1999-2003
Directed By: Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski
Written By: Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves; Carrie-Anne Moss; Laurence Fishburne; Hugo Weaving
Machines rebel against humans, causing a catastrophic war. Humans attempt to defeat the machines by blocking their power source: the sun. The machines ultimately win this war, harvesting humans as artificial power sources, farming their electric and thermal sources of energy by creating a virtual reality program where humans are ignorant of their enslavement.
The series revolves around Thomas Anderson ("Neo"), an average computer programmer by day and an experienced and talented computer hacker by night, who is mysteriously coerced to meet Trinity, another infamous computer hacker, during a late night escapade. Trinity eventually introduces him to Morpheus, a legendary, if not almost mythical, terrorist (in the virtual reality world of the Matrix.) Morpheus alludes to a truth about the world beyond the scope of human understanding, offering Thomas Anderson a chance to experience and learn about this truth. After Mr. Anderson's "rebirth" (unplugging him from the virtual reality program created by the machines), he learns Morpheus is one of the leaders of the human resistance against the machines and their formidable agent "Mr. Smith."
When I first watched The Matrix, I was dumbfounded, bewildered, scared to answer the phone, and completely addicted. I probably watched the movie over 20 or 30 times in that first month after being exposed to it, conducting discussion after discussion in an attempt to wrap my mind around its intricate plot (although now, after fifteen years or so, the plot doesn't seem too confusing anymore, but still ranks as one of the best ideas ever written and transferred to the screen.) I still remember how long I waited for the sequel and how I went the day after its opening, alone, for a 10:30 a.m. showing (I never go to a film on opening day; I cannot handle the traffic.)
Even though the next two installments of the series did not receive as much acclaim as the first, I still loved them, craving more from the characters presented to us in the first film, wanting to see "Neo" at his full potential in the Matrix, and most notably, wanting my questions answered. Despite reviews claiming the remaining two films left unanswered questions, I felt satisfied with the answers I received, forcing myself to evaluate the information provided and form my own conclusions; and when any piece of art or literature or film causes one to think beyond preconceived notions, it immediately becomes quality.
Since I believe The Matrix films are films where the plot actually outweighs the performances, I won't comment on the few performances I deemed lackluster or on the ones I considered extraordinary; I believe The Matrix films' capacity for provoking thought is more important than the amazing action sequences or any one single performance. With the various religious and philosophical undertones and the numerous references to literature and other films, these movies could be studied as one's life work, and still, after countless viewings and research, I could imagine a new question about human interaction or our inclination for self-destruction being raised, fostering another decade of study.
Even though the next two installments of the series did not receive as much acclaim as the first, I still loved them, craving more from the characters presented to us in the first film, wanting to see "Neo" at his full potential in the Matrix, and most notably, wanting my questions answered. Despite reviews claiming the remaining two films left unanswered questions, I felt satisfied with the answers I received, forcing myself to evaluate the information provided and form my own conclusions; and when any piece of art or literature or film causes one to think beyond preconceived notions, it immediately becomes quality.
Since I believe The Matrix films are films where the plot actually outweighs the performances, I won't comment on the few performances I deemed lackluster or on the ones I considered extraordinary; I believe The Matrix films' capacity for provoking thought is more important than the amazing action sequences or any one single performance. With the various religious and philosophical undertones and the numerous references to literature and other films, these movies could be studied as one's life work, and still, after countless viewings and research, I could imagine a new question about human interaction or our inclination for self-destruction being raised, fostering another decade of study.
The next time you watch one of these films, I bet you'll think twice before answering your phone. See? They have you thinking already....
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