Rating: 
Summary: Good and Bad
Review: Like another reviewer said, I thought the matrix was deep before I read this book. It really shows you just "how deep the rabbit hole goes."
Rating: 
Summary: Good read
Review: Like another reviewer said, I thought the matrix was deep before I read this book. It really shows you just "how deep the rabbit hole goes."
Rating: 
Summary: Find the real source of the matrix-if you dare..
Review: The matrix has it's roots elsewhere-I'll sum it up in two words ..Neo-Tech....Check it out -if you think you can handle seeing past the REAL matrix... also the Matrix has absolutely NOTHING to do with science fiction,,whomever thinks this has allowed themselves to miss the metaphor and comapartmentalized the true meaning of the film into a comfortable "safe zone " in their minds..
Rating:
Summary: This one is wonderful
Review: THE MATRIX is arguably one of the best done, most profound movies of our time, conveying concepts of depth and wisdom in a format that appeals to a broad range of fans, and entertains as well. Only a few films manage to do this, STAR WARS, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, and LORD OF THE RINGS are among the scant examples. There is so much packed into this movie that many viewers might miss what is really there, only having fun and enjoying the spectacular FX work. While that is not a bad thing, it would be a shame to miss all the depths hidden behind the fun, so the authors in this book have analyzed it on several levels. On a scientific front, the hows of THE MATRIX are examined, explaining the mind boggling concepts that when probed can be seen as frightening possibilities, even probabilities. However, the book's real impact is when it gets into the philosophy and religious aspects of the whole thing. It is shown to be parabolic to not only the Christian religion, but to Jews and Buddists as well. Allegories are explained and critiqued in depth. ***** If you have never seen the movie, like me, you will be prompted automatically to go out and rent it. Much of the book, despite the helpful glossary in the back, will make little sense without having seen MATRIX. After seeing it, and reading the book, learning how plausible it might be, then you will wonder about what is real. Isn't that a question that has tormented the greatest thinkers of time? This is a book not to be missed if you have a critical, yet open mind. *****
Rating:
Summary: Like Most Anthologies,
Review: There are good essays, and there are bad essays. The book also lacks focus. It seems to be just a bunch of essays that are by people who are famous and who slightly modified another essay that they had already written in order to make them apply to The Matrix as well. Only three or so of the essays directly applied, and one of them didn't mention the movie at all (although that essay was noted as having been written before the movie and was included as a prophetic statement). Of these essays, one focused entirely on whether the technology in The Matrix was possible, which wasn't entirely interesting to me. Other essays, notably the religious ones, were quite amusing, as religion was never really intended to be a main theme of the movie, although philosophy was. The author (can't remember his name off hand, but I am sure you can look at the table of contents) who said that The Matrix was a Christian movie was quite entertaining, although a bit...inaccurate. He compared Neo to Jesus (of course) and cited Biblical scripture about the Messiah coming and being a military and spiritual leader, which is funny, since that isn't what Jesus did at all. The author comparing it to Buddhism seemed similarly deluded, since The Matrix is an anthem of personal choice and individuality, which is not at all what Buddhism is all about. Granted, there are overtones of both in the movie, but they are both wrong that the movie instills their religious viewpoints. It is, however, interesting to note that such widely disparate religions could both think that the movie referred to their religion. Perhaps they are not as far apart as they think? Perhaps they simply fell into the trap of confirmation bias. Either way, it is a fairly fun read, but not because it will give you any terribly new thoughts on the movie...rather, it will allow you to see why the movie was so popular. It meant many things to many people, and the creators did a great job of manufacturing a movie that allowed people to suspend disbelief, even if for only a moment. The book is all right, but I would rent it from a library instead of purchasing it again. I will likely only read it once.
You may find it to be better. Good luck.
Harkius
Rating:
Summary: Intellectual Thrill Ride
Review: There was a reason that cyberpunk's quick-paced revival resonated with audiences, something more than Neo and Trinity's sexy androgyny, the cool effects and apocalyptic story. Audiences left the theater literally blown away; people heatedly discussed "The Matrix" in the car on their way home. As I sat in the theater seat nearly four years ago, the screen flashing before me, I got the sense that I was on to something big. There's so much going on, so much packed into the film -- how can you even begin to address it, compartmentalize, etc? Taking the Red Pill picks up all the threads woven into the film and gives them a good tug. The result? A vibrant plentitude of interpretation springs to view. The book is accessible. It's funny and riveting, and filled to the brim with a diversity of approaches. The intellectual vigorous debate renewed my excitement for "The Matrix."
Rating:
Summary: One of the Better Matrix Books
Review: This anthology does a great job pulling interesting commentary on the movie together. In some ways it's more enjoyable than the movie itself. It has something of a religious bias, but so did the movie. Recommended if you're in the mood for deep thought lite.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Better Matrix Books
Review: This anthology does a great job pulling interesting commentary on the movie together. In some ways it's more enjoyable than the movie itself. It has something of a religious bias, but so did the movie. Recommended if you're in the mood for deep thought lite.
Rating: 
Summary: Timely and interesting.
Review: This book is rather good. In a a good way, it reminds of my old college philosophy class: thinking about "if A equals B, and B equals C, then is A equal C" etc... I especially enjoys Bill Joy's (Sun Microsystem's Chief Scientist) essay on the pace of technology advancement. What is the Martix? After all, we *are* already living in the Martix... Give this book a try if you can.
Rating:
Summary: Good and Bad
Review: This is actually a hard book to review because of the essays beign written by many authors. Basically I give this a three because it does not go into great depth. If you have thought about the Matrix while watching you more than likely have an opinion and thoughts on the subjects they write about, for example - Was Cypher right in wanting to be plugged back in? The good part of this book though is that it is a great introduction to some philosophical concepts if one hasn't taken an intro to philosophy course. It does give the background on where the ideas for this movie came from. If you really like this one or don't like it for that matter read The Matrix and Philosophy. This is a good read that goes into a little more depth than this book seems to do. Although everything I have said is not positive I do not want to discourage you from reading this book.
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