The Matrix (1999) Review

 

The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix follows Thomas Anderson, a hacker by the name of Neo, who, after being tracked down by Morpheus, has his life turned upside down upon learning the life he lives is a lie, as he is the prophesized one that will lead mankind in the war with The Machines. 

Considered to be a milestone in cinema and for sci-fi in general, The Matrix succeeded and took the world by surprise with it’s release in 1999 because it was exactly what the Wachowski Sisters had dreamed it would be—a mishmash of cultures, ideas, and philosophies, all in the context that the world we know isn’t real. An important concept, one that is furthered in it’s distrust for technology (a trend that would really start here as we neared the 21st Century), forcing you to kind of question your own reality and the happenings within it. Much of what makes this initial film work too is the mystery that surrounds who these characters are and what they’re capable, particularly Neo and his slow evolution into the most powerful being the Matrix has ever seen. 

Now, while this is all pulled off beautifully, in such intense fashion, The Matrix’s legacy will always rest in how it pushed the boundaries of filmmaking, stunts, and style, and how the three go so hand-in-hand. The camera becomes a part of the action, seamlessly follows the fluid, gritty action of the film in ways never before seen in cinema (like the famous bullet time scene). 

We also get a now iconic cast in Paul Goddard, Robert Taylor, Anthony Ray Parker, Marcus Chong, Joe Pantoliano, Hugo Weaving, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Keanu Reeves. Reeves, obviously, kills it as Neo and watching his transformation rival that of our own minds being blown is and always will be incredible. The Wachowski’s also understand female characters like no other, so it’s no surprise that Moss is as badass as it gets, effortlessly I might add. 

The Matrix, directed by the Wachowski Sisters, is a triumph of modern storytelling and visual effects that has left a lasting impact on film since with it’s expansive ideas of free will and one’s destiny. 

9.8/10