Rating: 
Summary: The Matrix is special effect specialized and then some...
Review: My opinion toward the special effects in this movie is definitely top notch and deserves all the technical academy awards it deserves. And through these special effects, it has better expressed the "what is reality" phenomenon that has been touch on before, but never in this "techno" way. However, I cannnot say the matrix is an original movie due to its ideas and plot that have been explorer before. Perhapes revolutionary to some degree, but not original. And where originality can hold its own, special effects cannot. Sooner or later, its awesome "bullet time" and subtle details will give way to even better visual and audio.If I were given 0 to 10, I would give this a 7 (where 5 is the average movie, and 10 is "movie of all movies"). The DVD in my opinion is worth getting. The picture and sound quality are REALLY GOOD.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular entertainment--whoa!
Review: As a visual effects extravaganza, "The Matrix" is one of the best films ever made. The Wachowski brothers, together with a host of now-Oscar-winning technicians, have created a bleak yet stunning view of the world as run by computers, with effects that will have you hitting rewind just so you can marvel anew at what can be done with technology these days (the fight scenes in particular are mind-boggling). As for the story, well, it's nothing that hasn't been done before--ordinary guy recruited into shadowy underground to save freedom. The basic premise--that life as we know it is essentially a giant computer game--seems to be a soapbox for the filmmakers to have the characters go on at length about society's dependence on machines and the old "what is reality" spiel. Lawrence Fishburne, who plays the hacker turned father figure Morpheus, and Hugo Weaving, as the sinister "agent" seeking out the last free humans, don't seem to be acting so much as lecturing--in fact, everyone in the movie speaks very slowly and deliberately, enough so that it gets to be funny after a while. Keanu Reeves is his usual expressionless self, but this is definitely a breakout film for Carrie-Anne Moss, who doesn't show much in the way of acting talent but does possess a splendidly toned form which is frequently displayed in skintight black vinyl (and performs some amazing moves to boot). "The Matrix" is a fun movie to watch, no question, but it's not the great manifesto some diehards claim it to be. Get out the popcorn, plop down on the couch, and prepare for some great entertainment!
Rating: 
Summary: This Movie Is Way OVERRATED!
Review: I think my title made it clear that i think this movie is way overrated. It was not worth my money. I bought it expecting that it would be one of the best movies ever. The visuals are really good, great actually, but you cannot base a movie on good special effects. You need a good story. Everyone is talking about how mind-blowing all the concepts are. Well I have news for them, it is a movie that pretty much shows what paranoid people think about all the time. It just plain out did NOT impress me. The thing that ticked me off the most was that all the people who saw it said that the gun fight in the lobby was the best part of the movie, and the best scene of any. I was really disappointed with that part. All my friends said that pillars were falling down and that it was intense. First off I will say that no pillars fell down. Only one pillar looked like it got hit by tons of bullets. That scene was far from intense, because more than half of it was in slow motion. Excuse me, but slow motion in an action part of an ACTION movie doesn't really work. The only thing that was cool was when he dodged the bullets on the roof in slow motion. I will end by saying this, if you want a great action movie i will recommend a few, DIE HARD movies, and James Bond movies. The Matrix just did not live up to my expectations and i am glad i expressed this with you the reader. If you do want to see it, RENT IT FIRST PLEASE. Do not make the mistake of buying it first.
Rating: 
Summary: 5pectacular
Review: Top Film, Top Effects, Top Sound, Top DVD Features, Top Acting... ..TOP MARKS
Rating:
Summary: Don't enter in the cyber marketing movie
Review: Don't waste your money for a movie like this one. This movie was made for teenagers with anti-social messages like : don't trust the police, your parents, your teachers etc... The gratuitous violence in the movie intend to attract youth people with a message of contestation. In fact, the movie is a real product targeted for the mass market.
Rating:
Summary: It can't get any better than this
Review: well...that was about all i had to say:-)
Rating: 
Summary: An overrated film with serious flaws
Review: The reviwe that say's this film is for Nerds got it dead on. When I finished watching it I was left with the impression that I got. The film has some major problems as well. 1)The plot is unoriginal with some major holes E.G Why did not the agents takeover the gaurds in the Lobby scene and in the beginging scene or simply take over Keanu while he was in the matrix. 2)The acting except for Fishburnes performance and Agent Smith's is completely wooden. I expexct no less from Keanu Reeves but not the other's. 3)Keanu Reeves the guy cannot act (in anything)and I am still wondering why he was chosen for the film and why he won an acting award? They should have had somone else. 4)The fact that the so called hero's spend more time gunning down the people they are supposed to save does not give me the slightst sympathy for them. In fact they are more like terroists than freedom fighter's. 5)The fight scenes are good then you see a Jet Li movie and you see real figh scenes. I am glad he is in the Sequel. Only thing about that is that watching him get beaten up by Keanu REEVES WILL BE HARD TO SWALLOW. The film is severly overrated and I hope the sequel is better.
Rating:
Summary: Question Authority (especially Hollywood's)
Review: While I had problems with parts of this film's message, my rating is based on its accomplishments as an action-packed marvel of surreal computer generated special effects. This dark science fiction story deals with the illusory nature of reality, the enslavement of the human mind (by institutions of religion, education, the media and the government) and the question of whether it is better to sleep through life in blissful ignorance of the forces that control it or deliberately expose yourself to some pretty awful truths in order to fight against those forces (or as someone else once put it, whether it is better to die on your feet or live on your knees). It was refreshing to see some of these issues raised in a major motion picture (even if they were dressed up in some fantastic trappings) and on a superficial level, the film had a great sense of style. My problems with it were mostly threefold: 1) Like all action-oriented films (and almost all films, for that matter), the hero was a man. In the first five minutes of the movie, the main female character, Trinity (played by Carrie-Anne Moss), masterfully demonstrates that she can handle herself every bit as effectively as Keanu Reeves' character, Neo, the official "chosen one" she later recruits to her cause. I don't see any reason (at least not a good one) why she could not have been the star (this alone would have set the movie apart from the rest of the pack and made it a much more interesting film). 2) The "reality" presented in this movie is so dismal and horrific that I see no real reason to choose the path of enlightened rebellion taken by its heroes. While there are plenty of opportunities for people in our world to fight "the system" and bring about meaningful change, the situation in this movie seems literally hopeless. I couldn't blame anyone for choosing to remain "asleep" under these conditions (although one unsavory character sinks to reprehensible depths in order to forget the terrible truths he has learned). 3) The best way to subvert the dominant paradigm, according to this movie, is trough superior firepower and fisticuffs. I can certainly enjoy watching movie characters display their skill with guns (Chow Yung Fat in "The Replacement Killers") or martial arts (Jackie Chan in anything), but the excessive amount of blood spilled by the heroes reminded me of African-American poet Audre Lourde's observation, "The Master's tools will never dismantle the Master's house." When it comes to the sort of totalitarian oppression depicted in this movie, fighting fire with fire only leads to more innocent people getting burned. Of course, the movie tries to address this by claiming that no one is innocent (i.e.: "if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem"). While I can agree with that to a point, it didn't make me feel any less sorry for the dozens of cops and security guards who get slaughtered just for "doing their job" (which, as far as they are concerned, is to stop a bunch of gun-wielding maniacs). The premise behind the movie would provide Keanu's character and his cohorts with a variety of more creative and less violent ways to deal with the forces they encounter, but the writers stick to the cliched method of conflict resolution so often employed in movies (and real life): "shoot them all and let God sort them out." If the movie intrigues you, you might enjoy some related books available from Amazon.com. Many of the elements of "The Matrix" bare a striking similarity to "The Invisibles," a comic book series written by Grant Morrison that presents a much more sophisticated story about a band of radical freedom fighters battling the powers of conformity and control (although "The Invisibles" has frequent scenes of graphic violence even more intense than "The Matrix," it also does something that no action film ever does; examine the emotional consequences of the "good guys" indiscriminately killing the "bad guys," both for the killers and the friends and family of their victims). Collections from this series are available in the trade paperbacks "Say You Want a Revolution," "Bloody Hell in America," "Counting to None," and "Kissing Mister Quimper." Also, if you want to explore some of the real world problems alluded to in the movie, you might want to read "The Paradigm Conspiracy: Why Our Social Systems Violate Human Potential and How We Can Change Them" by Denise Breton and Christopher Largent.
Rating:
Summary: There is no spoon.
Review: I originally rented The Matrix to "get even" for having to endure my spouse's previous choice of a "chick flick." She wasn't amused with the choice, but agreed to sit through it and ultimately said it "wasn't bad," which is about as positive as she would get for this genre. Short summary: Excellent special effects and great supporting characters. The Wachowski brothers do an excellent job of creating the environment and there is a lot of obvious effort made in maintaining the atmosphere. (To wit: Swallowing the pill, slimy rebirth) The DVD version has some wonderful behind-the-scenes footage. The explanation of "bullet time" and how the effects were done added to my enjoyment and helped me appreciate how much effort and training was involved by the actors. The story boards and the "Follow the White Rabbit" program worked really well. When I initially saw the movie, I felt there was a strong John Woo influence, confirmed in the interview with the Wachowski brothers confirmed it. The supporting characters Agent Smith (masterfully played by Hugo Weaving) and The Oracle (Gloria Foster) were, by far, the most interesting in the movie. After multiple viewings, I have special appreciation for the depth which Agent Smith is played and how he develops the seething rage at the world he's trapped in. The movie is excellent entertainment, and the DVD is an incredible example of what can be done with media. "There is no spoon."
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent idea poorly executed
Review: To me, The Matrix is a film made by nerds, for nerds (I can see the 'unhelpful votes' tally rising as I type). The Wachowski brothers, like the audience this film is aimed at, clearly see themselves as Neo, transporting themselves into a CGI otherworld to save mankind, with mysterious, beautiful women like Trinity falling at their feet. It's as if they are trying to reassure themselves that they aren't really nerds and that sitting in front of a computer is actually exciting, or better yet...dangerous. And herein lies the problem. The Matrix has an unfriendly, exclusive feel to it; unwelcoming to the computer illiterate. It is also very slow, and the device of freezing characters mid-fight destroys any sense of building tension or momentum during the many action sequences. However, there is much going for it. It is simply one of the most beautifully made films I have ever seen. Bill Pope's green-hued cinematography is a standout; and the teams behind the effects, sound and editing certainly earned the Oscars bestowed upon them. The most interesting character is the one everyone else I know seems to hate - Hugo Weaving's agent. His dry, precise delivery and mannered poise is really quite entertaining to watch. Anyway, thanks largely to Keanu Reeves' attractive screen presence, The Matrix makes for a diverting enough two hours or so of your time
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