The Matrix

Quality ****

Entertainment Value ****

There was nothing else quite like this back in 1999 when this film was released. Widespread use of the internet and mobile phones were relatively new things, and terms like “mainframe” sounded super cool. For me, the real strength of the film is its ability to make you question perceptions of reality. I remember seeing this at a cinema in Bristol and feeling slightly delirious over the concepts it raises, wondering if I might actually be living in a computer simulation. Needless to say such thoughts quickly evaporated, but the film does tap into those primal fears that we are all living in some sort of dream.

The Matrix 2

In my review of The Matrix, I said that one if its great strengths was its ability to make the viewer question what is real and what is not. Unfortunately, having played that hand already, The Matrix 2 is just a straightforward action film with cool visuals. For those heavily invested in the concepts behind the matrix, what it is and how it works, more information is provided. For everyone else, this is a bit of a popcorn film with some slick action sequences, punctuated with some incomprehensible technobabble at regular intervals.

When I saw this at the cinema, I was very disappointed. I was ready to have my sense of reality warped once again, but what I actually got was a dodgy sex scene, some sort of underground rave, and a very long chase sequence. The film doesn’t even resolve and we are left with a cliffhanger.

However, on subsequent viewings, with expectations dialled down, this is a pretty entertaining film. The slow-mo bullet effects, the costumes, the FX are all top notch. It’s just a shame it feels hollow in comparison with its predecessor.

The Matrix 3

Ah, love wins through in the end…

A long way from the reality bending concepts of the original, we are now in the realm of people in exo-skeletons shooting at robots. Great spectacle.

Archly camp villians. Good action from Hugo Weavings teeth. Keanu’s contribution is to look good in shades and a long coat.

Overlong, generic, visually brilliant, cool special effects but ultimately hollow ending closure to one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever.