Production Year: 1998 - Action/Adventure - Director: The Wachowski Brothers - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Gloria Foster, Marcus Chong more
Neo seeks the truth about the Matrix. Only one man has the answer, an elusive dangerous man who is known as Morpheus. A stranger called Trinity invites Neo to follow a white rabbit... more
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The Matrix DVD
Perception: The Everyday World is Real. Reality: That World is a hoax an elaborate ... more
deception spun by all-powerful machines of artificial intelligence that control us. Mind blowing stunts. Techno-slamming visuals. Megakick action. Keanu Reeves and Lau...
The "Matrix" Comics
The Matrix revolutionized the science-fiction action film for ever and this collection of ... more
stories delves deeper into the world of the movies exploring every aspect of the struggle between machine and mankind between what is real and what is illusion. With contributions from the biggest names in comic writing and art this is actually better than Reloaded and Revolutions. - Movie Insider Magazine If you're a comic fan or a fan of illustrated storytelling get this book now. If you're a Matrix fan and new to comics this might be the best introduction you could ask for! - The Matrix 101.com
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item....
end-of-the-millennium movie, a statement of the American Zeitgeist and a prognosis of the future of big-budget Hollywood film-making. Starring Keanu Reeves as Neo...
philosophical, literary or comic book - together with its iconographic use of costumes, ground-breaking special effects and its stars, alongside its very...
Enter the Matrix (PC)
Now's your chance to take the red pill for real andEnter The Matrix--not simply a video ... more
game adaptation of the films but a whole new chapter in theMatrixsaga. Indeed, the best thing aboutEnter The Matrixis the way it seamlessly connects with the three films, for although it's based on none of them directly, it allows you to play the role of either Niobe or Ghost (minor characters fromThe Matrix Reloaded) while running into the likes of Neo, Morpheus and Agent Smith as the game's story unfolds. Not only that but the story, as well as all the exclusive video footage, is written and directed by the films' creators, the Wachowski brothers.The game itself is, somewhat predictably, a third-person shoot-'em-up not at all dissimilar to a more balletic version ofMax Payne. It's somewhat surprising though, for such a high-profile game, to find the graphics are actually a little below par and the controls somewhat clunky, but generally it all looks and plays pretty well with all the classicMatrix-style slow-motion acrobatics relatively easy to pull off.Easily the best bits of the game are the on-foot chase sequences, usually involving agents, which are actually rather tense and a great way to show off all the running and leaping powers you've mastered in the rest of the game. The worst bits are the car chases, especially if you play as Niobe and have to put up with the terrible car handling, instead of just hanging out the window and shooting as Ghost. Still, this is a decent game overall which, although unlikely to win any awards in itself, is sure to please mostMatrixfans. --David Jenkins
Production Year: 2003 - Action/Adventure - Director: The Wachowski Brothers - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith, Monica Bellucci
Production Year: 2003 - Action/Adventure - Director: John Singleton - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Paul Walker, Eva Mendes, Tyrese Gibson, Cole Hauser, Ludacris, James Remar, Devon Aoki
Production Year: 2001 - Action/Adventure - Director: Rob Cohen - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Ja Rule, Rick Yune
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1974 - Action/Adventure - Director: H.B. Halicki - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:George Cole, James McIntyre, H.B. Halicki
The best film I have seen and an above average DVD
A review by ickle_devil on The Matrix (DVD) July 15th, 2001
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Story
Outstanding
Characters / Performances
Outstanding
Special Effects
Outstanding
Soundtrack
Outstanding
Advantages:
the film, some geat extras
Disadvantages:
i wanted more
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Being a DVD virgin you will have to be kind to me and put up with me lack of knowledge on what to write in a review of a DVD. Well the way I see it I love the film and have recently acquired the DVD, from a friend, and so thought what the hey, I mean I have nothing better to do with my Saturday afternoon (well i did so really add Sunday night to that too).
The Matrix was one of the biggest films in its year of release, and rightly so, this is a fantastic film that has both style and substance. It is superb and personally I cannot knock it. Many people took the feeling that this was just special effects, wrong the story is so intricate and complicated you cannot watch it only once. This is one of those films that revels something new every time you see it and never fails to entertain.
So here goes, the confessions of a virgin, please be gentle this is my first time!
…The Movie You can’t review the DVD without mentioning the film, so lets take a trip to the Matrix…
The Cast… Neo (Thomas Anderson) – Keanu Reeves plays a young man looking for an answer, is a bred computer hacker who seeks thrills from his mundane run of the mill life. Hence why he chooses to hack systems for people, to get a buzz. However as with the rest of the film, all is not what I seems, and Neo has a secret, which even he doesn’t know. But is he ready?
Morpheus – Laurence Fishburne plays the man with the answers, he sets people free and helps them realises just what is going on in the world. He will do anything for what he believes. A rather suspicious character, which is very secretive and we never learn a lot about.
Trinity – Carrie-Anne Moss she one of the few females to be set free by Morpheus, she was once a top computer hacker, but what is it exactly hat she does now? Well she helps Morpheus in his quest to enlighten the world.
The Story… Neo is a computer hacker who by night and Thomas Anderson by day. That’s not to say he has split personalities it’s just he has a respectable job, life and such as Thomas, but he is unfulfilled. As a result he uses his free time to hack computers under the name of Neo. However his world is turned upside down when he gets a mysterious message on his computer, to ‘follow the white rabbit’.
He has been contacted by a group of individuals lead by Morpheus, they are a revolutionary lot (I don’t know how else to put it), they have spent years looking for ‘the one’ and that person Morpheus believes is Neo. This is why he is so important to them, and they put their lives in danger to make him one of them.
Neo is taken to Morpheus where he is told the horrible truth about the world he is living in. The reality is that the world as Neo knows it does not exist, it is a computer program. The earth is actually run by artificial intelligence (computers with their own minds) and they use humans as a source of power, the world (or matrix) is designed to keep them happy and content. He must then learn how to live inside and outside of the matrix as someone with the knowledge, this roves to be difficult as they encounter bounty hunters in the matrix and attacks in reality. All in all dangerous living.
Well the rest of the story is basically Neo coming to realise if he is ‘the one’ and dealing with the knowledge he now has.
The directing and acting… This film does rely heavily on the use of special effects, I am not denying that, but the whole movie is actually given a real level by the high standard of acting and the brilliant directing it received. This is truly a masterpiece I can assure you. The effects are amazing and will blow your mind and the actors are perfectly suited to their roles, this was the perfect ‘come back’ movie for Mr. Reeves and the supporting cast is well chosen to balance his skill.
Soundtrack… This film has everything going for it, including a pumping soundtrack which adds to the over all viewing experience. Boasting contributions by:
Marilyn Manson The Prodigy with the excellent ‘Minefields’ Rage Against the Machine Deftones Rob D with the fantastic and much used in this film ‘Clubbed to death’ what a top song, good going guys! And a whole lot more you can see the basic feel of the music, that is soft rock/alternative, to fit in with the movie really.
The soundtrack was released on Maverick Records and a mate of mine has it and I am telling you it is well worth your hard-earned cash.
General info… Rating – 15 Run time – 131 minutes Warner Brothers movie Region 2 DVD PC compatible, with added extras, see rest of op Windscreen
Website = www.whatisthematrix.com
…The DVD Now onto the real stuff, the DVD and what it offers you.
When you put the DVD on, after the initial screen that you get with all movies, by the distributor of the film, you are quickly thrown into a fast paced trailer like sequence. This introduces you to the film, just incase you haven’t seen it or missed all the hype! The menu selections then come onto the screen with the background being a loop of numerous sequences from the film, oh and some dodgy music, which really got on my nerves.
So what special features con you get with your very own DVD player, well as follows…
In the Main menu there are four options, there are:
Scene Selection Special Features Languages Play Movie
Scene Selection… There are 38 individual screen selection available to chose from, they are:
1 – Trinity in a jam 2 – Impossible pursuit 3 – Follow the instructions 4 – The question 5 – “They’re coming for you” … 34 – “My name is Neo” 35 – Sentinels attack 36 – “He is the one” 37 – Final connections 38 – End credits
Well you didn’t think I was going to list all of them did you?! Each scene selection comes with a little picture in a spherical type of space, quite groovy looking actually. Those familiar with the scene will see from the above that the selections are self explanatory, if not by their name (in the DVD case) then by their picture.
As I said there is a scene index in the front of the DVD case, will when you open it, it is the first thing, and so this should aid your decision making, for those of us that don’t want to watch everything or have stopped half way through. Always useful don’t you think?
Languages… You can only have the soundtrack in English, but as with most DVD’s there is the option of subtitles, in this case there is
English Arabic Romanian and Bulgarian
If any of the above tickle your fancy, however there is also an option ‘English for the hearing impaired’ which just basically adds English subtitles!
Play Move… Self-explanatory really, this is to play the film!
…Special Features Now onto the really juicy stuff, the rest this baby has to offer.
There are two options in this, ‘cast and crew’ and ‘the dream world’.
Cast and Crew… A list of all the actors, well important ones, and the main people involved in the making of the film, you then decide who you want to know about, simple as. A ‘data file’ is then brought up which tells you everything you wanted to know about that person, or something they thought was of interest. Numerous pages for each one, happy reading, but personally I found it annoying and the text a little difficult to read.
The Dream World… The real features I have to say, consisting of three options, although if you are like me they may confuse you a little bit, or am I just stupid?!
1. Making of the Matrix
Shows you how the film was made, obviously, including interviews from the people involved and explanations of the story, how things were done etc. There are some good interviews with the cast, which I found to be fun to watch, but the crew seemed boring to me! I suppose they are all ‘boffs’ so there we go. You also get everyone’s different view of the film, what they thought the story was, and of the way things were done.
Takes you to different places where filming was done too, like Sidney.
2. Follow the White Rabbit
What this does is play the film with the added bonus of you getting a little white rabbit popping up on the screen every now and again. When you see the rabbit it means there is some extra footage you can see or as the DVD says ‘viewable hidden special effects footage’. Indeed! When you see the rabbit you are supposed to press ‘enter’ on your remote (click the little bunny if using a computer DVD player thing) and then you are shown secrets of the matrix. Simple as that. Quite a novel and I must say compelling idea, with lots of fun, just trying to second guess when the rabbit will appear.
Makes the film a little more exciting if this is the 100th time you have watched it. You get 9 little documentaries on the special effects, aww bless!
3. Take the red pills… To go to this option you have to highlight the little red pill and then select it and off we go. What this does is explain things to you and take you through the mind bending features!
‘What is bullet time’ This explains how the scenes where the camera slows everything down was done and the way technology was used to achieve those fantastic results.
All in all I was not impressed with this option, the case says ‘mysterious, mind bending extras’ but maybe that was me. This selection is all about hidden special effects documentaries, but personally I was sick of documentary type things, too many!
For a PC DVD-ROM drive… Yes there are added bonuses for the lucky people who happen to be using their computer to watch the DVD this consist of:
The One… This is like a mini test where you are to answer questions about the film to test your knowledge and see if you are ‘the one’.
Do You Know Kung Fu… This allows you to choose a specific action sequence in the film, so you can go straight to your favourite fight.
Screenplay and Storyboards… This follows the making of the film from paper to reels of movie.
7 Special Essays and Articles… There are published articles and essays written especially about various topics such as, a martial arts retrospective, comic books on screen, stuff like that.
Original Website… No need to access the Internet to have a look around the website, it is all here for you on the disk, links and all.
Special Web Events… Listing all special stuff going off for promotion, like celebrities going in the chat room and happenings etc.
For this there are some set system requirements though… Windows 95 or above DVD-ROM drive 166 MHz Pentium Processor 32 MB RAM 5-20 MB hard disk available IE 4.0 or above
Packaging… Ok this is where you might be thinking how on earth could the DVD case be of interest, well this one actually is. It is like a book (the best way I can think to describe it. It opens like a normal case, except it is not the hard type and is shut by a plastic strip; well a film of this quality couldn’t do the normal things!
- The front
This is not over the top or at all flashy, it is simple yet very effective. It is the main image that was used on the posters of the film, with four of the characters stood around in tight clothes looking sexy and provocative with Keanu Reeves in the foreground. The title and two main actors names and that’s it really. Except for the background, which looks plain and boring but actually it is more complicated and there is a lot more going on than at a first glance.
As with the film, nothing is what it seems to be!
- The back
A little cluttered for my liking, I think the problem is they tried to put too much information on and it spoils the effect. We are given a kind of blurb (short introduction to the story) and a picture to go along with it. Then it goes on about the special features, both for the DVD player and the DVD-ROM. Then the web events and such, and last the necessary credits and disclaimers (like age certificate). Overall too much is going on with no definition or structure.
- The rest
So open the box up and there’s the funky looking disk and opposite a scene selection guide, with a picture of Miss Carrie-Anne Moss looking damn fine, and that’s from a female point of view blokes! The background is also really nice, a fade and mix of colours, really eye-catching.
But hang on it gets better, this will actually move and you open it up to reveal another two inlay things. The first concentrates on the special features for DVD players, well a very short and brief idea of what there is, with a picture of Neo and Trinity in the background. The second concentrates on the features for DVD-ROM, with only a little picture and a black background, plain but effective opposite the big picture of the other two characters.
However the content of these left a lot to e desired and my initial excitement was short lived, but still a great idea, looks good and well I read it all, so I suppose it worked.
…Conclusion Well for those of us who are still awake after all that my opinion will very soon be coming to an end. Firstly I have to say that this is a fantastic film, with mind blowing and outstanding special effects and a story to match this. A flash of brilliance form those who brought us the disappointing ‘Bound’ (Wachowski Brothers).
So having said that, and loved the film so much I was not expecting a lot from the DVD, after all most films just don’t bother. The DVD did have some very good features, but they mainly concentrated on the special effects. For those of us into that sort of thing this is a brilliant DVD, however I was left a little empty and lacking something more, but maybe I just expected perfection to compliment the outstanding film.
All things considered not a bad purchase and the film more than makes up for the one track mind of the DVD. This is a truly excellent film with a more than average DVD, but I just wanted a little more, is that so bad?
Advantages: Great DVD, as well as an excellent film Disadvantages: It had peoblems on earlier DVD players
The Matrix in itself is a brilliant film. Its style and originality (combined with getting a half-decent showing from the usually wooden Keanu Reeves) made it one of the hits of recent years. However I’m not here to review the film, I’ll do that someday (promise,) I’m here t review the DVD releases. Yes as in more than one.
I am a fortunate man, I have a DVD player that can play discs from all over the world, so I get to see the ... ...(UK) but I have seen the Region 1 (US) and Region 4 (AUS) versions of the DVD.
Content wise there is little to choose between them, but there are other differences between the discs, as well as the limited edition boxes that were released.
So What Do You Get On The Disc?
Aside from the film of course, the Matrix came with a tremendously innovative set of extra features that set it aside at the time in the DVD world.
...
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Advantages: New re-relase with all new documentary making this a must buy DVD. Disadvantages: Some may find the film a little slow to get going but not me.
The original Matrix DVD was the title that almost single-handedly brought DVD into the mainstream. Now re-released in a special Collectors edition and coupled with another excellent disc, containing "The Matrix Revisited" a documentary charting the production of the first film, with many sneak previews of the second and third film which are currently being filmed back to back and should see the light of day sometime later on this year. The Matrix ... ...lives. In the day he is Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer for a reputable software company. At night he is Neo, he doesn't sleep, he doesn't eat. He spends his time hacking, making money from illegal software and basically breaking just about every computer crime that there is a law for. Neo is searching for the answer, the to the question that has haunted him for two years; what is the matrix? The matrix is the story of how he finds the answer ...
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Advantages: Superb Casting, Good Performances, Spectactular Effects, Wonderful Choreography Disadvantages: Hmm? Too short?
...it had Keanu Reeves on the roster and frankly despite my reservations about the man as an actor I didn't care. This was science fiction the like of which we had thirsted for as cinema goers and it was here. The story, when described on paper, seems almost flat and lifeless. A band of renigades struggle for freedom and all that. I will refrain from saying too much incase you still don't know the plot. When you see this movie, however, what could almost ... ...sterling performances. From the sinister Agent Smith of Hugo Weaving to the enigmatic Morpheus of Laurence Fishburne, the attractive and lethal Trinity handled so well by Carrie-Anne Moss and even Keanu Reeve's hapless but eminantly important Neo the cast fit their roles like second skins. Credit has to go to Mali Finn and Shauna Wolifson for their Casting work as even the supporting characters suck you in to make this fantastic world your world, ...
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Advantages: Excellent story, effects, acting, music, fight scenes Disadvantages: Can be a bit confusing for some
I have watched the Matrix quite a few times now, and I never tire of it. I guess most other people have seen it too by now, but for those that have not had the chance yet, or for those that have, and maybe want a reminder, here is the story:
Keanu Reeves stars as Thomas ’Neo’ Anderson, a computer hacker living alone in a run down apartment, hacking into other computers. He downloads information and data for other people illegally, and ... ...Neo becomes obsessed in finding the master of hackers, Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne). Instead, Morpheus finds him, and the Agents begin to realise Neo is looking for Morpheus. The Agents are guys that resemble typical FBI agents, they make sure that the Matrix runs smoothly, and to make sure the humans do not find out that they are living in a computer program. The human race has actually been wiped out, and the Agents now create them to ...
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Advantages: An action packed movie with brilliant special effects Disadvantages: None I thought it was ace
This is the first DVD opinion I have written. I hope I have covered all the relevant issues.
The matrix is a brilliantly made film, with great acting and directing. A lot of time and effort went into making this film, and I really do think it has paid off. The story line is mind blowing, to say the least. The world is real, right? WRONG! The world you live in is a dream world. Nothing is real. The life that you have been living hasn't happened. ... ...never happened. You are not the person you thought you were. With me so far? You meet someone, who gives you two choices, stay as you are or discover the truth. What would you do? A fascinating story unfolds as Neo (Keanu Reeves) learns the astonishing truth. I am not going to go any further with the story line, as I don't want to give to much away. All I will say is, it is an action packed film with lots of special effects. The story line is mind ...
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Advantages: Good film, plenty of action, some amazing special effects. Disadvantages: No quality extras, some poor special effects, feels like a money grabbing exercise.
...which stands out with the special effects being very obvious indeed whereas in others, they're almost un-noticeable.
The story can still get quite complicated and I still get the feeling that perhaps the full appreciation of Matrix: Reloaded won't be realised until a viewing of Matrix: Revolutions. I originally thought that a proper understanding of the film wouldn't be achievable until the other sources of information on The Matrix (Enter the Matrix the computer game and The Animatrix DVD) had been experienced, and I feel this still applies to a certain extent, but not as strongly as I did when the film was originally released.
Overall, it's still worth looking at and is a highly enjoyable action movie which has some low points. The over long scenes and practically unintelligible philosophy ultimately do reduce the viewing pleasure but...
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Advantages: Eye-popping visuals, much more smoother plot, and one of the best car chases I've ever seen Disadvantages: Some people may think its more recycled than reloaded
...with a 1996 crime thriller called BOUND, which starred Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon. I loved the style and originality of it, and I later ended up buying it on DVD (and, NO, not because of the lesbian sex scenes..lol). Like I said before, I've never considered Reeves an actor until I see a little-seen film called THE GIFT, which starred Cate Blanchett. He played a racist, Southern redneck...and he really did get under my skin; he shocked me so much that I actually started to have more faith in him. So, these two films led me to see THE MATRIX, which I found to be confusing at times; nevertheless, I could see why it struck a chord with a large audience. The cutting-edge visuals, state-of-the-art special effects, as well as the Wachowski's storytelling technique impressed me a lot, though I still was not won over until I saw the sequel...
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Advantages: Mostly great special effects, superb action sequences Disadvantages: Too much information to digest in one sitting
...¤ Final thoughts ¤
To be honest, it's quite hard to judge this. I liked it overall, some of the stunts were amazing, but I thought some of the special effects weren't as ground breaking (or effective) as we were led to believe. With all the unanswered questions and information thrown at me, it will be a while before I fully get my head around this film.
The whole problem, I think, is that the Wachowski's have created too much. The full enjoyment of Reloaded is probably not going to be realised until you have experienced the game "Enter the Matrix" and the upcoming DVD "The Animatrix", both of which add back story and information which could be useful in understanding a lot of what goes on in Reloaded. For example, a passing mention is made of "Osiris", a hovercraft like that of Morpheus' "Nebuchadnezzar" which is destroyed after sending...
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Executive Producer: Joel Silver, Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Languages
Main Language: English
Subtitle Language: Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Romanian
DVD Description
Neo seeks the truth about the Matrix. Only one man has the answer, an elusive dangerous man who is known as Morpheus. A stranger called Trinity invites Neo to follow a white rabbit which guides him into a parallel world. Reality is a world run by artificially intelligent machines who control the human slaves in a simulated 20th Century...
Technical information
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 Wide Screen
Special Features: Internet Hyperlink, Follow The White Rabbit, HBO First Look Special Making The Matrix, Take The Red Pills, What Is Concept, Filmographies, Scene Access, Screenplay, Story Board, Genre Essays, Are You The One Challenge, Do You Know Kung Fu
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Award information
OSCAR: Best Visual Effects 1999 (John Gaeta, Janek Sirrs, John Thum)
BAFTA: Best Achievement In Special Effects 1999 (John Gaeta, Janek Sirrs, Steve Courtley, John Thum)
Professional reviews
Review: "...A breathtaking rollercoaster ride..." -- 4 out of 5 stars (Premiere, p.134, 01/11/1999)
"...THE MATRIX soars with its feet in the air..." (Rolling Stone, p.76, 29/05/1999)
"...A feast of unexpected fidgets and perspectives, punctuated by trademark overhead shots and teasing detail and detour....THE MATRIX is a wonderland of tricks and stunts..." (Sight and Sound, p.47, 01/07/1999)
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