Can we just take a moment to look at this? I have a goal of five blogs a week based on a theme decided rather spur of the moment at the close of one week or the start of the next. Last week I managed to post only two reviews, with a third coming out Sunday, and a fourth...maybe a fifth...today.
The problem? I set myself on a path I didn't even want really, I originally intended to do this in order to put fingers to keyboard (pen to paper) and get some words out there, regardless of their focus, because writing a lot is supposed to improve your ability to write, no matter the subject. Instead of just doing this to vent a need to write though, I decided I would do a series of blog posts every week, and I'm still going to stick to that! So hop over to My Arcade for what should be a series of rapid posts regarding AI in video games (I only managed one post over there!).
TITLE: The Matrix
SUMMARY:
A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.
PERSONAL CRITIQUE:
Come on, we've already talked about it, this is The Wachowskis in their prime. The Matrix takes an already scary idea, machines take over the world (see: Terminator) and twists it into something just as terrifying, what if everything is a lie? Thomas Anderson, a.k.a. the hacker Neo, a.k.a. savior of the human race The One (an anagram of Neo, obviously) is perfectly satisfied in his boring office job and exciting night life as a hacker and tech dealer, well, not really. That's why, when a mysterious message appears on his computer, Neo goes out chasing the White Rabbit, encounters a group of people who are basically cyber terrorists, and gets caught up in a war he never knew existed, the war between humanity and the Machines.
I'll go ahead and throw up a spoiler warning right here, in case you're one of those weirdos who hasn't seen the Matrix, it's a 1999 masterpiece, go watch it, now.
We're just talking about the first movie here right? Okay, so we're hit with this setting that says nothing of the sci-fi setting of the movie, except the opening. The opening sequence introduces us to Trinity, a woman who can run on walls, ninja kick cops into unconsciousness, and rather easily escape her pursuers by leaping between rooftops. Not only that, but we're also introduced to the agents, who at this point are just really tough, really powerful men in black who are out to take down Trinity. Then Trinity climbs into a phone booth, answers a phone call, and barely escapes near death.
So, yeah, definitely science fiction on some level, but what level? Well, would you believe the world as you know it is a computer simulation? No, well, that's how humans who have been freed from the Matrix view it, and Neo, our hero, is soon to be one of them. The movie revolves around an interesting plot and is put together well enough to spawn a constant stream of internet memes more than ten years later. How appropriate, since the Matrix is essentially the epitome of a technophobe's worst nightmare. Everything is put together very nicely, and while some people view the sequels as a perversion of an otherwise well put together movie, I can't help but feel like the sequels are just another layer on a delicious cake. Icing too.
There are of course some minor issues with this, such as Keanu Reeves' questionable approach to acting amazed, but other than that, and a sometimes difficult to follow plot to those who don't watch it willingly, this is fantastic. The characters are great, the music suits it, and the fight scenes are perfect. Bullet Time is utilized to the max and Neo is a kung fu master suddenly and to top it all off, we have an antagonist that will live forever, sort of.
RATING:
Nine out of Ten "Mr. Anderson"s would give this movie Five Sunglass removing "Whoa"s, out of Five.
It's probably not as great as I think to a lot of people who aren't me, but hey, I'm me, and I say this is one of the greatest movies ever. So go check it out, stop being that guy who hasn't seen the Matrix and the Lord of the Rings, come on.
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