Rating: Summary: MAYTRICKSome viewers as sensible sci-fi Review: For a fiction to work out well- it would have to be proportionally realistic with its plot's structure. This movie fails to level that way with its story. For a try-hard sci-fi flick that tried hard to carry its plot with a bunch of far fetch scientifical explanations, still it was never able to resist on going its way to incorporate the element of fantasy to its story- in this case dealing with prophetical predicaments within its storyline surprisingly, that it doesn't fit well with its already preposterous script, which borrows heavily from the doctrines of Buddhist teachings - giving a ridiculous effect in the result ; and as if it weren't enough, they also borrowed heavily from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!Filled with bad acting and bad action choreography sequences- sure this movie may have some great overbloated special fx, but they are even all blown out of proportion at times, unnecessarily with its scenes perhaps except only for the purpose of showing off. Just recently last week i've watched X-MEN 2 on the cinema, and among the most previous films to have come out it's such that is a well made enough film to use impressive and inane type of 90's fx married well with its scenes coherent to the storyline, unlike this cacophony hogwash of a movie. If you're looking for science fiction with solid plot structure, go for them classic 70's sci-fi's like SOYLENT GREEN and The OMEGA MAN (both starring Charlton Heston) + the original PLANET OF THE APES (w/c still stands well with its satirical social commentary, unlike its remake which is completely washed out of any substance from the original siries, and is nothing but a deliberately commercialized attempt to cash in with the dime-a-dozen sci-fi movies of the past few years (quite a mojor disappointment considering that it's a film by Tim Burton)), and the Stanley Kubrick film epic of Arthur C. Clarke's 2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY. And for a sci-fi flick that goes well of its mixture with fantasy elements-- no one could go wrong with George Lucas' classic trilogy of the original STAR WARS, for the most familliar so to speak... I'm a major fan of the sci-fi/fantasy genre myself, but for me this pretensious hack goes down to the gutter with the now forgotten fad of the X-FILES... I wouldn't nary give a hoot about its couple of sequels now showing in the cinemas. So bumb this review - i don't care. Rate: 1 1/2 out 5 - for the special-effects.
Rating: Summary: Matrix an 'easy concept'? Review: I would suggest that anyone (especially the previous reviewer) who thinks the concept of reality/unreality is an "easy concept" please read Decartes Meditation I-VI. BTW, I thought the Matrix was/is a great movie for anyone who likes a little thinking with their summer blockbuster. It's the best Sci-fi/action/conceptial film that I've seen, period. I'm really not one to rush out and see a film when it initally opens, but The Matrix Reloaded will see me breaking that pattern.
Rating: Summary: An incredible story Review: I'm sick of hearing people say, "Great action and it has a decent story, too." Movies are unwatchable a second time without a story. I've seen this one probably about 15 times. The reason is the story. It's fantastic. The visuals only make the story believable and they do it well. A movie like the Matrix does not get people saying, "I'd explain it if I could, but to understand it, you have to see it for yourself," without an incredible and, absurdly, plausible story. My only beef: The lobby scene is unnessessary!! I hope the sequels don't do that.
Rating: Summary: Cliched and dense but never boring Review: Yes, this is a somewhat convoluted story and pretty much "copies" many Phillip K. Dick stories, but I can say I was never truly bored. There's always something to find out in this movie, it just never reaches it's full potiental. And I really didn't think the visual effects were all that great. But I am looking forward to the sequels, but I'm not going crazy over them.
Rating: Summary: Moviemaking enters the 21st century Review: Even though The Matrix was released in 1999, it can easily be considered the first motion picture of the twenty-first century, a movie unlike any that had come before. This was the DVD that, upon its release, many of us bought in order to see just how good our new DVD players could be. The special effects, with an exception or two, were unprecedented in terms of their scope, style, and presentation at the time, and the somewhat complex plot managed to capture the imagination of untold numbers of movie goers. Combining science fiction, action, and adventure in an entirely new way, The Matrix was nothing if not exceedingly cool. For once, I will not dwell on the plot; it is hard to explain, and those who know nothing about it can easily find summaries of it. I will say, however, that I'm a little surprised that so many people embraced this movie with open arms because the plot is somewhat ambiguous, and the ending seemed to invite the possibility of a sequel without coming right out and announcing that it would happen. I find similarities between this movie and Vanilla Sky in this regard, yet many who were totally confused by the latter film seem to embrace this one. Laurence Fishburne was the real star of this movie, in my opinion, bringing life to Morpheus in such a way that made the convoluted plot seem plausible; a lesser actor in that role could have doomed The Matrix, no matter how incredible the special effects were. Carrie-Anne Moss also blessed the character of Trinity with a humanity that enriches the film. Keanu Reeves overcomes a couple of what I like to call David Schwimmer moments early on and grows into the type of hero this movie demands. As for the special effects, I found them exceedingly good but perhaps a tad overrated. The early "mouth" effect, for example, was shockingly unimpressive, and the slow motion wave-like movement of bullets toward the end looks a little hokey to me; everything else was impressive indeed, though, particularly the famous jumps and helicopter sequence. One of the really nice extras available on the DVD is the feature on the making of The Matrix. While it takes a tiny little something away from the movie to see how those acrobatic jumps and fight scenes were filmed, one cannot but be deeply impressed by the level of commitment of the actors in terms of their months-long preparation and training. The movie commentary offers more insight into the movie, and the music-only audio track is also a nice touch. When I first dove in to the DVD owner pool, The Matrix instantly became the movie by which all of my DVDs were judged. As time marches on, this has changed a little bit, but age should only enhance the fascination of movie lovers with this very impressive, unique, and extraordinarily cool film that heralded a brand new century in movie-making.
Rating: Summary: Wow! Impressive Review: This movie will shock you. The storyline is about a mam,Anderson, finds out thathis world is not a real world but a computer program. He frees himself and is believed to be the chosen one. His real name is Neo, and he fights off viruses known as the agents. The martial arts are cool, graphics are mindblowing and sweet. MUST BUY FOR SCIFI FANS!!!
Rating: Summary: "What is Real?" Well, This Movie is Really Good Review: The brainchild of the Washkowski brothers, "The Matrix" is one brain-boggling experience that leaves you cheering, as well as wondering how the hell they pulled off those special effects and told the story so well in the midst of it all. "The Matrix" revolutionized the science-fiction genre, by throwing in elements of fantasy, anime and tons of martial arts-esque action. The casting is dead on, and if you look down the list, all you see is perfection, or damn close to it. Keanu Reeves proves beyond all doubt he can carry a complex, involved movie as Neo while Laurence Fishburne is there to back him up as the freedom-driven Morpheus. But what really brought the movie together are the performances given by Carrie-Ann Moss as Trinity and Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith. Moss gives the action heroine new life, while Weaving is a brooding, terrifying villian that, at the same time, gives us a new look at what a villian can be. Neo is a computer software engineer by day and a hacker by night. He spends his nights looking for something to jar him from his routine, insipid life, and give him clarity to something that has been in the back of his mind all of his life. He finds what he is searching for when Trinity takes him to meet Morpheus, and Morpheus shows him the truth of what the planet Earth has become. A computer-generated illusion, created by artificially-intelligent machines that control the human race, while fighting off the few that try to liberate mankind. Morpheus and his comrades attempt to prove to Neo that he is a Chosen One, the One destined to bring about the downfall of the machines. But the Matrix has its soldiers. Computer generated men in suits called agents, who are far superior to the humans in the Matrix. If the Matrix is to collapse, that agents need to be destroyed. I said earlier that you left wondering how the hell the special effects were pulled off. I still don't quite know for sure, but they are impressive nonetheless. The movements of the people in motion seems to slow-down and speed-up at will, and the still frame shots have far more depth and substance than the all-digital world created in the Star Wars prequels. If this movie is any indication, the next two sequels are bound to be someting to see, but until then, "The Matrix" can still stand as a rousing piece of sci-fi.
Rating: Summary: 'The Matrix'- A TRUE Classic Review: The Wachowski Brothers are surely brilliant. 'The Matrix' practically created the Bullet-Time genre, in which was spoofed by over 20 movies, yet this movie does it the best. The gut-pounding action is great, and the special effects are superb. The visuals are absolutely stunning. Though this is only their second directing ('Bound' being their first,) 'The Matrix' breaks so many boundaries, and is hands-down one of the greatest, no, IS the greatest Sci-Fi film of all time. I really do not see how this plot can be so 'confusing'. Begin Summary: A man, named Thomas A. Anderson leads another life as a hacker named Neo. He realizes that he has been living in an artificially created world known as 'The Matrix'. He meets the one and only Morpheus, who sends him to the real world. There, he finds out that when A.I. was invented, the machines needed solar energy to live because they were fighting with the humans, so this is how 'The Matrix' was created. Neo and other freed members must fight and destroy 'The Matrix' so the human race can be free. End Summary. Simple as that. Now if people just followed the story line and PAID ATTENTION, they would get the plot. I pretty much love this film from start to finish, and the soundtrack is great. If you're a Sci-Fi fan, make sure to pick this up on DVD with awesome features. And there's only two weeks left until 'Reloaded'...
Rating: Summary: Good idea, but doesn't deliver Review: At the base of this film is the simple concept that everything around us is a computerized hologram (aka The Matrix), masking a less-than-ideal real world. It's an idea I too have thought would make a good movie, as I'm sure a lot of other people have. It's not too difficult of a concept. But the movie keeps explaining it. And explaining it. And explaining it. Over and over. Apparently they think the viewers are very very slow. I was sitting in the theater thinking "Okay, I get it! Move on!" and then they continued explaining it for about another hour. Keanu Reeves plays someone is isn't very smart because it takes an hour to explain simple things to him. And I guess it has good special effects. But I'd think any movie that relies on special effects will soon appear dated, since anyone will be able to recreate them on home computers in several years. To me, this movie seems like a good idea that didn't develop.
Rating: Summary: Every story has to start somewhere. Review: Those who are disappointed with The Matrix should be ashamed of themselves. Every great story has to start somewhere. Take Star Wars for instance. A great series started with 'A New Hope' the movie where we learn about the plot. Those who love Star Wars respect 'A New Hope' for the fact that it tells you where and when you are. The same goes for the Matrix. Respect the movie for the fact that it shows you where and when you are in the series.
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