If anyone you talk to says they haven't seen The Matrix, they're lying.  If anyone you ask says that they don't know what you are referring to, you should just punch them in their virutal 'nads. 

The Waschowski brothers foray into big budget blockbusters was a movie that defined a decade, spawned numerous rip-offs and spoofs, and was the first movie to use breakthrough film technology to give the "360 degree" freeze-time shot.  The scene right at the beginning of the movie, where leather bondage queen Trinity opens a can of whoop-ass on a bunch of hapless police officers, is indelibly stamped on North American conciousness. 

The Matrix made trenchcoats briefly cool outside the goth or homicidal set, and gave a completely different perspective on what hackers were.  It made Keanu Reeves and Lawrence Fishburn look like credible actors.  It blew everyone's minds.

The story skirted the line between philosophical exploration of reality and...well...Keanu Reeves playing a grown up Wyld Stallion.  No matter what is said now, the first Matrix movie managed to pander to the braindead action junkie while at the same time prompting viewers to ponder their existence.  It was something that hadn't been done in mainstream action movies before.

Essays were written, and "hop on every fad you can find" community college classes were created around the meaning of the Matrix and how it explores a Platonic world view.  Verily:  Whoah.

Of course, with hindsight, the acting was wooden, the dialogue was ham-tastic and the follow-up movies...well, that is a rant for another time. 

What becomes clear is that The Matrix was carefully composed, a series of beautifully constructed shots that make up some of the prettiest pictures you will see in an action movie this side of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The Matrix consistently rates as one of the top five best Cyberpunk movies ever made, mainly due to art direction, cinematography, special effects and amazingly choreographed fight scenes. Strip those away and the movie is wobbly. 

But those were some crazy fight scenes, man.

[buy now from Amazon US]

[buy now from Amazon Canada]