The Matrix (1999)
science fiction
directed by : Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
featuring : Keanu Reeves - Laurence Fishburne - Garrie Anne Moss - Hugo Weaving - Gloria Foster
running time : 2 hours 16 minutes
What if virtual reality wasn't just for fun, but was being used to imprison you? That's the dilemma that faces mild-mannered computer jockey Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix. It's the year 1999, and Anderson (hacker alias: Neo) works in a cubicle, manning a computer and doing a little hacking on the side. It's through this latter activity that Thomas makes the acquaintance of Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), who has some interesting news for Mr. Anderson — none of what's going on around him is real. The year is actually closer to 2199, and it seems Thomas, like most people, is a victim of The Matrix, a massive artificial intelligence system that has tapped into people's minds and created the illusion of a real world, while using their brains and bodies for energy, tossing them away like spent batteries when they're through. Morpheus, however, is convinced Neo is "The One" who can crack open The Matrix and bring his people to both physical and psychological freedom. The Matrix is the second feature film from the sibling writer/director team of Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski, who made an impressive debut with the stylish erotic crime thriller Bound.

"What is The Matrix?" In the hands of writer/directors Andy and Larry, The Matrix proved to be an exhilarating comic book/Hong Kong/sci-fi treatise on the nature of reality for the Reeves crowd. With Sydney, Australia, standing in for an ominously green-tinged Any City, the initiation of Reeves' ace hacker Neo into the Real World by Fishburne's super-cool Morpheus and Carrie Anne Moss' patent leather-clad cyber babe Trinity sets off the ultimate conflict between man and malevolent machine. Regardless of that conflict's philosophical bent, the real attraction became The Matrix's trailblazing special effects and bravura set pieces, including airborne kung fu, time-bending, bullet-dodging shoot-outs, and an ultra-stylized, slow-motion lobby fusillade. Along with sweeping the four technical Oscars for which it was nominated, including Best Visual Effects and Best Editing, The Matrix's sleekly kinetic action attracted legions of fans, turning it into not only a bona fide blockbuster (and an MTV Movie Award winner), but also a top-selling DVD. While its open ending hinted at further adventures to come, The Matrix's financial success guaranteed that the Wachowskis' plans for two sequels would indeed come to fruition.