The Matrix isn’t as philosophical as it wants to portray itself, and there are certainly silly moments, but it is still a lot of fun and most of the visual effects still hold up rather well nearly 20 years later.
The Matrix
(1999)
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Action, Fantasy
Warner Bros. | R – 138 min. – $41.99 | May 22, 2018
Date Published: 05/17/2018 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 4.25/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Neo (KEANU REEEVES) believes that Morpheus (LAURENCE FISHBURNE), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question: What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (CARRIE-ANNE MOSS), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.
Review: The Matrix came out nearly 20 years ago and still holds up today, both in terms of a well told story, albeit the philosophical dialogue was a bit much to be honest, as well as some still impressive visual effects, though it’s hard not to think of the numerous movies that attempted to copy or parody the style. One of the more interesting aspects was the inspiration behind the story by The Wachowskis was the hit manga and anime series. What’s funny, all of these years later, it is by far and away the better Ghost in the Shell adaptation than the actual live action adaptation. The acting from Laurence Fishburne is rather good considering the on-point and philosophical dialogue, as he does one hell of a job delivering it while Keanu Reeves was… fine especially considering he never was considered to be a great auteur though in recent years, courtesy of the John Wick franchise, has revitalized his career. Carrie-Anne Moss for her part kicked ass and for their short amount of screen time, did at least have good chemistry with Reeves.
Now, as good and entertaining of a movie that The Matrix was in my latest viewing, its subsequent sequels were rather lame to the point I’d like to imagine Reloaded and Revolutions don’t exist at all as they took that all-too-serious philosophical storytelling to the next level where it became utterly laughable, and that’s not to mention just a messy plot and stupid cliffhanger ending in Reloaded. In the end, The Matrix is hardly perfect but still really enjoyable with some finely choreographed fighting and action sequences intermixed with, at its core, a really interesting story. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 5.0/5 |
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This release comes with a glossy slip cover and inside contains a Digital HD redemption code. Discs 1 & 2 (4K UHD & BD):
Written Introduction by The Wachowskis (Blu-ray Only) Disc 3:
Music:
Trailers:
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VIDEO – 5.0/5 |
| Warner Brothers connects The Matrix onto 4K UHD presented in its original theatrical 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and given a gorgeous 2160p high-definition transfer. This is yet another homerun for a catalog title venturing into the 4K format; colors of course do veer more towards greens particularly while inside the Matrix, while skin tones in the real world are more natural in appearance. Detail is incredibly sharp and nicely defined throughout both in close-ups and the more distant shots and black levels are stark without losing any features. |
AUDIO – 5.0/5 |
| The movie comes with a Dolby Atmos track getting a solid upgrade from the Blu-ray’s TrueHD 5.1 track, expanding to additional channels which only help expand on the action sequences which output of every speaker with excellent clarity while the LFE channel rumbles on to give the track an additional boost. |
OVERALL – 4.5/5 |
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Overall, The Matrix isn’t as philosophical as it wants to portray itself, and there are certainly silly moments, but it is still a lot of fun and most of the visual effects still hold up rather well nearly 20 years later. This was a great action vehicle for Keanu Reeves and his somewhat limited range and Laurence Fishburne’s presence is always appreciated, just a shame the sequels were thuds. This 4K UHD release offers up outstanding video/audio transfers and a great amount of special features. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.