We still haven’t seen anything like the Wachowskis’ game-changing sci-fi gem

It’s a version of this review that explores how we underestimated the genius of Lana and Lily Wachowski at the time, and, in hindsight, The matrix entered the zeitgeist at the perfect time in movie history. In 1999, the film was a great success. In the following years, the viewers are locked in the detailed knowledge that avoided causal audience and a deep love for the film evolved into a fandom.

The matrix Incredibly old and all the camp and cheesy one-liners just add to the vibe. People dressed as Neo and Trinity for Halloween at a time when only a handful of properties have this kind of cultural appeal. The matrix is an almost perfect movie. Even 25 years later, there are no glaring weaknesses that cannot be explained or justified.

The Matrix is ​​a highlight of Keanu Reeves’ Hollywood career

Keanu Reeves’ career trajectory has been fascinating, and The matrix is without a doubt his most iconic movie. Both millennials and Gen X have claimed the film, and it enjoyed success before and after its release, though it’s unclear what the franchise has in store for it at the moment. The matrix Sequels came out very close together, still in between The matrix revolutions And John Wake, Reeves was only in a handful of films. Like Michael Keaton with Batman and Birdman, Neo, the biggest role of Reeves’ career at the time, didn’t move the needle…at least not until John Wick.

Like Neo, Reeves was dedicated to the role and underwent intensive training for the action scenes. Reeves made Neo cool, playing his initial confusion before morphing into a spectacular hero. It’s interesting to look back and see who was up for the role of ​​​​​​Neo at the time – Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and Nicolas Cage among others – but this only reinforces the perfect casting of Reeves. He really nails Neo and makes him exciting to watch.

The Matrix solidifies Laurence Fishburne as an icon

The casting of Laurence Fishburne was just as crucial as Reeves. As Morpheus, the veteran actor is the perfect foil for Reeves’ cynical, twitchy coder. Like Reeves, it’s fair to say that Fishburne’s fever in the industry is still generally cool The matrix revolutions. But when you look at his career in hindsight, it is clear The matrix was the film that he needed most to prove that he can do anything in any film.

His acting resume – on screen and stage – up to this point was excellent and the cherry on top was reminding everyone that the teenager from Apocalypse now And the angry New Yorker of deep coveR may be the best part of a billion-dollar franchise. The matrix Not one for showy performances, but Fishburne finds a way to explode on screen while playing in the same sandbox. The Wachowskis’ close-ups of his face covered in water as he breaks free of his shackles give off so much energy that you can feel the film expanding around him.

The film’s iconic monologue may belong to Hugo Weaving, but all of the iconic lines belong to Fishburne. The red pill, blue pill line is nice but Fishburne’s delivery of the line, “You have the look of a man who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up”. is magnificent. It is Fishburne’s calm yet direct attitude that sells the fact that what we are experiencing is real.

The Matrix is ​​a meditation on the human condition

His action scenes remain iconic

A troupe of horror and disaster films is a lot of characters that seem to be part of the main cast but are immediately killed off, shocking us to accept the danger of the fictional world of the film. However, this trope works best at the beginning of The matrix. When used in the end, the success is dependent on our investment in the development of the characters throughout the film. The matrix stumbles when it toes the line between the two. The killing spree of supporting characters happens with too much time left in the film, while severely underdeveloping the characters.

But that doesn’t stop it from being a non-stop thrill ride with a lot to say. The action in The matrix Remains impossibly large. It is sleek, exciting and effective. Perhaps the most impressive feat is that no one has actually tried to make a movie like it The matrix Since. Films like Equilibrium Tried to scratch the surface, but there are not a lot of pretenders in the immediate aftermath of its release. It’s a shame stunt coordination has shifted away from wire work because The matrix Will continue to age as an action film with its realistic high-flying action scenes.

Making a great film that is a psychedelic, kung-fu-inspired meditation on the human condition as it relates to society and technology is a tall order. The matrix Delivers on all this and more, solidifying it as one of the most imaginative films of the 20th century.

In terms of doing, The matrix Feels like it fits perfectly between the first two Alien Movies, with the cinematography and philosophical roots of Alien And the popcorn sensibility of Aliens. And like these Alien franchise, The matrix Sequels eventually fall into self-serious mumbo jumbo, but the initial installment will always be a bona fide classic.

The matrix was re-released in theaters on September 19 for its 25th anniversary. The film is 136 minutes long and rated R for sci-fi violence and brief language.