Yes, I'm still bobbing around here somewhere, I'm just insanely busy with one thing and another. Fee...
Yes, I'm still bobbing around here somewhere, I'm just insanely busy with one thing and another. Feel free to visit my homepage (I'll update it soon - promise!)
Member since:23.07.2000
Reviews:215
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Every so often, a film comes along that is so original, so shockingly breathtaking, that it you know in a second that it will become a classic. People will talk about for years to come. Every household will own a copy. Like the legend that is Star Wars, it will never truly die.
The Matrix is such a film. I remember seeing it when it came out, and being so totally blown away, I was in shock for about an hour afterwards. I knew it was going to be good before I went to see it, but I don't think I was prepared for just how good. But we'll come to that later…
- What Is The Matrix? (who didn't see that title coming a mile off)
The Matrix is a sci-fi film of immense proportions. Incredible special effects, a plot of such amazing depth it makes me wish I'd written it myself, and top-notch acting. Fans will know that there are two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions arriving in 2003, and like me I'm sure you can't wait.
The plot behind the film (this is only the start mind, I'm not going to give it away for those poor sods who STILL haven't seen it), is quite clever. Simple computer programmer Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) knows there is something wrong with the world. He can't put his finger on it, but he knows something is not quite right, and spends all his waking hours searching for the answer on the Internet. It only takes
a few minutes to change your life, and these come for Thomas (who is also known by the hacker alias Neo) when he is summoned to meet the elusive Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and he shows him just how deep the rabbit-hole goes…
I don't want to give away much more - either you know it all anyway, or I'd spoil the twists in the plot for you. Oh, and they are twists - many of them in fact, and it's vital you keep on your toes or the delightfully complex story might lose you completely. And you don't want THAT.
- Who are they?
The Matrix has many talented actors in it, although you may not have heard of some of them before this film. They are:
Keanu Reeves (Neo/Thomas Anderson) - the man whose whole world is about to be sucked down the drain - quite literally in fact… He's a lot slicker here than he has been in any of his other films, and he pulls off the character perfectly. This is a long way from Bill & Ted!
Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus) - the man who is here to show Neo the truth, and to help him train for what is to come. Smooth, suave and sophisticated, I keep getting him mixed up with Samuel L. Jackson, the other smooth cool bald black guy ;)
Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) - Probably pinned up in bedrooms around the country by now, she is the attractive young woman who helps convince Neo that he should find out what Morpheus has to show him, and she plays a big part later.
Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith) - Probably just as well known as Elrond in Lord Of The Rings now, this character couldn't be further away from the giving peaceful elf. Dead-pan but horribly malevolent, you know he's evil the moment you see him.
There's also a whole load of other people, but those are the main cast. Take it from me, the acting is top rate in this film, and it really sucks you in.
- No-one can tell you what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself…
The visual special effects are outstanding in the Matrix. It's quite evident that without computers, this wouldn't look half as good as it does. All those bullet-time sequences where people freeze and the camera rotates around them would never have made it into films if it weren't for the Matrix's pioneering approach.
The wardrobe is perfect for the film - it's incredible smooth when inside the Matrix, and very ragged and basic when outside. They all look exactly how you would expect them to.
- Packaging
I bought the Matrix/Matrix Revisited Collector's Edition DVD, so I've got really nice packaging. A black sleeve containing gatefold cardboard innards with pictures of all the main actors and quotes from the film. It's all very sturdy and flash - exactly as you'd expect it to be!
- Transfer
The film to DVD transfer is extremely good - it is crisp and clear in a standard widescreen 2.35:1 ratio. The picture is full of colour, and there is not greying of the shadows. The sound is in the now-standard Dolby Digital 5.1, so if you've got the equipment, it can sound even better for you.
- Extras
Well, for a start you have the Matrix Revisited, which is all documentaries about the making of the film and the Matrix Anime project that's in the pipeline. There's casting sessions for Reloaded, and enough little bits and pieces to keep a true fan happy. This disc is presented in 1.33:1 ratio Dolby Digital 5.1. Don't worry if you bought the Matrix on it's own - Revisited is available standalone too.
All the features are very interesting and well presented. The main part of the DVD is a 2-hour documentary, explaining pretty much everything about how the Matrix was made, the technologies used, the casting, and even a glance at Reloaded and Revolutions.
Then you have a whole load of extra bits, from the Animatrix feature, right down to the tapes made when the martial arts experts acted out the martial arts scenes. It's quite an incredible insight into the Matrix as a whole, so I dread to think how many DVDs there will be for the other parts of the trilogy!
Then you have the extras on the original disc. The nice clip-backed menus are great to navigate for a start, but that's just the beginning. In a pioneering feature (at the time), you can turn on the 'Follow The White Rabbit' feature, where a small white rabbit will appear on the screen at key points, and you can press Enter on your control to follow it to a feature about the scene, being returned to the film afterwards. This is great idea, and has really taken off in the DVD world since.
There's also a feature about Bullet-Time, which is really hard to explain so you'd better watch it yourself!
And then you have the usual 'Making of' featurette, which is fairly short, but then you get a better view of the film on the Revisited DVD.
- Red pill or blue pill?
Without a doubt, the Matrix is one of the classics of my generation. It is crisp, complex, intriguing, exciting and exhilarating all at the same time. These DVDs more than do it justice, and given that the film was created when DVD was a lot younger (three years ago), they have managed to put together an extortionate amount of footage, which is both relevant and interesting.
This is a DVD that should be in everyone's collection - whether you're a sci-fi freak (like me) or just a film-lover. It's a film that will be around forever. Buy it! Buy it now!
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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
Action/Adventure - Director: Peter Jackson - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Andy Serkis
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
Nice Review pal. I liked Matrix very much. It surely redifined Action in Hollywood.
jedi_kickass ( ' _ ' )
Glorificus1 01.12.2002 23:29
I hate the Neo / Trinity storyline. I love Agent Smith and Morpheus the bestest. Love this film cant wait for the sequels. Jo x
JJane 18.11.2002 20:50
This is an amazing film. It blew me away and every time I watch it I see something more, still getting my head round it! For those who haven't seen it, please don't watch it with headphones on - you'll be in a daze for hours!
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...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Set in a visually stunning futuristic world, 'The Matrix' is an explosive action thriller ... more
that explores the notion that everything we believe to be real is actually a computerised virtual world.When Neo (Keanu Reeves) learns the disturbing truth, every...
Advantages: Stunning audio presentation, great action sequences, Carrie-Anne Moss (in leather!) Disadvantages: Not many extras compared to more recent releases
Xeon007 30.04.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Matrix (DVD)
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.
assistant_14 03.02.2002 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Matrix (DVD)
Advantages: Good film, plenty of action, some amazing special effects. Disadvantages: No quality extras, some poor special effects, feels like a money grabbing exercise.
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
eve6kicksass 19.10.2003 (19.10.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Matrix Reloaded (DVD)
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