 |
| You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. |
The Matrix
The Matrix came out in 1999. I worked as a projectionist at a movie theater at the time. I saw it with friends at my theater, as a customer. I remember coming out of the theater after the film and the sun was just about to set. There was an eerie glow in Orange County and I had this creepy feeling. I was actually questioning reality. I cannot think of another film that has come close to creating that emotional response in me.
The film was new. The technology was new. How rad was bullet time the first time you saw it? How awesome is the 10 million dollar opening scene? Agent Smith, as played by Hugo Weaving, is one of the greatest movie villains of all time. Keanu Reeves, not exactly an Oscar winner, plays Neo exactly how he should.
The religious undertones mixed with amazing effects and a story that, frankly, is feeling more real every day, makes for a fantastic voyage. You'll be hard-pressed to find cinematography this stunning.
The film ends. It doesn't necessarily warrant a sequel. I had closure. But, of course...
The Matrix Reloaded
This film came out 4 years later and I, again, saw it in a theater on opening weekend. I liked it. I was younger and less jaded than now so I didn't hunt for flaws. It's easy to find flaws in films when we're not the ones that created them. I am not saying the film is perfect, but it's not as bad as you remember.
The action is back and amped up, as is Agent Smith. The fight scene between Neo and Agents Smith (aka The Burly Brawl) is one of the coolest ballets you'll ever see. Zion shows us a much better glimpse into the "real" world than we got in the first film. There's a nice addition of various programs like the Key Maker and the evil Merovingian. Let's not forget the creepy Ghost Twins and that awesome freeway scene. Tell me you didn't cheer just as loud as Link when Neo caught Morpheus and the Key Maker.
I think, for most, people lose it when we meet the Architect. Not to be rude, but I think the issue here is that he's a smart character using big words and that isn't what people wanted to see. He's a character that complicates the plot of the story. Let me un-complicate it for you. The Architect is simply revealing that Neo is not God after all. That's it. Whether that's true or not doesn't matter. He's a means to and end. It's explained that there have been five "Neos" before Neo and that he is simply a line of code that reboots the matrix. It's a dark twist in the story that takes away our hope. Darker than the Agent Smith virus that's spreading.
Anybody that was still on board with the film probably lost it when Neo could suddenly use his matrix powers in the "real" world. Why? I saw two possibilities:
Possibility 1: The "real" world is just another layer in the program.
Possibility 2: Neo is, in fact, a godlike being.
Either way, it fits the world that has been created.
The Matrix Revolutions
Since it was filmed back to back with Reloaded and released later that year, it was nice to get a conclusion in such a timely manner. The death of Gloria Foster before filming scenes for this film leads to the recasting of the Oracle with Mary Alice and a scene that adequately explains the change while honoring the original actress.
Patience is a virtue as Neo's powers outside the matrix are explained by the Oracle. She explains that the Agent Smith virus isn't just going to destroy the software, but the hardware as well. She alludes that if Neo is God, Smith is Satan. Regardless of the religious aspect or your hatred for the film, Hugo Weaving has only grown into the role of Smith. He is stunningly creepy. Equally creepy is the actor playing Bane, or the "real" world Smith. His Hugo Weaving impression is spot on.
There's a great battle scene in Zion that is just as fantastic as anything scene in the matrix and the ultimate epic battle between Neo and the Agents Smith is explosive. The film has as much action as the first and completes a story. I will never understand the hate.
Conclusions
Sure, the sequels may not be as great as the original but as a trilogy, the film works. Neo discovers his life is a lie. Neo defeats the bad guy. Neo discovers he only won the battle, not the war. The bad guy becomes an all consuming virus bent on destroying man and machine. Man and machine team up to destroy the virus. Man and machine come to an agreement to continue life as it has always been. The story can start over.
It's a great trilogy. Watch it again.
No comments:
Post a Comment