The Matrix

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: March 31, 1999

8.9	USER SCORE Universal acclaim based on 1995 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

OnyX13Mar 16, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Apparently pseudo-intelligent script and a lot of action, then CGI, then more action, then more CGI is enough to make for a good movie.
The Story: Is probably the most important part of this movie and simultaneously the one which this movie gets so awfully wrong.
1. The concept of machines imprisoning humans was exploited so many times(Stargate for example had a similar concept driven episode) by so many TV Shows and movies, so I expected this movie to go deep in why would machines imprison humans and have authenticity in its core. I got 0 of that, in fact what did I got? Some stupid explanation saying the machines imprisoned humans because humans loose energy as heat through their skin. OK, it might seem plausible at first sight, but if you know a little about human or about chemistry you will find this concept ridiculous and impossible. Humans lose through heat about 30% of the energy they consume. So that would mean the machines would have to supply the humans with so much energy and then consume the 30% they lose through heat(basically 100% energy used to keep humans alive to 30% energy remained for machines. That means the machines would lose about 70% of the energy they have or invest into sustaining humans alive) why? Because the script says so? If they have that much energy to sustain humans and their necessities for so long why not kill the humans and stick to maybe consume lightning energy which this movie shows to be very satisfying.
2. The explanations Morpheus gives Neo are so thin, maybe thinner than a balloon inflated to its maximum. The Matrix was weaker at the beginning so that they escaped? Why hasn't anyone else escaped? How was the Matrix weaker? Does this movie or the next one in the trilogy explain this? No... But yeah because there's a bad-ass character saying these we all should believe this and then say that this movie is a benchmark for all sci-fi to come? I cannot believe that I'm living on this planet where people are fooled so easily by ridiculous explanations that are so thin and they think that they are smart by watching these kind of movies. Oh, but there's more... when other directors come up with a movie thought over 15 years(Inception) and so authentic and realistically executed that starts from correct premises and then exaggerates like any other movie, people make reviews like: "Overrated because it makes people "feel" smart...". It's incredible that a director that has been making movies since 7 years old and thinks so much about its movies is repaid with bad reviews from people who clearly didn't understood the movie and don't care about dreams, while this movie gets so much praise for having an incorrect premise that just becomes worse as the movie progresses.
The Action: The only part in which this movie succeeded was the action which indeed revolutionized the action flicks back then. Along with the CGI this makes the movie watchable at best(for me at least). But here there are some unexplained things like why if you kiss a person connected to the matrix that person revives and more... becomes even more powerful. It's like a children's movie where the handsome prince kisses the princes and she wakes up and then they live happily ever after. I expected much more from a movie praised by so many people, but I got 0 explanation for how Neo revives from Trinity's kiss.
The Characters: Bland and boring... and so cold especially Morpheus, who was made like this maybe to make him appear more bad-ass. Neo's character is childish for a movie of this magnitude. The chemistry between him and Trinty is not convincing for me. I mean, for the duration of the whole movie she's just kicking ass like Neo, and then they suddenly are lovers... but their relationship has no development because the script is so poor in substance and creates no circumstance in which these characters might interact with each other beside kicking ass and saying one-liners.
The Soundtrack:(gotta hurry, word limit) The most bland soundtrack I've heard in my life. For how this movie is promoted as being one of the best ever... I expected a soundtrack that could match this reputation. Actually if you search Don Davis, this composer is known only for Matrix and maybe Jurassic Park III but aside from that, he was never nominated for golden globe, bafta or Oscar(not to say that those matter but other great composers were nominated at least 10 times to Oscars or baftas). There was not a single iconic track in this movie and the score as whole is just forgettable and underwhelmed.
So as to why I rate this movie with 5 is because of the CGI and action scenes, because the rest: premise, story, substance or authenticity of the script are either missing or are so thin as a inflated balloon(oh, wait the rating of this movie is as inflated as a inflated balloon... inflated by average people who like only mindless or pseudo-intelligent action).… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

All this user's reviews

AkashVijayJan 21, 2015

Keanu Reeves may be the first actor in cinematic history to be out-performed by his sun-glasses. They emote more than he does. Throughout the film, Reeves is just about as demonstrative as Steven Hawking after a severe heart-stroke. He's soKeanu Reeves may be the first actor in cinematic history to be out-performed by his sun-glasses. They emote more than he does. Throughout the film, Reeves is just about as demonstrative as Steven Hawking after a severe heart-stroke. He's so wooden that he's basically a fire risk. His acting is limited to turning the corners of his mouth down, like someone tasting tea made with urine.
It's very hard to praise a film whose protagonist is played by a personality who could very easily be mistaken for a prop in front of a cigar store.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

radamanthysMay 31, 2015

i dont understand how can people say that this movie is better than blade runner, 2001, alien and so many other sci-fi movies. Its a good action movie but is not as smart as people consider and i dont understand how can people say that is nai dont understand how can people say that this movie is better than blade runner, 2001, alien and so many other sci-fi movies. Its a good action movie but is not as smart as people consider and i dont understand how can people say that is na philosophycal movie, great concepts, very bad acting, great scenes, but na average story. In the end is one good but very overrated movie… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

RyanGoslingFanJun 5, 2018

A very intensive and creative sci-fi movie. Or is it really a fiction? Does this movie even exist? There are interesting thoughts in it, but it feels like a movie that wants to be very smart when actually it's about nothing.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

geewahJan 12, 2021

This will upset the fanboys but this is the most overrated movie of 1999.
The use of CGI is excellent, but that doesn't make up for a bloated, convoluted screenplay.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

BeatrixKiddoSep 17, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't care if a movie is old or classic to like it. This movie was mediocre according to my tastes. I liked the effects and the fights but then they ruined the saga.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

KarthickrishnaJul 3, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Anybody told good movie but I'm … Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

gm101Mar 15, 2011

It wasn't a terrible movie, bit I kinda felt it to be too awkward for my own tastes. Thankfully, Hugo Weaving did an excellent job as Agent M, saving the movie.

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

All this user's reviews

OscarPicks2010Dec 17, 2010

I know there are a lot of people who have seen this film and even the sequels. But this is the first time I've paid attention to this franchise. Though it is popular, The Matrix failed to deliver good performances and great fighting scenes.I know there are a lot of people who have seen this film and even the sequels. But this is the first time I've paid attention to this franchise. Though it is popular, The Matrix failed to deliver good performances and great fighting scenes. The story is new in its genre and year. The Matrix was created in 1999, which is similiar to 2010's Inception, where the world is not the world itself anymore. There are two worlds, The Matrix and the actual world. The Matrix is where most people live in and the actual world is only for the ones that rebelled. As refreshingly new the plot is, the writers just had to put in some cliches in the film: the protagonist did not die at the end, the bad guys died, some romance, and badass action scenes. Well, I guess that's what all movies have nowadays. But the film have so many flaws in it like the acting, it is the worse ensembled cast I've seen in years. The actual writing isn't bad but the way the actors delivered the lines are just unpleasant. Another flaw is the fighting scenes. I first thought it was because they were moving too fast and that was the point. But as it progresses, the fighting scenes are just cheap! The Matrix offers a new element to its genre and has really great visual effects but failed to deliver on its performances which made the film dropped.… Expand

0 of 19 users found this helpful019

All this user's reviews

beingryanjudeAug 31, 2014

The Matrix is sure to hit you on the head... repeatedly. This science-fiction thriller is creative, although doesn't manage to keep our interest throughout.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

Deadlock364Oct 12, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was great but the story line got a bit hard to keep up with. The fighting was nice and the Bullet-Time was awesome but it was just that the storyline went from being a hacker then all of a sudden it turns into a Kung-fu/sci-fi movie!?! Great movie but not the best movie ive seen… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

Ashu_69yMay 14, 2022

MID not what I was expecting all those awards made me think this would be heck of a ride but it sure wasn't that it felt boring for the most part until the 3rd act idk why this is considered a "good" movie

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews