254. The Matrix; movie review
Cert 15
136 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong fantasy violence
The long coats, the dark glasses, the flying through air, the slow-motion fight scenes and the unique storyline - there has never been a sci-fi movie like The Matrix and it looks as fresh today as it did 20 years ago.
Well, almost. The clunky computers and the payphones give it a certain place in time.
I am not a huge fan of science fiction but The Matrix is blow-away brilliant and I was delighted to catch up with it on our two-hour ferry crossing from Holyhead to Dublin.
It has spawned many copycats, not least John Wick - in which Keanu Reeves becomes as indestructible as his iconic Neo character.
Reeves made his name as the low-key computer programmer Thomas Anderson, who under his hacking pen-name Neo, has discovered a network called The Matrix.
It turns out that The Matrix is what Anderson and most of humankind have perceived as the real world but is a fiction created by machines.
Thereafter, he becomes embroiled in a battle by those with consciousness, led by Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss, against the machines who are defended by suited and booted agents, headed by Hugo Weaving.
The smartness of The Matrix comes in the attention to detail of its directors, The Wachowskis.
I was particularly taken by the gradual way in which Neo discovers powers he didn't know existed and is transformed into the human race's great hope.
Fishburne also created a positive impression as Morpheus, the flawed leader of the resistance.
And, of course, there is Weaving with his clipped monotone speech and his superfast fists and feet.
Down to the black ties, dark glasses and white shirts, The Matrix oozes style and this clashes intriguingly with its dystopian backdrop.
When I first watched it, I felt that it was overly complex. Now I have changed my mind - I was gripped as if I was seeing a brand new movie.
In other words, it passes the test of time with flying colours (well, flying black and white).
Reasons to avoid: Its overly complex back story
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 9.5/10
Did you know? Hugo Weaving had to undergo hip surgery after being injured during fight training.This completely shifted the shooting schedule and Weaving’s fight scenes were completed at the end of the production in order to allow time for him to heal.
The final word. Carrie-Anne Moss: "We really are all plugged into the matrix. I feel like the Wachowskis had a lot more clarity around it than I did at the time." The Guardian
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