THE MATRIX (1999)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Looking back at my thoughts on the IMDB newsgroup reviews back in 1999, I noticed a few negative comments towards my lambasted review of "The Matrix." I never cared for it, never cared for the sequels and found the whole franchise to be a confounding mess. Sure, I love the idea of the distinction between reality and fantasy and when they can merge yet David Lynch I connect with more readily. As a matter of fact, at the time there was also the release of David Cronenberg's "eXistenZ" which I found more involving than "Matrix." I have tried to watch the original film again many years later and I still could not get behind it. The visual effects are impressive and immersive yet Keanu Reeves is too much of a bore. Carrie-Anne Moss I actually found to be a more stimulating presence but the movie did not engage me or excite me. Anyways, below is my 1999 review intact, with perhaps references to other sci-fi films that are not always fair but so be it.
Original 1999 Review:
Has there been a halfway decent science-fiction picture beyond the spectacular "Dark City" in the last ten years? The mind boggles. In one word: no. And the senseless, monotonous "The Matrix" will hardly qualify as anything but pure visual candy, yet the candy will rot rather than cleanse your cinematic spirits.
In an unsuccessful attempt to make us forget "Johnny Mnemonic," Keanu Reeves plays yet another emotionless, stone-faced cyber hacker nerd named Neo who sells illegal jack devices for virtual reality games. It turns out that Neo is living in a world that is a virtual reality game itself, an artificially created environment designed by aliens in Reservoir Dogs suits, otherwise known as The Matrix. The Matrix designed this world to learn about...human nature? What makes us tick? Who knows, yet a group of leather-jacketed freedom fighters with superhuman computer powers (and sunglasses) intend to fight the aliens and prevent more humans from being...programmed? They are Morpheus (Laurence
Fishburne) and the attractive, interesting Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), along with the aptly named Cypher (bald-headed Joe Pantoliano). Later, it appears that Neo is in fact the Matrix...or so we would think. Yes, in typical sci-fi glory, the Matrix will restore the world to what it was before becoming a live-action computer game.
I admire directors like David Lynch who take us into Byzantine labyrinths - endless mazes with circular loops that ask us to make our own interpretations. But "The Matrix" is not that film. The movie simply
has an idea - the Matrix - but no story or fleshed-out characters worth caring about. The idea simply sits there while we watch fantastic special-effects fill every inch of the screen. There are some beautiful
slow-motion shots of guns firing and bullet casings grazing every inch of concrete on building rooftops - a keen reminder of John Woo's wild comic-book pyrotechnics. I also enjoyed watching the flips in the air and the frozen movements suddenly turning back into motion. If "The Matrix" were simply a financial ploy for an incredible, imaginative sci-fi picture, I would have said that I loved it. But the movie is an exercise in pyrotechnics, nothing more.
Instead of some intelligent dialogue and imaginative story structure dealing with the mysteries of virtual reality and real life, the movie opts for straightforward action, predictably formulaic
thriller elements, and bland characters. Keanu Reeves can't even smile or wink, much less emote any expression (What happened to this actor?) Fishburne, one of the most distinctive actors on the silver screen, mostly stands around and utters epiphanies about the state of the world. The one actor who stands out is Carrie-Anne Moss, who turns from a full-fledged kung-fu expert to a simple girlfriend for the seemingly indifferent Neo. What a sham!
thriller elements, and bland characters. Keanu Reeves can't even smile or wink, much less emote any expression (What happened to this actor?) Fishburne, one of the most distinctive actors on the silver screen, mostly stands around and utters epiphanies about the state of the world. The one actor who stands out is Carrie-Anne Moss, who turns from a full-fledged kung-fu expert to a simple girlfriend for the seemingly indifferent Neo. What a sham!
"The Matrix" simply recycles elements from "Dark City," "Strange Days," and every other tired sci-fi thriller in the last year or so without investing any interest outside tentacled spider robots and kung-
fu fights. If this is the state of the genre now, what can we expect in a decade?
No comments:
Post a Comment