The Matrix (1999)

Director: The Wachowski Siblings

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Hugo Weaving

Country: United States

Rating: R

Run Time: 136 minutes

In 1999, American audiences were introduced to the blockbuster phenomenon that was The Matrix. It was the ultimate cinematic blender that found a way to fuse aesthetics from Alice in Wonderland, Doctor Who, Hong Kong action films, Japanese Anime, various religions, cyber culture, and much much more. Much like Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Matrix was a huge hit that combined blockbuster special effects with old fashioned rated "R" shoot 'em up and beat 'em up action. Thanks to the Wachowski Siblings directing, writing, and innovative camera work, The Matrix turned out to be one of the greatest American action films of all time.

Aw yeah. Praise the movie Gods.

The Matrix tells the story of a hacker named Thomas Anderson / Neo (Keanu Reeves). Anderson's world is turned upside down when he is introduced to the truth: the world as he knows it is only a computer program called The Matrix. Long ago, artificial intelligence enslaved humanity and now feeds off of our bodies in order to fuel their existence. Since than, a few humans have unplugged themselves and have made it their mission to find "The One", the prophecized savior of humanity. Neo is introduced to Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss), and a group of rebels who have made it their mission to find Neo and stop the sentinels that have overthrown the world.

This epic plot sounds like it could span three movies (and it eventually did). However, what makes The Matrix great is that this epic plot is not the main focus of the film. Instead, Neo must learn whether or not he truly is "The One" while training himself in martial arts and guns. He also must come to grips with the fact that his life has been nothing but a farce. Neo and friends must also combat Mr. Smith (Hugo Weaving) and his fellow Agents; essentially computer programs built into The Matrix who fight for the sentinels. These small and personal character arcs and storylines help make The Matrix a more focused and emotional film.

"In the Matrix, we all wear tight black leather."

As I stated before, The Matrix excels as an action blockbuster much like Terminator 2: Judgement Day because it focuses on characters that we actually care about and places them within small scale action scenes that raise the tension. The beauty of the final act of the film is that each action sequence focuses on just a small group of characters. There are no large and confusing Transformers-styled city battles here (that's right, I am taking a stab at Michael Bay's Transformers). Therefore, we really feel like we are on the adrenaline ride with each character and care for their fate at the same time.

I have stated before on this blog that I am not a large fan of "third act build up" action films. These are the kind of films that save all of their action and special effects for the final act of the film. Therefore, the first two acts are very slow and heavily reliant upon their characters and story. Some flawed action films that use this technique include Man of Steel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Max Payne, and Death Wish 3. By the time these films reach their epic finales, you won't care about the characters or story anymore. The action becomes exhausting to watch and you'll be dying for the film to be over. I know this is a controversial opinion of mine and some people love these big finales and that's great for you but they aren't for me.

However, The Matrix is a successful "third act build up" action film because the first two acts of the film are extremely interesting, unique, creative, innovative, and gripping even without action. You'll love the film so much that by the time you reach the action, you'll be jumping out of your seat.

Best action movie couple of the '90's?

And how about that action? The Matrix is a Hong Kong action movie fan's dream come true because the fight scenes are choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping (The Grandmaster, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, etc) and the gun fights are modeled after the films of John Woo (A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, etc). Readers of my blog know that I consider the action scenes of Hong Kong cinema to be the absolute best there is. Therefore, I love this film for introducing American audiences to the types of martial arts and gun play that H.K. audiences have been so familiar with.

While there are some very small fight scenes during the first two acts of the film, the best action scenes are saved for the finale. The lobby shootout that kicks off the finale is one of the greatest shootouts of all time. It's beautifully shot, scored, edited, and sound designed. Everything flows perfectly. We are than treated to another great action scene where Neo fires a minigun from the side of a helicopter into a room in order to save Morpheus. All of the film's shootouts are a sight to behold. I can't rave enough about how gorgeous the slow motion shots in this film are.

The Matrix also delivers on the big confrontation between Agent Smith and Neo that we have all been waiting for. And what a fight it is! They start off by shooting at one another and than leap into the air and continue to fire! A beautifully choreographed Yuen Woo Ping fight proceeds after this and it is just so great. I could write a whole article on just the action scenes of this film. I'll leave these three paragraphs to convey my love for them though. There is so much more to talk about in this film.

"Mr. Anderson."

The characters and performances in this film are all fantastic. Keanu Reeves is great as Neo, a quiet and stoic action hero that suits Reeves' calm sensibilities. Reeves has since become a joke on the internet as a bad actor and many people mock him for being one noted in his films. However, I think Reeves is very good in this film and many other films. While not normally associated with the genre, I think that Reeves is an interesting and notable action icon to study. With films like Point Break, Speed, Johnny Mnemonic, The Matrix Trilogy, Constantine, Street Kings, Man of Tai Chi, and 47 Ronin under his belt, Reeves is an action icon in my eyes.

Carrie Anne Moss (Memento), Joe Pantoliano (Bad Boys), and Laurence Fishburne (Apocalypse Now) all give great performances as well. Moss is great as the sexy and kind Trinity, Pantoliano is great as the devilish and wise ass Cypher, and Fishburne is darn near perfect as the wise and calm Morpheus. I want to single out Fishburne's performance specifically because he portrays Morpheus so well that I actually view Fishburne as Morpheus in real life! However, the scene stealing performance of the film goes to Hugo Weaving. He is flat out perfect in every way as Mr. Smith. Smith is an unforgettable character because he talks slow and pronounces his words very carefully. I love the Wachowskis' decision to make the Desert Eagle the signature side arm of all of the Agents. It's a beautiful looking gun and it looks even better when fired in slow motion. Overall, Hugo Weaving gives the villainous performance of the film and will ingrain his presence into your psyche forever.

The Matrix is also a technical marvel. The cinematography by Bill Pope is absolutely excellent. His shots are gorgeous and I love every single one of them. I love the choice to depict the Matrix as green and the real world as blue. Some of the shots in the first third of the film feel like they are straight out of a film noir. There is also a great shot during the final Neo and Smith face off that feels straight out of a Euro Western. Pope's photography heightens the film to an Oscar level quality of filmmaking. 

Composer Don Davis also delivers a breathtaking score. After re-watching the film for this review, I couldn't get any of the film's tunes out of my head. For example, I love the track that plays before Neo and Trinity enter the lobby. It sounds like repeated metal smashing on the ground. I also love the music that plays during Smith and Neo's big fist fight. It's an incredible track that will get your heart and adrenaline running. I also adore the Wachowksis' admiration for Japanese Anime. Many elements of Ghost in the Shell and Akira resonate throughout The Matrix. 

Neo takes aim at the detractors of The Matrix sequels.

The Matrix is simply a cinematic landmark. It's an incredible science fiction tale, an action fest, and a philosophical feature too. The Wachowski Siblings crafted a beautiful action film with memorable characters, an awesome story, incredible cinematography, a perfect score, and excellent action. 15 years later, the film still holds up and stands as one of the contemporary action greats. Tune in next time for the even bigger, larger, and crazier...The Matrix Reloaded.

Rating: 10/10 - One of the best action films of both the 90's and of all time! Highly recommend for all to see!

Franchise:

The Matrix (dir. The Wachowski Siblings, 1999)

The Matrix Reloaded (dir. The Wachowski Siblings, 2003)

The Matrix Revolutions (dir. The Wachowski Siblings, 2003)