The Matrix (Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski, 1999) Review

Well, that hiatus came out of nowhere. I am aware it's been more than 10 days sine my review of Taken and, quite frankly, there is only so many excuses I can come up with (although, they are valid). But now I'm back to deliver some more reviews on the run up to my 300th review...which I promise will be a terrible, terrible film. Until then, let's take a look at a film widely considered to be one of the greats, The Matrix.

Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is a computer programmer currently living under the hacking pseudonym of 'Neo'. Neo finds himself targeted by a man named Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) after being in contact with another hacker named Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne). Morpheus offers Neo the chance to see the real world after learning that 'reality' isn't what he thinks it is. Neo joins Morpheus in a resistance against Agent Smith while developing skills from within a false reality.

I finally decided to watch The Matrix after all the massive hype considering that it's often considered one of the best film ever, or at least one of the most innovative films ever. At first I wasn't certain because maybe it was just throwing special effect at us and running with the generic 'chosen one' story line. However, once it hit the last act...I realised I was completely wrong. The last act of The Matrix is phenomenal! The action, the music, the cinematography, the special effects, the suspense! All of it is done amazingly well. From the moment Neo steps into that lobby, the film was on track to perfection.

While I wouldn't consider the best film ever (it was one or two flaws), I can definitely see it being one of the most innovative films. The special effects alone make the film worth watching (it's no wonder it won that Oscar for best visual effects). I must also congratulate Keanu Reeves for providing a solid performance, especially since he hadn't branched out as a credible actor at his point. I also loved Lawrence Fishburne and especially Hugo Weaving (he's good in just about everything he's in). Honestly, the only real flaw is that it does take a bit too long to get any traction but when it does, it gets good.

I'm honestly a bit ashamed that I hadn't seen The Matrix earlier. It mostly lives up the hype (I say mostly because no-one warned me about the slow start) and delivers amazing special effects, good acting, great suspense and memorable and iconic characters. I will remember this film for as long as everyone else did when it first came out. Don't hold your breath about the sequels though. Haven't seen them and probably won't for a long time.

Verdict:
9.5/10
Ground-breaking special effects hold up this memorable action flick.