to redefine (which is common enough), but also to EXPLAIN (not common at all) the movie's world in terms that are revolutionary, though understandable to ourselves. It does not make us think as some movies do because the material has been thought through and finessed for us to an extent that makes any further contemplation unnecessary, but the ideas it offers are as fresh and as captivating as anything put on the screen in '99. When the movie aspires to so much, and accomplishes it so brilliantly, it must not only be given credit, but forgiven for the rough edges.

Rating:
Summary: Am I really typing this review or is this the Matrix?
Review: The machines finally take over and turn us into energizer bunnies...."Follow the White rabbit". They keep us slaves and use our cerebral electrical energy to keep their machine brains going. But thank God there's a group who escape the machine control and fight back. The one human man that can destroy the machine rule dies. But, fear not, the rumor has it that he will be reborn and once and for destroy the machines. This movie plays on two levels...reality and what appears to be reality.The Matrix is a reality projected?, created?,by the machines. If you like video games you'll like this movie. You'll have to watch it twice. The first time your heart and mind are moving so fast to keep up with the movie, you have to watch a second time to pickup on all the plot details and neat special effects you missed. Enjoy! Rent it first.

Rating:
Summary: Coming of Age tale that shatters the boundaries of genre.
Review: The Matrix (VHS), while jam packed with state-of-the-art F/X, relies upon a gripping story, characters who actually grow, and the classic unfolding of the Hero's Journey for its impact. I had to watch it twice to see it once. Some of the cinematic elements remind me at once of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Disney's Tron. The plot itself is a hipper, more thoughtful and logical extension of questions raised in those films about the nature of reality and how manipulation of reality forms human society. The awesome special effects and kung-fu coreography provide eye-candy to accompany a meaty, soul-food fable about the search for Truth and the journey towards self-knowledge. As Neo awakens to the nature of the reality he thought he knew, the viewer awakens with him. The message here is that we can accept everything at face value and be comfortable, or we can take the more hazardous course and question it all. The price of comfort is nothing less than our humanity. The price of maintaining our humanity is to sacrifice comfort and safety for something greater than ourselves. Matrix owes as much to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness as it does to "cyber-punk" fiction. It is thoughful and thought-provoking, thrilling to watch and enthralling to contemplate. In case you couldn't tell, I really liked this flick. I don't know if it likes me.

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST I REPEAT BEST MOVIE EVER MADE AND EVER TO BE MADE
Review: THE MATRIX , MOVIE,SOUNDTRACK,POSTERS EVRYTHING A BOUT IT KICKS ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Rating:
Summary: Mindblowing SFX and a great storyline
Review: The Matrix - a Warner Brothers release, written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski

_The Matrix_ breaks new ground in the sci-fi/action film genre. Not only does it feature revolutionary special effects, but it has a complex storyline to boot. In _The Matrix_, Neo (Keanu Reeves) is a hacker recruited by a team of rebels, led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishbourne), whom law enforement agents regard as the "most dangerous man on the planet." Neo joins Morpheus and his crew, where he is showed the world as it truly is - the haunting reality that humans have been overtaken by a race of machines, and, worse still, are being used simply as an energy source for these machines. The purpose of Morpheus and his crew is to disrupt our imaginary "dream world" that the machines have created to keep us happy (the Matrix), and free our minds.

The special effects in _The Matrix_ are absolutely stunning. The Wachowski Brothers and their crew have developed what they like to call "bullet time." This "bullet time" is composed of hundreds of still shots of a target, that when put together render ultra-realistic super-slow motion.

There are many similarities between Neo's transformation over the course of the film, and the life of Christ. Some of these things seem, at first glance, trite or inconsequential, but upon further investigation, unravel deeper meaning. An example of this is Neo's real name, Thomas Anderson. Anderson, when translated, means "son of man." Neo also means "new" - Neo Anderson, "the new son of man." Is Neo like a new Messiah?

In one portion of the film, Morphues takes Neo to see the Oracle, an old woman who happens to know everything. She predicts a Second Coming of sorts, and tells Neo to "find his path." Morpheus is absolutely convinced that Neo is "the One," the saviour for mankind (much like Christ). In another portion of the film, Neo is, for a moment, dead. He is then brough back to like (resurrected), where he shortly thereafter, and very symbolically, ascends to the heavens.

_The Matrix_ will stand as a benchmark in special effects and storytelling for years to come.