Roll-M : The Matrix |
The Matrix (starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving; written and directed by Andy & Larry Wachowski; rated R).
Hold onto your seats – the first roller-coaster film of 1999 has arrived, and it’s quite a ride. The Matrix is sci-fi film noir, in the style of Blade Runner or the first Batman film, but with knockout FX and a fairly decent story steering them. Don’t be discouraged by other reviews you may have read, claiming that the movie suffers from a lack of scripting. The Matrix has a well-conceived, basically consistent storyline, enough to get a Mensan’s juices going.
Keanu Reeves, while not a powerhouse actor, is excellent hero material. He plays Neo, a computer hacker caught up in a web of intrigue and virtual reality. Indeed, the film gives food for thought as it poses the daring question of just what is reality – is it what the mind and our senses perceive, or are we being deluded – is life "but a dream"? Laurence Fishburne, as Neo’s Yoda-like mentor, Morpheus, leads him down the rabbit hole (almost literally), as he realizes the true nature of the "Matrix" (which I’ll not disclose here). It’s one of the best trips on film since 1968’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. All rules are suspended as they take on the Matrix’s robotic villains, the dreaded Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) and his determined cohorts (sporting the popular Men-in-Black look, complete with an endless supply of Ray-Bans. My one complaint -- it’s film noir; nearly all the scenes are dark and dank; why is everyone always wearing those shades?).
The writer-directors, the Brothers Wachowski, proved their worthiness in their breakthrough film, Bound. Now with The Matrix, they’re poised to become household names (a la the Coen Brothers, of Raising Arizona and Fargo fame).
It’s incredible what is happening today in film FX, and there is no better example than The Matrix. Even if you’re not a fan of the genre, if you enjoy action, sci-fi and/or FX movies, don’t miss this one.
FOUR AND A HALF OWLS (out of five)