Coming Soon To Video
Rated R
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lawrence Fishburne

What is the Matrix? This one simple line uttered during the Super Bowl intrigued many viewers and left them wondering to themselves, "Yeah, what is the Matrix?" Myself being an avid football fan saw this early preview for the movie. I instantly was hooked and knew I would want to see this movie the moment I saw the 30 second long sneak peek. I waited and waited, anxious for the film to arrive in theaters. And finally, it did. I scurried over to the movie theater and bought myself a ticket and some popcorn and eagerly awaited the film's commence. Skip ahead to 2 hours, 10 minutes later: I walked out of the theater, half stunned and half amazed at what I had just saw. I knew that I would want to see this again.

The Matrix is a movie that combines many key elements of film making to create a physically impossible yet visually astounding world. The movie follows Thomas Anderson, a.k.a. Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, as he is given a life changing decision of staying in his current world, or finding out "how deep the rabbit hole goes." His choice leaves him stumbling through a new universe which is run by machines, who breed humans. Living on a desolate ship with a few other crew members led by Morpheus, the man who helped Neo discover this new place, Neo is forced to be on the run from dangerous Agents who want to wipe him off the face of the earth.

This movie could have been intricate, mind-boggling, and bombed, but a few key points keep this movie on its feet. First, the actors and their characters; Many of these talented actors and actresses in this movie are not well known. This helps the movie be more believable, because it could happen to anybody. They are underground actors who have surfaced and shown their true talent for acting. And even despite Keanu Reeves' "Whoa" stereotype, he maintains a balanced dignity throughout the entire film. Secondly, the special effects. They were amazing. Unlike anything ever seen before. In some parts of the film, they had nothing to do with the plot, yet they were so breathtaking that nobody cared. And finally, the plot; It may be hard to understand at first, but after some brief thinking, it comes into place. Even if one misses a few lines or some details, the basic storyline is not lost. The idea of living in a virtual world is one that stimulates our minds with endless possibility, and makes for a great film.

On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the worst and 10 being the greatest, I would give this film a 9. The characters are well rounded, the plot is detailed but original, and the visual effects are stunning. Go see this movie.