THE MATRIX - Film Review
Created | Updated Mar 22, 2002
Oh well, that's it. There's no point in doing anymore work, so just packup and walk out of college. For according to The Matrix, our world is not our world, merely an electronic program being run as a form of prison to control us humans. So if I were you, try and answer a few of the interesting questions this predicament might present, like, for instance, "What is the MATRIX?". This is exactly what Keano Reeves has in mind.
This latest butt-kicking-cgi-sfx marathon is based in a technologically adept society with the perfect tall buildings and dirty bleak black back streets to create the neat setting for a Cyberpunk Thriller. And, as it seems from the success of Jonny Mnemonic, Keanu is the new face of Cyberpunk, because all the others are either
1. Trying to reprise old Indy Jones roles
2. MANGA, or
3. Don't look half as good as he does in a trench coat and shades. And in my opinion, he's doing a good job.
Directed by the Wachowski Brothers (Bound), they have created a good Cyperpunk local, albeit perhaps to clean, and have tried to present a thought provoking storyline with bum-shattingly good combat sfx. One of these worked, the other was lost. Just in to the opening of the film we are treated to one of the first combat scenes and the arrival of the "MiB" styled MATRIX defence system blokes. Now if there's one thing you will remember whilst leaving this film it's the combat! From this first little battle to many of the other one-on-ones, we are treated to the latest movie effect " FLO-MO " and it looks excellent! By shooting one frame of film with 120 cameras circling the action, it allows the audience to see a quazi-"3D" camera route of the on screen action (Remember the Smirnoff advert where the guy and girl escape from the bald dude?)
e.g. Keanu Reeves plus bad-guy jump towards each other legs and fists a'flying. Suddenly movement stops and Keanu and the other guy remain frozen in mid-air, but the camera's still moving! Circling around them letting you view their paused stance! And it looks incredible, definitely an effect to be seen in more films to come.
The first hour feels bland and although the set's exhibit this beautiful Gothic meets Cyberpunk style , they can't help
escape from the dreary over used dialogue, "I believe you are the chosen one", and,"Has he seen the Oracle yet?" which ends up feeling more suited to "The Dark Crystal" or "The Never Ending Story" than a film which really needs to evolve and deepen its characters and plot to constitute the need for that type of prophetic speech. However there are some nice surrealist moments allowing the film to provoke a more emotional response from the audience, such as the interrogation scene, dreams, and the references to Alice In Wonderland!
Of course the film is one of the first Summer Hits and contains most of the ingredients of a fun, watchable film. It has the necessary quota of guns and arse kicking to grab your eyes for 2 hours 19 min's and all though you may leave feeling the film should have gone on for another hour, its essentially quite good and has provided a cushion for the sequel which should be bloody great.
See also: eXistEnce, Blade, Blade Runner, Ghost In The Shell.
RATING: ****
JodaCast
This latest butt-kicking-cgi-sfx marathon is based in a technologically adept society with the perfect tall buildings and dirty bleak black back streets to create the neat setting for a Cyberpunk Thriller. And, as it seems from the success of Jonny Mnemonic, Keanu is the new face of Cyberpunk, because all the others are either
1. Trying to reprise old Indy Jones roles
2. MANGA, or
3. Don't look half as good as he does in a trench coat and shades. And in my opinion, he's doing a good job.
Directed by the Wachowski Brothers (Bound), they have created a good Cyperpunk local, albeit perhaps to clean, and have tried to present a thought provoking storyline with bum-shattingly good combat sfx. One of these worked, the other was lost. Just in to the opening of the film we are treated to one of the first combat scenes and the arrival of the "MiB" styled MATRIX defence system blokes. Now if there's one thing you will remember whilst leaving this film it's the combat! From this first little battle to many of the other one-on-ones, we are treated to the latest movie effect " FLO-MO " and it looks excellent! By shooting one frame of film with 120 cameras circling the action, it allows the audience to see a quazi-"3D" camera route of the on screen action (Remember the Smirnoff advert where the guy and girl escape from the bald dude?)
e.g. Keanu Reeves plus bad-guy jump towards each other legs and fists a'flying. Suddenly movement stops and Keanu and the other guy remain frozen in mid-air, but the camera's still moving! Circling around them letting you view their paused stance! And it looks incredible, definitely an effect to be seen in more films to come.
The first hour feels bland and although the set's exhibit this beautiful Gothic meets Cyberpunk style , they can't help
escape from the dreary over used dialogue, "I believe you are the chosen one", and,"Has he seen the Oracle yet?" which ends up feeling more suited to "The Dark Crystal" or "The Never Ending Story" than a film which really needs to evolve and deepen its characters and plot to constitute the need for that type of prophetic speech. However there are some nice surrealist moments allowing the film to provoke a more emotional response from the audience, such as the interrogation scene, dreams, and the references to Alice In Wonderland!
Of course the film is one of the first Summer Hits and contains most of the ingredients of a fun, watchable film. It has the necessary quota of guns and arse kicking to grab your eyes for 2 hours 19 min's and all though you may leave feeling the film should have gone on for another hour, its essentially quite good and has provided a cushion for the sequel which should be bloody great.
See also: eXistEnce, Blade, Blade Runner, Ghost In The Shell.
RATING: ****
JodaCast
