The Matrix is an overatied action movie. Its barely science fiction. First off, the whole premise of the film is laughable. Human beings are needed to supplement the power of a fusion reactor? That is BS. Not to mention they are fed other human beings - essentially a huge perpetual motion machine. The human beings actual COST the power system energy. So… why keep around the competition after youve unseated them from the top? Its completly illogical.
Second, the whole ‘is this really reality’ bit has been done, and much more succesfully. Dark City was a far superior movie in this regard. And trust me, your not a genius if youve thought of this before unless youre… um… PLATO.
Third Keannu Reaves cannot act. In fact half these people might as well be replaced by androids - they are so unfeeling. I really dont care about the characters. I only identify with Neo because he is a nerd who ends up really really kicking ass in a ninja style fast paced video game kinda way - you know the epitome of what a nerd wants to do.
Im not saying its utterly horrible, but the movie takes itself way to seriously, a five year old could understand the philosophical points it makes. Get over yourself, Matrix, youre an action movie with some cool scenes. That is it.
I’m sorry but it’s a bloody excelent film. A rare gem. That is my opinion formed by seeing it. not by hype. I take no notice of hype.
Dark City was brilliant too. but not as good as the Matrix IMO.
Who cares if people can’t act or the facts are stupid. those are things that your brain tells you. When I watch a film I don’t listen to my brain, I am watching the film in order to shut my evolved brain off and stimulate my primitive brain. I don’t analyse it. I enjoy it, regardless of how little sense it makes.
IMO Kevin Costner is a terrible actor. But the films he is in are nearly always very good.
No offense, but that sounds like the intro to a porno review…
I DO care if people cant act because I want to be involved in their story, but when the story doesnt make sense and they are unbelievably horrible actors, I cant really latch onto them and I am engaged neither intellectually (through plotholes and childish philosophism) nor emotionally (through crappy acting).
The philosophy was a needed, and perfectly put in, part of the Matrix. It isn’t ground breaking or anything but it is part of what made the Matrix more than the average action film. They blended a philosophy probably not so familiar to those who watch action films with very innovative action. The product was very entertaining and neat on a level that deserves praise because most of what comes out of the entertainment industry isn’t entertaining. Ya the human as power source thing is dumb. Every movie has a few problems.
Oh and Dark City isn’t about the same thing at all. The Matrix is what if reality is a fraud? It uses this as a hook and examines it in an interesting context. Dark City is what if humanity is a fraud? It is built entirely on complex questions about identity. The fact that the city isn’t what it seems is incidental but it isn’t about a false external reality it is about something more horrifying, a false internal reality.
A movie that is built fully on the hook used in the Matrix is the 13th Floor. It is about false external reality and the implications of discovering that your world isn’t real but without the kung-fu action.
Naw, you’re right: it’s a piece of crap. A good looking piece of crap, but a piece of crap regardless. Dumb backstory, stupid motivations, and cheap dime-store philosophy. No wonder it’s coming close to supplanting Star Wars in the hearts and minds of fanboys everywhere.
I just loved it. And Keanu - acting ability aside - looks wonderful. Yes you can pick holes in the plot. But all in all this was a beautiful, exciting film, and hell of a lot more enjoyable than “worthy” stuff like American Beauty.
Yeesh. Message in a Bottle, the Pitcher movie, and Dragonfly need to be entombed in concrete and buried in the sun. His End of the world movies can stay, but only because i am a fan of end of the world movies.
Part of me agrees with Pythagoras… The Matrix really isn’t that great of a movie. It’s neither particularly original nor particularly groundbreaking. It’s derivative of other, better, movies in many parts. The acting is mostly bad, with a few exceptions. It lacks an emotional center, which really is important to me in a film. The love angle seems rushed and added-in. It has some great fight scenes and nifty effects and that’s about it.
And yet… and yet. Whenever it’s on, I can’t resist watching it. It has a visceral impact on me that’s pretty much irresistible. It’s a somewhat empty film, but fun to watch nevertheless. And will I see the sequel? You bet I will. I think I keep watching the Star Wars movies for the same reason. Must be that “primitive brain” stuff kicking in.
Oh, and Trinity kicks ass. I love to watch her move.
It would have made more sense to me if the humans were being harvested for their neuron motions, to be used as a massive memory processor thing, rather than just for electricity. That would also explain why they needed a stimulating artificial world, to keep their brains active and powerful, whatever. Otherwise why didn’t the machines make them like vegetables from birth?
I quite liked Dragonfly. Sure it was yucky, but I liked it. Message in a bottle was a pile of crap though.
The last time this came up in Cafe Society, it spawned at least 4 pages of pro- and anti- Matrix sniping back and forth. I suggest you read that, if you’re really that interested.
Post analysis aside, when you’re in the theater and are captured by the movie to the point that you can only render your analysis afterwards, you’ve been effectively entertained.
I thought it was cheifly a messianic tale; the whole false reality thing being an analogy of the soul/flesh duality - Neo is the saviour; dying and becoming more powerful in resurrection.
Yeah, I’m with EasyPhil. A movie doesn’t NEED to be “brand new” or full of great acting or “deep” in order to be good. It just needs to be really entertaining. And that’s what the Matrix has, in spades.
Takes itself too seriously? In my opinion, it doesn’t take itself seriously at all. The deeply-toned speeches, the mysticism, the narratives about the end of the world… I just see it all as good fun. A movie doesn’t need Jim Carrey dancing around like a maniac in order to not take itself seriously.
I still think of it as an above-average action movie. A good use of special effects, a half-decent plot (well, compared to most sci-fi action movies, anyway) even if it was cod philosophy, and well-casted if uninspiringly acted. To my mind it’s an equivalent to, say, Terminator, Jurassic Park or Aliens in terms of being an effective, enjoyable film that made good use of a limited cast and (for the time) good special effects.
