Review of The Matrix (1999) by Robert T — 11 Jun 2013

Stratford University Reviews.

Brandon M.

The Matrix Review.

As the world was preparing to enter a new millennium, there were many philosophical discussions emerging which revolved around the nature of humanity, such as who we are, the lifestyles we lead, and how we as a whole have gotten to where we are today. This film, The Matrix, offers a very over-the-top, fictional interpretation of all of these things. It shows it's viewers one character who, though seemingly "normal", overcomes the boundaries and limitations of his world with the help of others, and finally, reveals the enormous potential power that lays within him.

In this way, the core of the story is deeply philosophical. Now, the plot is very sci-fi in nature, so the film does not appeal to all audiences. It is also sort of right on the brink between a drama and an action thriller. I think that anyone who watches the movie purely for the sake of action is going to find the story line very distracting and confusing. As well, anyone who watches this film from a strictly philosophically critical point of view will find that the action is not necessarily required by the plot in as large a dosage it is given. That said, the movie does do a wonderful job of providing both intense action scenes and realistic looking violence while avoiding disturbing scenes of gore, and while still maintaining it's unique sci-fi twist.

I would call it a "hate it or love it" film. The main character is not going to absorb you with charisma, and the drama definitely isn't going to bring tears to your eyes, but what the film aims to do, it does well. It gives you hardcore action, and it makes you think about your life. It makes you believe that this fictional world could be real, and that even you could be a part of it. The questions raised within the film are questions that many people think about on a daily basis, such as Who am I? Is this everything that my life is meant to be? Is there a higher purpose for myself? and If I had the opportunity to change my life forever, would I take that chance?

For the people who ask themselves these questions, this movie will score high points, and it will stick in your mind. For others, it will be less easy to love, but definitely still doable, since it is a very well done movie, plain and simple. Even if only one in five viewers enjoy this film, the one that does will probably become a big enough fan for the sake of all five people, making this film a great success, and an instant classic.

R.S.

This movie is well paced and has a nicely woven story. I found the build up in the beginning, followed by the pendulum-like swinging of the pace between action and pause to be helpful in pulling you into the story. Also the added steps that were taken to build the connection between the protagonist and the other characters before introducing him on the screen paid off in my opinion by helping create a center point for the spiderweb of character personalities and plot lines.

I did find though that the culmination of the romance story threw off the pacing of the movie, however briefly; and upon a later watching of the movie I noticed a few small plot holes that really only show if you're analyzing the movie.

Overall I found that the Wachwski brothers constructed this movie so well that it compelled you to cheer for the heroes throughout the whole thing. The immersion factor of this movie was also done so well that I know many people who left the theater with me questioning, at least for a short time, if the "Matrix" was real.