Directed by: Andy Wachowksi and Larry Wachowski (now Lana and Lilly Wachowski)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Hugo Weaving
The Matrix is technically sound, but entirely overburdens us with plot complications, swerves, and gun and/or fistfights. Consider this: Machines and computers take over the planet (a la The Terminator) and create "The Matrix", in which seemingly ordinary daily life is really a disguise for their evil intentions. Humans aren't humans at all, but just batteries in waiting for the machines to use to keep themselves charged and keep "The Matrix" going. As described by the portentous Morpheus (Fishburne), who leads the rebellion against the machines, the average human body emits enough electricity to run entire computer networks. So, the planet is now a farm to grow humans and thus more batteries.
Fair enough. But because the machines have the technological savvy to create such a dynamic, how can their allow their fate to be decided on the outcome of a fistfight or an ordinary handgun? They can rule the world, but can't create better security than sinister agents in suits and sunglasses getting into shootouts? Or going mano y mano with the good guys? And since the movie possibly takes place two hundred years in the future, hasn't communication advanced past dial-up modems, rotary telephones, and pay phones by then? At least the Back to the Future guys were able to have some fun with their vision of the future.
If you compare the world of "The Matrix" with the world of the rebels, the rebels got shafted. The world of the rebels is confined to a dingy, dank spaceship which looks like something which would wind up on the Star Wars scrap heap. They eat disgusting gruel, yet seem to have flashy black threads, overcoats, and shades handily nearby so they can look mighty conspicuous while trying to defeat the machines. Characters are given a choice to take a red or green pill, one which will allow them to slip back into "The Matrix" and the other to continue to learn about "reality". One character decides to take the pill which would allow him to go back to "The Matrix". Who could blame him? The characters are thrust back and forth between alternate realities, dimensions, and planes so often we lose our footing, which may be intentional.
Morpheus recruits computer programmer Neo (Reeves) to lead the revolution against the machines. Neo is shown humans' true fate and learns how hand-to-hand combat in much the same way Obi-Wan taught Luke Skywalker how to use a light saber. We soon realize the high concept storyline will give way to typical action movie clichés and a final battle between Neo and Agent Smith (Weaving), the menacing leader of the agents assigned to protect "The Matrix". Helping Neo and Morpheus are a ragtag group of rebels which include Trinity (Moss), who seems to have a generous supply of leather pants and tops at her disposal so she can look sexy while battling the bad guys.
Neo is consistently referred to as "The One" by Morpheus and Trinity, and Neo is indeed an anagram of "one" (whoa), so the movie pounds it into our heads that he was born to be the leader of the revolution. As the movie creaks to its conclusion, Morpheus must repeat "He is The One" five times if he says it once. The Matrix has nifty choreography and some interesting visuals, while Reeves is a sturdy action hero, but the story is borrowed from elements of The Terminator, while the action scenes harken back to westerns and martial arts films. The problem is it never achieves liftoff or much of a reason to care if the rebels succeed. The way I see it, besides the whole "eventually you will be used as a battery" thing, the folks in "The Matrix" have jobs, lives, and are blissfully unaware of what will happen. All things considered, they could be on a rundown spaceship eating crap and using cheap, outmoded teleporting equipment, but they know their fate. As one of the characters puts it, "Ignorance is bliss".
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