The Matrix (trilogy)
THE MATRIX (15)
D: Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
Warner Bros./Village Roadshow (Joel Silver)
US/Australia 1999
136 mins
Action/Science Fiction
W: Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
DP: Bill Pope
Ed: Zach Staenberg
Mus: Don Davis
PD: Owen Paterson
Cos: Kym Barrett
Keanu Reeves (Thomas Anderson / Neo), Laurence Fishburne
(Morpheus), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith), Gloria Foster (The Oracle), Joe Pantoliano (Cypher)
The coolest film of 1999? The Matrix is certainly one of
the coolest films of the 1990's.
Keanu Reeves plays a computer hacker trying to find a man
called Morpheus. Once he finds him, his eyes are opened to the truth; his entire existence is actually a virtual reality world, all within the confines of a mainframe computer system. The
real world is now a barren wasteland, where a handful of human survivors are in a fierce war against machines with high artificial intelligence.
It's a plot which draws off the usual sci-fi staples, but
also adds much originality as well as a reference or three to Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland stories.
The film is also worth noting for its milestones in visual
effects achievements, using "bullet time photography" to fully make a fully convincing world within a world.
8/10
THE MATRIX RELOADED (15)
D: Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
Warner Bros./Village Roadshow/NPV (Joel
Silver)
US 2003
138 mins
Action/Science Fiction
W: Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
DP: Bill Pope
Ed: Zach Staenberg
Mus: Don Davis
PD: Owen Paterson
Keanu Reeves (Neo), Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus),
Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith), Jada Pinkett Smith (Niobe), Gloria Foster (The Oracle), Harold Perrineau (Link), Monica Bellucci (Persephone)
The first sequel to The Wachowski's 1999 breakthrough
sci-fi hit is very much style over substance when compared to the original film, but still has enough action and thrills to keep it entertaining.
The story picks up where the original left off, with a
full war brewing between the 'awoken' humans and the artificial intelligence network which controls the matrix.
Its only drawback is the cliffhanger ending, making it
feel like a 138 minute trailer for the third in the series (which was filmed simultaneously with this one and released later the same year).
6/10
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (15)
D: Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
Warner Bros./Village Roadshow/NPV (Joel
Silver)
US 2003
129 mins
Action/Science Fiction
W: Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
DP: Bill Pope
Ed: Zach Staenberg
Mus: Don Davis
PD: Owen Paterson
Keanu Reeves (Neo), Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus),
Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Hugo Weaving (Smith), Jada Pinkett Smith (Niode), Monica Bellucci (Persephone)
Like most things which have revolutions, this third film
to the series goes through the same old motions and is all very much "been there, done that".
Like the second film, it's style over substance once again
with a plot consisting entirely of gobbledygook. This couldn't have gone any more off track from the first two films and leaves the impression that it was simply pieced together with
trimmings from the cutting room floor when the previous films were edited. A very unsatisfying conclusion.
4/10
