Image by 0fjd125gk87 from Pixabay As someone who enjoys science fiction when done well, I can appreciate various flavors of the genre. Whether it’s mixing sci-fi with horror in the case of films like Ridley Scott’s Alien and Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man or more character-driven dramatic approaches as exemplified by Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 and Dune. Then, of course, there’s the black-and-white classics such as Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still and Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Not to mention some good, old-fashioned fun like the best films of Legendary’s “MonsterVerse” (Side Note: I’m VERY excited for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire! 😊).
Yet, of all the modern sci-fi classics that people constantly bring up as a reference point for how good science fiction movies can be, there’s one in particular that I simply don’t get. Released 25 years ago today, The Matrix seemingly forever changed cinema in so many ways. Not only was it considered a groundbreaking step forward in CGI effects, it remains a staple of action & fight choreography that significantly increased Western audiences’ interest in Japanese anime. Furthermore, the film grossed over 460 million dollars, won all four Oscars that it was nominated for (Film Editing, Sound, Sound Editing, Visual Effects), and put directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski on the map. The film’s impact cannot be measured only within the film industry, however, as many of its political commentary & philosophical concepts have pierced popular culture to this day. All that being said, I have to ask…why isn’t The Matrix great? [NOTE: This blog contains spoilers for “The Matrix.” You have been warned.] What’s It About Set in a dystopian future, The Matrix tells the story of computer programmer Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) who’s better known by his hacking alias “Neo.” After coming across the phrase “the Matrix” frequently online, Neo is contacted by mysterious superhuman Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) who sends Anderson on a path to meet with Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). However, Anderson is pursued by a team led by Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) and surrenders to them. According to Smith, Morpheus is a terrorist and he requests Anderson’s help in stopping him in exchange for wiping his criminal record. Anderson refuses, forcing Smith to implant a robotic “bug” inside him. Anderson wakes from what he presumes is a nightmare, only to be found by Trinity once again. After Trinity delivers him to Morpheus, Anderson is offered a choice: take the red pill to learn the truth about “the Matrix,” or take the blue pill to forget everything & return to his former life. Upon choosing the red pill, Anderson’s reality distorts. He awakens in, and breaks free from, a liquid-filled pod surrounded by endless pods that contain other humans. After being safely brought aboard Morpheus’ ship, Anderson (henceforth referred to as “Neo”) learns the true history of the early 21st century involving a war between humanity and A.I. machines. When humans prevented the machines from using solar energy, they enslaved humanity before harvesting their bodies as an energy source. To keep their minds pacified, the machines created a simulated reality called “the Matrix” for all humans to exist within. Meanwhile, any free humans took refuge in an underground city called Zion. Morpheus, it is revealed, leads a group of rebel humans to break pacified humans out of “the Matrix” while fending off the Agents: a sentient program designed to eliminate any threat to the system of “the Matrix.” Morpheus believes that Neo is “the One,” a human whom prophecy claims will free all of humanity from “the Matrix.” Thus, Neo engages in virtual combat training and visits a prophet-like figure called “the Oracle” (Gloria Foster) in an effort to aid Morpheus’ efforts while questioning if the prophecy is correct about him. While visiting the Oracle in “the Matrix,” a disgruntled member of Morpheus’ crew Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) tips off the Agents to Neo’s whereabouts. Morpheus fights off Agent Smith but is captured, while Cypher leaves “the Matrix” to kill off the rest of Morpheus’ crew. Neo and Trinity, however, are saved by sole surviving crew member Tank (Marcus Chong). Meanwhile, Agent Smith interrogates Morpheus for the access codes to the mainframe computer in Zion with the desire to destroy it. Neo, with Trinity’s help, re-enters “the Matrix” and saves Morpheus with his newly developed superhuman abilities. Neo is seemingly killed by Agent Smith, but Trinity confesses her love for Neo (thus fulfilling the Oracle’s prophecy for her) which revives Neo and grants him the power to control “the Matrix.” He defeats Agent Smith while Trinity, Tank, and Morpheus survive an attack in the real world. The film ends with Neo back in “the Matrix” and promising the A.I. machines that control it that he will free humanity from their control. What’s Good About It Don’t get me wrong; there are some good things about The Matrix. For my taste, I think Laurence Fishburne gives the strongest performance out of all the actors in the movie. This shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who’s seen a part of Fishburne’s filmography; he’s one of those actors that delivers pretty much every time he’s on screen. And his portrayal of Morpheus is no exception. From start to finish, Fishburne injects a satisfying amount of grit & gravitas into his role to ensure that Morpheus is a consistently compelling mentor to Reeves’ Neo (who I’ll get to in the next section). Another thing you simply cannot take away from The Matrix is the exceptional worldbuilding. Much like Tolkien’s construction of Middle-Earth that Peter Jackson adapted for his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Wachowskis essentially created a cinematic template for the modern dystopian sci-fi universe that Hollywood has drawn on over the last quarter-century. But the twisted, dark future that they predict in the film has a unique focus: philosophy. Certainly, The Matrix is not the first sci-fi flick to explore & examine ideas. However, it is one of the first (and most successful) action blockbuster movies to be so philosophically oriented. In my humble opinion, movies like Avengers: Infinity War wouldn’t have ended up how they did because major film studios would likely be too reticent to let filmmakers presume their audience to be smart enough to engage with complex ideas. That alone earns The Matrix some praise. Of course, the most objectively impressive element of The Matrix is the special-effects work. For the time it came out, the Wachowskis’ use of CGI (notably the “bullet time” sequence) was nothing short of groundbreaking. The way the effects integrate with the action without distracting from the human beings involved helps someone like me (who was only 3 years old when the film came out & didn’t grow up watching it) comprehend why people who love The Matrix really love it. That being said, I do think (unlike some big-time defenders of this movie) that the CGI is a bit dated in retrospect. Not that I think this fact detracts from the film’s sustained influence on action movies to this day. Clearly, The Matrix remains a reference point for filmmakers (including Chad Stahelski, who worked as Reeves’ stunt double on this film & became one of the creative minds behind the John Wick franchise). Thus, if nothing else, it deserves its place in film history in that respect. What’s Holding It Back While there are clearly some admirable qualities of The Matrix in terms of its cinematic legacy, its bones as a strong piece of narrative art leaves something to be desired. Let me explain what I mean. Before anything else, like the worldbuilding & special effects, a movie needs to be on a story level and character level. In the case of The Matrix, it’s not too different from other “hero’s journey” arcs in other classic sci-fi films like Star Wars. Unfortunately, I don’t think Keanu Reeves was the best choice for the lead of this particular story. While he fits well in both zany comedic roles (from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure to Toy Story 4) and eccentric action flicks like Speed or John Wick, he doesn’t have the dramatic chops necessary to draw the audience to Neo’s emotional struggle. Undoubtedly, he excels during the action set pieces and Reeves remains in the hearts of many film lovers for that (in addition his pure-hearted nature as a human being). Thus, I do not mean to slight him when I give my honest impression of his performance as Neo in The Matrix; it just doesn’t work. Which brings me to the Wachowskis’ screenplay. I praised their approach to worldbuilding earlier, which is certainly evident in their story work. However, that doesn’t mean their dialogue & character work is on par. And I’m not just talking about Neo’s journey. I’ve seen The Matrix twice, and more often while watching it I feel like it works better as a thought experiment than as a riveting story. Maybe this is just how I see cinema, but at its core stories should entertain the person consuming the story. Is it bad to explore meaty philosophical concepts and create a lived-in dystopia in the process? Absolutely not, but those elements should not supplant telling a good story as the primary purpose of the film existing in the first place. If I don’t feel invested in the characters that inhabit the dystopian world of The Matrix and fight in cool ways, then why should I watch the film to begin with? Ultimately, why do I think The Matrix isn’t great? I think, more than anything else, it just feels a bit overrated. Again, its impact upon popular culture since it came out cannot be understated. The fact that concepts in introduced like “red pill, blue bill” continue to permeate politics & society to this day is evidence enough that it should be thought of as an important film. But, as with other genre-defying films like Jurassic Park or Mad Max: Fury Road, a film’s importance and its greatness are not always in equal measure. And, in my humble opinion, The Matrix falls in that category, too. People talk about this movie as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made & I simply don’t agree. It has some bright spots, but as a cinematic package it falls short of greatness by more than a bit. But maybe I’m wrong, and The Matrix is truly a cinematic masterpiece. I suppose you’ll have to convince me otherwise. 😊 What am I missing about the Wachowskis’ The Matrix? Do you think it’s a great movie or do you agree that something’s holding it back from greatness? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst
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Austin McManusI have no academic or professional background in film production or criticism; I simply love watching and talking about movies. Archives
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