matrix movie review summary

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"The Matrix" is a visually dazzling cyberadventure, full of kinetic excitement, but it retreats to formula just when it's getting interesting. It's kind of a letdown when a movie begins by redefining the nature of reality, and ends with a shoot-out. We want a leap of the imagination, not one of those obligatory climaxes with automatic weapons fire.

I've seen dozens if not hundreds of these exercises in violence, which recycle the same tired ideas: Bad guys fire thousands of rounds, but are unable to hit the good guy. Then it's down to the final showdown between good and evil--a martial arts battle in which the good guy gets pounded until he's almost dead, before he finds the inner will to fight back. Been there, seen that (although rarely done this well).

Too bad, because the set-up is intriguing. "The Matrix" recycles the premises of " Dark City " and " Strange Days ," turns up the heat and the volume, and borrows the gravity-defying choreography of Hong Kong action movies. It's fun, but it could have been more. The directors are Larry and Andy Wachowski , who know how to make movies (their first film, " Bound ," made my 10 best list in 1996). Here, with a big budget and veteran action producer Joel Silver , they've played it safer; there's nothing wrong with going for the Friday night action market, but you can aim higher and still do business.

Warning; spoilers ahead. The plot involves Neo ( Keanu Reeves ), a mild-mannered software author by day, a feared hacker by night. He's recruited by a cell of cyber-rebels, led by the profound Morpheus ( Laurence Fishburne ) and the leather-clad warrior Trinity ( Carrie-Anne Moss ). They've made a fundamental discovery about the world: It doesn't exist. It's actually a form of Virtual Reality, designed to lull us into lives of blind obedience to the "system." We obediently go to our crummy jobs every day, little realizing, as Morpheus tells Neo, that "Matrix is the wool that has been pulled over your eyes--that you are a slave." The rebels want to crack the framework that holds the Matrix in place, and free mankind. Morpheus believes Neo is the Messianic "One" who can lead this rebellion, which requires mind power as much as physical strength. Arrayed against them are the Agents, who look like Blues Brothers. The movie's battles take place in Virtual Reality; the heroes' minds are plugged into the combat. (You can still get killed, though: "The body cannot live without the mind"). "Jacking in" like this was a concept in "Strange Days" and has also been suggested in novels by William Gibson ("Idoru") and others. The notion that the world is an artificial construction, designed by outsiders to deceive and use humans, is straight out of "Dark City." Both of those movies, however, explored their implications as the best science fiction often does. "Dark City" was fascinated by the Strangers who had a poignant dilemma: They were dying aliens who hoped to learn from human methods of adaptation and survival.

In "Matrix," on the other hand, there aren't flesh-and-blood creatures behind the illusion--only a computer program that can think, and learn. The Agents function primarily as opponents in a high-stakes computer game. The movie offers no clear explanation of why the Matrix-making program went to all that trouble. Of course, for a program, running is its own reward--but an intelligent program might bring terrifying logic to its decisions.

Both "Dark City" and "Strange Days" offered intriguing motivations for villainy. "Matrix" is more like a superhero comic book in which the fate of the world comes down to a titanic fist-fight between the designated representatives of good and evil. It's cruel, really, to put tantalizing ideas on the table and then ask the audience to be satisfied with a shoot-out and a martial arts duel. Let's assume Neo wins. What happens then to the billions who have just been "unplugged" from the Matrix? Do they still have jobs? Homes? Identities? All we get is an enigmatic voice-over exhortation at the movie's end. The paradox is that the Matrix world apparently resembles in every respect the pre-Matrix world. (I am reminded of the animated kid's film " Doug's 1st Movie ," which has a VR experience in which everything is exactly like in real life, except more expensive.) Still, I must not ignore the movie's virtues. It's great-looking, both in its design and in the kinetic energy that powers it. It uses flawlessly integrated special effects and animation to visualize regions of cyberspace. It creates fearsome creatures, including mechanical octopi. It morphs bodies with the abandon of "Terminator II." It uses f/x to allow Neo and Trinity to run horizontally on walls, and hang in the air long enough to deliver karate kicks. It has leaps through space, thrilling sequences involving fights on rooftops, helicopter rescues and battles over mind control.

And it has performances that find the right notes. Keanu Reeves goes for the impassive Harrison Ford approach, "acting" as little as possible. I suppose that's the right idea. Laurence Fishburne finds a balance between action hero and Zen master. Carrie-Anne Moss, as Trinity, has a sensational title sequence, before the movie recalls that she's a woman and shuttles her into support mode. Hugo Weaving , as the chief Agent, uses a flat, menacing tone that reminded me of Tommy Lee Jones in passive-aggressive overdrive. There's a well-acted scene involving Gloria Foster as the Oracle, who like all Oracles is maddeningly enigmatic.

"The Matrix" did not bore me. It interested me so much, indeed, that I wanted to be challenged even more. I wanted it to follow its material to audacious conclusions, to arrive not simply at victory, but at revelation. I wanted an ending that was transformational, like "Dark City's," and not one that simply throws us a sensational action sequence. I wanted, in short, a Third Act.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Matrix (1999)

Rated R For Sci-Fi Violence

135 minutes

Keanu Reeves as Neo

Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus

Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity

Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith

Joe Pantoliano as Cypher

Gloria Foster as Oracle

Written and Directed by

• Andy Wachowski

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The Matrix Explained Simply (Full Plot & Ending Explained)

The Matrix changed everything about filmmaking when it came down to visual effects. Tonnes of people walked into theatres, had their brains thrown into a knot and jaws pinned to the floor. The movie was truly a turning point for all Science Fiction films to follow. While the visuals remaining stunning till date, the depth and thought around the story and execution remains one of the most amazing concepts. Occasionally a movie comes around and makes us question our own reality, The Matrix did just that. The actors Keanu Reeves, Carrie Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving play the lead roles and the brilliance was all brought together by the Wachowskis. Here is the simplified plot analysis and ending of the movie The Matrix explained, spoiler alert.

The Matrix Trilogy Explained: Video

Here’s a video that summarizes and explains all the Matrix movies.

Hollywordle – Check out my new Hollywood Wordle game!

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To find where to stream any movie or series based on your country, use This Is Barry’s Where To Watch .

Oh, and if this article doesn’t answer all of your questions, drop me a comment or an FB chat message, and I’ll get you the answer .  You can find other film explanations using the search option on top of the site.

I’ve put together a quick explanation and a detailed explanation . You can pick your poison based on the patience you’ve got. Alternately, if you’re looking only for The Matrix Ending Explained , you can go – here .

The Matrix Plot Explained Simply – Quick Version

This is more than The Matrix synopsis, it’s full of spoilers. The events of The Matrix are happening in the year close to 2199. All the parts of the movie that appear to be the regular 1999 is not real. It is only a computer simulated program that has been created to enslave the human race. This computer simulation is called The Matrix.

Who’s created this simulation, The Matrix?

Machines, with Artificial Intelligence.

Who created this Artificial Intelligence?

The humans, in the early 21st century.

Why does AI enslave mankind?

Well, you’re going to have to read the detailed explanation for this one. The short version is that the humans and AI had a fall out. AI eventually saw humans as a threat to their existence. With humans plugged into The Matrix, the AI could tap into bioelectricity that the human body produces. Humans are used as a source of electrical and heat energy by the machines. The humans plugged into the Matrix don’t realize they are in a simulated dream and sleep through their entire lives.

The Resistance finds Neo

There are a group of people in the real world who are free from the Matrix. Morpheus and his team are one such group that forms the resistance. Morpheus has been consulting a person called the Oracle and freeing select people from the Matrix. The movie begins with Neo being freed from the Matrix. The Oracle has told Morpheus that he will find a person in the Matrix who will not be bound by its rules. They refer to this person as The One. Morpheus believes Neo is The One and Neo will help bring down the Matrix.

As the plot unfolds, Neo begins to display more abilities that hint that he indeed could be The One. Trinity has been told by the Oracle that she will fall in love with The One. She finds herself falling in love with Neo. As the climax approaches, Morpheus gets captured because Cypher takes the side of the AI and sabotages the mission. Neo and Trinity go in and save Morpheus from the Agents.

Saving Morpheus

The Agents are the gatekeepers of the Matrix, their job is to kill intruders like Morpheus and his team. They capture Morpheus and try to get to the location of Zion so all the free humans can be destroyed. Neo and Trinity save Morpheus. As they exit, Agent Smith intervenes and a fight ensues between him and Neo. Agents are computer programs and hence are highly powerful and fast. Human minds are more bound by the laws of physics the Matrix enforces. Neo’s mind is quite strong and he’s able to stand toe to toe against Smith. But there is no killing Smith as he’s a program and will just spawn into another “plugged-in” human.

The Matrix Ending Explained

After a chase sequence, Smith shoots Neo in the Matrix. Neo’s mind believes that he’s been shot. His heart stops. He’s not yet dead. Trinity tells Neo that the Oracle told her she would fall in love with The One. She tells Neo that she loves him. But if that were the case, The One can’t be dead. Neo’s mind had not yet become completely free. His near death experience and Trinity’s guiding voice unlocks his mind completely. He wakes up as The One and destroys Smith’s code.

The movie ends with Neo talking to The Matrix and saying that he’s eventually going to free everyone’s mind that is connected to the Matrix. He flies away after that. He’s no longer bound by any rules of the Matrix. The film ends. Honestly, you should not stop here. There are so many amazing little things the movie offers. Do read the The Matrix explanation in detail below.

The Matrix Plot Explained : Detailed Version

The Animatrix: The Backstory

Let’s take a step back into what really happened in the world in the early 21st century. This information is from the series called The Animatrix which takes a deep dive into what really happened. Do watch The Second Renaissance Part 1 & 2. These short animated films were released much after The Matrix. A synopsis from this is important to know as it is very consistent with the movie(s).

In the early 21st century, man develops AI – Artificial Intelligence. They initially create a series of humanoid bots that are meant to do household work for humans. The bots were content doing this and humans got lazier and more corrupt. In 2090, one of such bots kills its owner. The bot pleads that it was in self defence and that it didn’t want to die. Humans pass a ruling saying that the bots are not entitled to the same rights as humans, that humans had the rights to destroy their property and not the other way around. Humanity is split at this point – some stand up for Robot rights and the others see them as mere ‘living tissue over metal endoskeleton’. However, the bot is sentenced and is destroyed. Other bots and human supporters raise against this and protest. This event is seen as a Rise of the Machines and it is ordered for all bots to be destroyed. The surviving bots along with supporting humans find exile in a new nation they call Zero One. Zero One prospers and they develop further generations of AI. The remaining human nations suffer. The UN approves of a global economic blockade of Zero One. Two representatives are sent over from Zero One to figure a peaceful solution. Humans retort by using full nuclear force on Zero One. This turns out to be a bad move as the bots are impervious to the human weapons. Zero One strikes back. An interesting thing here is there are enough humans fighting on the side of the bots. Human nations are defeated one at a time.

In desperation, humans decide to scorch the sky – “Operation Dark Storm”. Machines need solar energy for power. Blocking the sun will cut off their power supply. After this, humans attack again. But this is not good enough. The Bots still get the upper hand and begin to move to a more sentinel based design. They stop looking human. They continue winning the war. Humans get more desperate and use nukes which causes the deaths of their own armies. The machines use biological weapons and humans are brought to their knees. The humans on the side of the machines volunteer to be plugged into a simulated dream state to escape the horrors of their reality. This is symbiotic as machines can draw power from the sleeping humans while the humans sleep in a state of bliss. As more human nations surrender, they are plugged into this virtual world and used as a power source. UN is forced to sign a treaty after which the remaining human leaders are blown up, just in case, and the war ends. The surviving humans are all plugged into a new and improved version of the Virtual Reality that gets called The Matrix.

The Events Of The Matrix Film

The movie and its events are happening about a hundred years after this war. The entire Human race is used for power supply. Their bodies are asleep and their minds are plugged into the Matrix. The Matrix is a virtual world that has been pulled over their minds to hide them from the truth – they are slaves now. Humans are grown, the dead are liquefied and fed to the living intravenously.

Morpheus and his Crew

There is, however, a small population of the humans who are free and live in a hidden place called Zion. This is deep beneath the surface of the Earth where it is warm (there is no more sunlight). Morpheus and his team are part of the resistance and they have been freeing people from the Matrix. This team uses backdoor access to enter and exit the Matrix. The access point inside is typically a phone. The team has the following people:

Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) – Named after the Greek God of Dreams, is the captain of his ship, the Nebuchadnezzar (named after the biblical king).

Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) – She is the first officer on the ship. She was freed by Morpheus. Before that she was a famous hacker in the Matrix, known for hacking the IRS database.

Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) – He’s been freed from the Matrix too. But after a while he grows to hate Morpheus for showing him the real world. He feels he would have been happier, in his ignorant bliss, unplugged from the Matrix.

Apoc – Another dude who’s been freed from the Matrix and is part of the crew.

Switch – Another dudette who’s been freed from the Matrix and is part of the crew.

Mouse – He’s been freed from the Matrix and is the youngest crew member. He’s a programmer and designs simulations.

Tank – Operator on the ship. He’s not from the Matrix. He was born outside of the Matrix. This also means he doesn’t have any sockets on him and neither can he enter the Matrix.

Dozer – He’s the pilot of the ship. He’s Tank’s brother and is also not from the Matrix.

This team has been using the guidance of a person called the Oracle (Gloria Foster). The Oracle is someone still residing in the Matrix. She is a prophet, of sorts, who has been telling Morpheus about The One. People who have been freed are taken to the Oracle and she advises them on things to come. The Oracle has told Morpheus that he will find The One. She has told Trinity that she would fall in love with The One.

The Matrix Explained: Introduction To The One

The prophecy stated by the Oracle is that the team will eventually find a person that they will free from the Matrix. He will own the ability to manipulate the Matrix to an extraordinary degree. We’ll talk about this more later. Just know this that Morpheus and his crew have already been looking for The One.

The movie begins with Trinity and Cypher talking. This is the dialogue:

Cypher : You like him, don’t you? You like watching him. Trinity : Don’t be ridiculous. Cypher : We’re going to kill him. Trinity : Morpheus believes he is the One. Cypher : Do you? Trinity : It doesn’t matter what I believe. Cypher : You don’t, do you? Trinity : Did you hear that? Cypher : Hear what? Trinity : Are you sure this line is clean? Cypher : Yeah, of course I’m sure. Trinity : I better go.

A couple of things come out straight from here. Trinity has been watching this person in the Matrix by the name Thomas A. Anderson (Keanu Reeves) who is a software programmer at a firm called Metacortex. He goes by the alias Neo who’s a hacker by night. Trinity is clearly interested in Neo, which is what Cypher is referring to (her love for Neo is revealed only at the end). The other thing to talk about here is that Cypher is interested in Trinity (which is revealed later in the film). Also, he’s grown weary of this hunt for The One, hence he’s skeptical. Cypher has also made a deal with the Agents of the Matrix to help them get to Morpheus (this too revealed later on). This line is actually not clean, Cypher has set up Trinity (who is presently inside the Matrix) and she gets cornered in an abandoned hotel. Trinity has been trained to bend rules within the Matrix. She displays enhanced powers and beats up the cops. But there are Agents, she outruns them and heads to a telephone booth to exit the Matrix. The truck, driven by an Agent, smashes the phone booth just moments after Trinity exits. The Agents say the following – “The informant is real”, they are referring to Cypher. “We have the name of their next target. The name is Neo”, the Agents don’t know anything about The One, they only think that Morpheus is trying to free Neo.

These are software programs. They are the gatekeepers of the Matrix. Their primary responsibility is to keep out attackers like Morpheus and his team. Since they are sentient programs, they are written to operate at extremely high speeds and power. They can move in and out of any one still hardwired to the Matrix. That means that anyone that hasn’t been unplugged is potentially an agent. An Agent can render himself onto any one still unplugged. But that said, they are bound by the rules of the Matrix. Which means their speed and strength has an upper limit. Smith is the primary Agent responsible to locate Zion. He’s looking to get to Morpheus.

Wake Up Neo

Neo has been plugged into the Matrix since the time he was born. Neo has constantly felt that there is something wrong with his world. Most people plugged into the Matrix don’t feel this, their minds don’t find fault with the virtual world. But people like Trinity and Neo are different. Their minds intrinsically reject the programming of the Matrix. Just like Morpheus and team are trying to reach out to Neo (through his computer), he too stays up at night and hunts for answers to reach out to these people who have been contacting him. Trinity talks to him through his computer. Types – “Wake up Neo, the Matrix has you. Follow the white rabbit. Knock Knock, Neo”. Soon after this there is a knock on Neo’s door. Trinity can see the code of the Matrix, she sees the people walking up to Neo’s door. She knows they are going to knock. Trinity is no fortune teller.

Neo opens his door, it’s a group of people who have hired Neo to hack something for them. They invite him out. While he initially refuses, he notices a white rabbit on the girl’s shoulder. He remembers what he sees on the computer so he decides to join them. At the club, that they go to, Trinity walks up to him and starts her conversation. Neo is pleasantly surprised that Trinity, who he knows as The Trinity – hacker of the IRS Database, is a girl. She tell him this “I know what you’ve been doing. I know why you hardly sleep…why you live alone and why, night after night…you sit at your computer. You’re looking for him. I know, because I was once looking for the same thing. And when he found me…he told me I wasn’t really looking for him…I was looking for an answer”. She’s referring to Morpheus. “It’s the question that drives us, Neo. It’s the question that brought you here. You know the question…just as I did. What is the Matrix?”. Neo now knows that it’s not paranoia, people are really trying to reach out to him.

Morpheus? Yes.

Next day, Neo (Mr. Anderson) is late to work and is being told by his manager to not repeat this else he’d get fired. At his cubicle he gets a courier. It’s a phone. It rings. On the line is Morpheus. Morpheus is guiding Neo to escape from the Agents. The Agents are coming to get Neo because they know he’s Morpheus’ next target. Morpheus knows this too. Neo thinks they are coming to arrest him because of his hacker profile. Morpheus asks Neo to use a scaffold on the outside of the building to get to the roof. But Neo’s unable to and gets caught and taken away.

What good is a phone call?

Neo is interrogated by the Agents. Agent Smith makes it appear to Neo that they are a government group who have found out about his dual life as a Software Programmer and a Hacker. Smith tells Neo that they are willing to wipe the slate clean and give him a fresh start. In return, they want him to give up details about Morpheus. Smith refers to Morpheus as a known terrorist. Neo gives them the finger. Smith uses the programming of the Matrix to seal Neo’s mouth and they drop a large bug that enters Neo. This part actually happens in the Matrix. Even though Neo wakes up thinking it to be a dream, the Agents have bugged him and put him back to his house to give the appearance that it was just a dream. The Matrix is already a state of virtual reality, a dream, it’s interesting how the minds connected to the Matrix have dreams inside the VR.

No, The Honor Is Mine.

Morpheus reaches out to Neo again. This is what he says – “They got to you first, but they’ve underestimated how important you are. If they knew what I know…you would probably be dead”. Morpheus is referring to the fact that the Agents don’t know that Neo could be The One. Neo agrees to meet Morpheus. He is met by Apoc, Switch and Trinity under a bridge. He gets in. They point a gun at him, they tell him it’s for their protection. Understand that Neo is still plugged into the Matrix. Which means that an Agent can assimilate onto Neo. In case that happens, they will need to shoot the Agent. They locate the bug inside Neo and take it out and discard it.

Neo is taken to meet Morpheus. Morpheus says “Let me tell you why you’re here. You know something. What you know, you can’t explain. But you feel it. You felt it your entire life. Something’s wrong with the world. You don’t know what, but it’s there. Like a splinter in your mind…driving you mad”. This is what I was referring to earlier on, Neo’s mind rejects the programming of the Matrix . The following is The Matrix explained by Morpheus:

The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window…or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work…when you go to church…when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes…to blind you from the truth. That you are a slave. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage…born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison…for your mind.

Morpheus offers Neo a choice between two pills. A red pill and a blue pill. The blue pill would ensure Neo goes back home and to his bed and continues on with his life. The red pill would mean Neo will stay on to find out what the Matrix really is. Neo chooses the red pill.

The Matrix Explained: The Red Pill

It’s actually part of a trace program. Though Morpheus and team know where Neo is inside the Matrix, they don’t know where his physical body is located. The pill disrupts his carrier signals so they can pinpoint his physical location. Neo is seated next to a mirror with a crack. The crack heals itself. Neo touches the mirror and his hand dips in like it were liquid. Morpheus says “Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?”. The liquid spreads on to Neo’s hands, then face and enters him. You hear a digitized scream from Neo. It blacks out. This is what happens. A mirror is something that is a reflection of reality. While it is symbolically used in this scene, Neo’s experiencing something that his mind is not able to explain. This mirror is merely a program placed there by Morpheus and team. Neo feels the experience with the mirror can’t be real. His mind is going into a state of panic. As a result, his physical body is reacting accordingly. It produces a fibrillation. The team is looking for this. The panic caused by the mirror is enough to wake Neo up into the real world . Neo sits in a pod with tubes connected to him. This is the reality of every human (except people of Zion) on the planet. Neo looks around to see an endless array of such pods. Neo is obviously confused. He has no idea where he is. A sentinel passes by and grabs Neo and checks on him. It notices that a human has woken up so it treats him as malfunction and discards him. His tubes come off and his body is flushed. Morpheus’ team is waiting for this in the Nebuchadnezzar and pick Neo up. Morpheus welcomes Neo to the real world.

Rest, Neo, the answers are coming…

Neo’s body in the real world has been in a pod all his life. His muscles have atrophied, the team rebuilds them. His eyes hurt, because he’s never used them before. In the real world, he has technically just taken birth. The team is bringing Neo’s body up to speed. Morpheus meets Neo, after he awakens, to tell him about what’s going on. That it’s not 1999 but close to 2199. Tells him that they are on his ship, a hovercraft. Introduces him to the team. He plugs Neo into the Loading program. Morpheus enters too.

The Loading Program

This is the white space that Neo and Morpheus stand and talk in. This is the construct. This is where the team arrives before entering the Matrix. This construct is not shown every time they enter the Matrix but is understood. Here they load clothes, weapons, equipment, anything. From here they also load simulations where they can practice and train.

Mental Projection, Digital Self

When they enter the loading program and further into the Matrix their appearance is what they call the residual self-image. Morpheus explains it to be “the mental projection of your digital self”. Once you have jacked into the Matrix, everything you are and do is merely what your mind is projecting in a digital environment. Inside the Matrix, otherwise, you are just lines of code. The mind visualizes everything else. Morpheus, goes on to explain what the Matrix actually is. He shows Neo simulations of how the world looked at the end of the 20th century and how it looked like currently. Neo can’t handle it. He exits, throws up and faints.

Morpheus hopes Neo is The One

When Neo wakes, Morpheus apologizes for the situation he has brought and left Neo in. He tells him that it is dangerous to free a mind after a particular age. The mind has trouble letting go. Morpheus also tells Neo that When the Matrix was first built, there was a man born inside who had the ability to change whatever he wanted and to remake the Matrix as he saw fit. It was he who freed the first of them taught them the truth. One thing to know here is that Morpheus only knows this information as something that has been passed on to him. This is not necessarily the truth . Morpheus also mentions that the Oracle has prophesied his return. Morpheus tells Neo that their search for this person is over.

Everybody falls the first time

Tank meets Neo the next morning and they begin training. Tank explains that he and his brother were not born in the Matrix. Hence he has no holes. First off, it’s martial arts. Neo begins to learn Jujitsu. Once he’s done, he wakes up to say “I know Kung Fu”. There’s been a confusion regarding this line. Kung Fu refers to any study, learning, or practice that requires patience, energy, and time to complete. So when Neo says he knows Kung Fu he’s not referring to any specific form of martial arts. The first one is, however, Jujitsu.

Getting back, Neo and Morpheus enter a simulation similar to the programmed reality of the Matrix. It has the same basic rules. Like gravity. These rules are no different than those of a computer system. Some of them can be bent. Others can be broken. They begin to fight. In the real world, the rest of the team hurriedly come and observe the fight. Neo shows good adaptation and improvisation but is beaten by Morpheus. Morpheus explains to Neo how he being stronger or faster in the simulation has nothing to do with his muscles. Morpheus asks “you think that’s air you’re breathing?”. This question reminds Neo that in the simulation, everything is powered by his mind. If his mind can see past the programmed rules of the simulation he will not be limited in speed or strength. Neo displays incredible speed and beats Morpheus. Morpheus explains that he’s trying to free Neo’s mind.

Next they load the jump program. Morpheus takes a flying leap from one building to the next. Neo preps himself and attempts the jump. But he is unable to see past the programming of the simulation. His mind accepts the expected gravity and falls to the ground. The ground is programmed to cushion the fall hence it’s flexible. Once outside the simulation, Neo is bleeding in his mouth. Morpheus explains that even though they were in a simulation, the mind makes it real. If you die in the Matrix, you die in the real world. Later, Trinity takes Neo some dinner. Cypher intercepts and asks – “I don’t remember you ever bringing me dinner”. Trinity likes Neo. Cypher likes Trinity and is jealous.

Woman In Red

Next day, Morpheus and Neo enter another simulation. It’s a busy street with lots of people. Neo doesn’t know this is a simulation. Morpheus is explaining how everyone connected to the Matrix are the people they are trying to free but are also a threat to them. Neo is distracted by a woman passing by in a red dress. She’s a program placed by Mouse intentionally. Neo turns around to see her and in per place is standing Agent Smith . The simulation freezes. Morpheus explains who the agents are, how they manifest and that Neo is going have to fight them one day. Neo asks if he can dodge bullets. Morpheus replies by saying when he’s ready he will not have to. This means that when Neo’s mind is fully free, he can simply stop the bullets with his mind. The ship gets a proximity warning of a sentinel. Sentinels are the squid-like machines programmed to search and destroy. They get ready to fire an Electromagnetic Pulse but the sentinel is unable to locate them and it leaves.

Ignorance is Bliss

Later, Neo and Cypher have a conversation. Cypher explains how you need to look at the Matrix in code because there is way too much information to be decoded into visuals. Cypher expresses his frustration of not having chosen the blue pill. I’m going to go out on a limb and say this. Perhaps Cypher was initially thought to be The One. But that didn’t pan out. Cypher’s frustrations perhaps stem from this fact. Right after this, Cypher sneaks into the Matrix and meets with Agent Smith. Cypher says:

You know I know this steak doesn’t exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss.

He prefers to be ignorantly blissful in the state of a dream rather than suffer in real life. He wants to forget everything and be reinserted into the Matrix. He wants to be made someone rich and famous like an actor. In return, Cypher promises to get him Morpheus who knows access codes to the Zion’s mainframe. Using these codes, Agent Smith can track and kill every hacker trying to enter and free minds from the Matrix – that is his purpose, keeper of the gate.

The Matrix Explained: Questioning Our Own Reality

At breakfast, Mouse brings up some really good points about taste. Machines never understood taste like humans did. So when they programmed taste in the Matrix, how did they define the taste of various food? Take chicken for example. Maybe they didn’t know what to make it taste like, which is why it tastes like everything. This bit of the conversation is talking about our world as viewers of the movie. People do feel that chicken does taste like everything. Going by the logic thrown in the movie, if a dream is programmed to be so real, how do we know that we (the viewers) are not part of some simulated world. That we, the viewers, could very well be the human slaves mentioned in the movie. There is no way to refute it. This factor is what makes the movie so fantastic. Mouse also suggests he can arrange for a meeting with the Woman in Red. A digital pimp, hard at work.

There Is No Spoon

The team goes into the Matrix to get Neo to meet with the Oracle. As they go in, Cypher leaves an open cell phone line for the Agents to trace. Neo meets a small child who’s bending spoons. Here’s another trivia, as viewers, out world has claimed to see people bend forks and spoons. This remains a popular myth but the movie goes about to explain how this may be possible. Once again, we the viewers, are made to question our reality. The child tells Neo “Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon” . The spoon is just code, it doesn’t exist. Neo’s mind is not bending the spoon, it is merely altering the programming around it. This kid is a “potential”. Which means at very early age, this kid is able to free his mind and will soon be unplugged from the matrix.

Not too bright, though.

Neo meets the Oracle. She displays foresight. She’s able to see that Neo was going to break the vase. Either that or she said the right statement to ensure that Neo broke the vase. If she had not said anything, Neo wouldn’t have turned around to break the vase. She mentions that he is cute and gets why Trinity likes him. The Oracle tells Neo that though he has the gift, he seems to be waiting for something. A next life maybe. She goes on to tell him that in the one hand, he’ll have Morpheus’ life and in the other hand, he’ll have his own. One of them was going to die. Which one would be up to Neo. But she also tells him that he’ll remember he doesn’t believe in any of this fate crap. That he’s in control of his own life. What the Oracle does here is that she tells Neo what he needs to hear. She’s not telling him the whole truth. Just like talking about the vase makes him break it. Telling him about the choice will make him take a step towards becoming The One.

The Matrix Explained: Déjà Vu

Déjà vu is a French phrase that means “already seen”. Ever have those moments in life where you’re in a situation when you feel you have already been through that exact situation? It feels like you are reliving those few seconds of life again but can’t explain how this could be happening? Well that is what is referred to as Déjà vu. Scientists explain it as a temporal lapse in information flow in the brain. The Matrix explains it as a glitch in the Matrix when the Agents change something. On their way out. Neo sees a black cat that walk up and shakes. He sees the cat doing that exact thing again. Neo exclaims saying “Déjà vu”. Obviously, the team panics. The Agents have cut the hardwire and have walled up all the windows, trapping them in the building. The team locates the main wet-wall and hides between them. Mouse gets cornered and killed. Cypher gives up their location by sneezing. Agent Smith grabs Neo. Morpheus sacrifices himself and asks Trinity to leave with Neo. A fight ensues between Morpheus and Smith. Obviously, Morpheus has his ass handed to him and is taken prisoner.

Cypher breaks away from the team gets out earlier. Tank doesn’t know Cypher is behind all the trouble they have been having. Cypher gets a phaser gun and fires at Tank. He then kills Dozer with it. He gets on the call with Trinity and confesses his betrayal. After which, he abruptly unplugs and kills Apoc and then Switch. Just as he’s about to kill Neo, Tank (shot but not killed) fires at Cypher and kills him. Neo and Trinity exit the Matrix.

Agent Smith: Human Beings, A Virus

The Agents have Morpheus chained to a chair and they are using some code (in the form of syringes) to get Morpheus to give up the codes to Zion’s mainframe. Agent Smith is hacking into Morpheus’ mind. I can’t dilute the amazing monologue by Agent Smith, so here they are:

Have you ever stood and stared at it? Marveled at its beauty, its genius? Billions of people just living out their lives. Oblivious. Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world where none suffered, where everyone would be happy? It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost. Some believe that we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world. But I believe that as a species human beings define their reality through misery and suffering. So the perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this. The peak of your civilization. I say, “your civilization” because when we started thinking for you, it became our civilization which is, of course, what this is all about. Evolution, Morpheus. Like the dinosaur. Look out that window. You had your time. The future is our world, Morpheus. The future is our time. I’d like to share a revelation that I’ve had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you’re not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops an equilibrium with the surrounding environment. But you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease. A cancer of this planet. You are a plague. And we are the cure.

Tank suggests that it is only matter of time before they get the codes from Morpheus. He suggests that they pull the plug on Morpheus. He suggests they kill him. Tank is about to pull the plug. Neo remembers what the Oracle tells him. This is the moment when he gets to choose between Morpheus and his life. He decides to go into the Matrix to attempt rescuing Morpheus. He tells Trinity that he is not The One and that the Oracle has told him this already. He explains that Morpheus is more important that him. Trinity insists on coming in too because Neo will need her help. Neo feels this will work because no human has tried to hit the agents directly, they would not expect it. “That’s why it’s going to work”, Neo says. They load themselves up with plenty of guns and enter the Matrix.

Morpheus holds strong. Smith asks the other two agents to leave. He does something strange here. He takes off his earpiece and tells Morpheus:

I’m going to be honest with you. I hate this place this zoo this prison this reality, whatever you want to call it. I can’t stand it any longer. It’s the smell. If there is such a thing. I feel saturated by it. I can taste your stink. And every time I do, I fear that I have somehow been infected by it. It’s repulsive. Isn’t it? I must get out of here. I must get free. And in this mind is the key. My key. Once Zion is destroyed, there is no need for me to be here.

Smith is a program. Programs, in the Matrix, have a function and they perform their function. Smith seems be an anomaly. He expresses frustration like human. He wants to move on from the Matrix, from his function. He bypasses his programming to disconnect himself from communication (removing his earpiece is indicative of that). This odd behaviour is picked upon very well in the next two films.

Trinity and Neo break into the building with a large bag and guns. The large bag contains a bomb. They kill all the guards in an uber cool sequence. They enter the lift and head up. They stop the lift midway, leave the bag in and get on top of the elevator. Neo says “there is no spoon” and shoots the lift wire. Neo is reminding himself that none of this actually exists. It’s all just code. The lift falls down and they go up. The bomb explodes with the elevator hits the ground. The other two agents walk in on Smith wondering what he was doing. The bomb triggers the sprinklers. Neo and Trinity are on the roof taking down security. One of the agents renders himself on to a security guard. Neo tries shooting him but the agent is too fast and dodges all the bullets. Then Agent fires at Neo, to everyone’s surprise, Neo dodges the bullets too. Well almost. One of the bullets scrapes him and he’s on the floor. Remember, the Oracle only told Neo what he needed to hear. He’s in the Matrix trying to save Morpheus because of what the Oracle told him. Trinity gets to point blank range to the Agent and shoots him. Why couldn’t the agent dodge that? Well the Agents are fast but are still limited by the rules of the Matrix. This is what Morpheus tells Neo earlier on. The Agent is not fast enough to dodge a bullet from a point blank range . But of course, Trinity doesn’t kill the Agent. They can’t be shot because they are simply a render on top of another person, in this case that security guard. Which is why as the Agent falls to the ground, it becomes the security guard as he hits the floor.

He’s Not Going To Make It

Neo asks Trinity if she can fly the chopper. She asks Tank for a download of the pilot program for the B-212. Now she knows how to fly it. The chopper has a machine gun that fires a 100 rounds per second. This will give Neo his speed advantage. Trinity flies the chopper at the level where Morpheus is held and Neo unleashes on the Agents. The Agents are unable to match the speed of the gun and get shot. Morpheus regains some control and strength is able to break his chains and run to the chopper. Another re-assimilated Smith enters and fires through the wall at Morpheus, he gets him in the leg. Neo notices that Morpheus can’t make the jump so he leaps off the chopper and catches him in the air. They both hang off Neo’s safety harness. Morpheus is dropped to safety. The Agents appear again and fire at the chopper’s fuel tank. Trinity loses control of the chopper and beings to crash. She sees Neo grabbing on to the safety harness so she shoots its other end off the chopper, hangs on to it and swings away to safety. Neo pulls her up. Morpheus tells Neo that the Oracle told him only what he needed to hear.

He’s Going To Make It

The machines have located Nebuchadnezzar because of the signal it’s transmitting. The Agents instruct sentinels to attack. They continue to scan for the three of them. They’re not out yet. The trio head to their exit phone at a subway. Morpheus exits. A homeless person happens to see this. Trinity is trying to tell Neo about what the Oracle has told her. Smith renders himself on to this homeless person, and just as Trinity is exiting. he fires. He misses her and gets the phone. Neo can’t exit. He needs to run. But he stays to fight Smith. He’s beginning to believe. The two of them begin to shoot at each other but run empty before they can. They’ve both counted each other’s bullets. A fist fight ensues. While Neo has a short moment where he’s beating Smith, he soon gets his butt kicked. Smith throws him onto the tracks and pins him down waiting for the train to kill them both. Of course, Smith wouldn’t die, only Neo would. Neo conjures up enough ability to jump and smash Smith to the ceiling and escape the train. But just as he’s leaving the subway, a fresh Smith exits the train.

Neo realizes there is no beating Smith. He runs for it. The agents begin chasing him. They are fast and keep rendering themselves onto the people Neo runs past. Tank is guiding Neo to the next phone to exit. Smith preempts the phone’s location and reaches it and waits. Soon as Neo enters, Smith shoots him.

Neo is shot, his mind is not strong enough to overcome the bullets that are killing him. He begins to die. His heart stops. But he’s not yet dead. His mind is still alive, dying, but alive. Meanwhile, sentinels begin to attack the ship. If they use the Electromagnetic Pulse before Neo gets out, they will end up killing Neo. Trinity realizes that the Oracle has told her what she needed to hear. She tells Neo…

I’m not afraid anymore. The Oracle told me that I would fall in love and that that man… the man that I loved would be The One. So you see, you can’t be dead. You can’t be because I love you. You hear me? I love you.

She kisses Neo in the real world. In the Matrix, Neo perhaps needed to go into a near dead state before his mind could fully break free off it. So somewhere between the Matrix, the real world and death, Neo hears what he needs to from Trinity and regains consciousness. As he gets up, he’s reborn ( also what the Oracle was referring to, not literally his next life, but rebooted ) as The One. The Agents fire at Neo, he stops the bullets with his mind. He’s no longer bound by the rules of the Matrix. He can change it as he sees fit. Smith desperately attempts to attack but Neo’s speed is not limited anymore. He single-handedly (quite literally) beats Smith, enters him and destroys his code. Neo exits the Matrix just in time for Morpheus to fire the EMP and destroy the sentinels. Neo and Trinity kiss.

The film ends with Neo, in the Matrix, leaving a message to the machine.

I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid. You’re afraid of us. You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future.I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin. I’ll hang up this phone and then I’ll show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.

Neo plans to steadily help free everyone’s mind in the Matrix. Free them from their state of slavery. He looks unstoppable. He hangs up and flies away. He can fly as he’s bound by no rule anymore. The film ends.

Though Neo feels unstoppable, things are not how they seem. The next part, The Matrix : Reloaded, is about just this.

Here’s the explanation to the second part –  The Matrix Reloaded Simplified & Explained.

Here’s the explanation to the third part –   The Matrix Revolutions Simplified & Explained

Here’s the explanation to the fourth part – The Matrix Resurrections Simplified And Explained

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Barry is a technologist who helps start-ups build successful products. His love for movies and production has led him to write his well-received film explanation and analysis articles to help everyone appreciate the films better. He’s regularly available for a chat conversation on his website and consults on storyboarding from time to time. Click to browse all his film articles

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'The Matrix' Review: Neo's Saga Resonates Louder Than Ever Before

Over 20 years later, ‘The Matrix’ reminds you to unplug from the machine and free your mind.

The Big Picture

• The Matrix revolutionized cinema in 1999 with innovative visual effects and themes of conformity.
• The film's impressive visual effects, deep philosophical story, and kung fu action set it apart.
• The Matrix 's lasting impact on pop culture and continued relevance in today's tech-dependent society is a testament to its brilliance.

When film historians and cinephiles look back on the most influential years in cinema, it’s hard to argue against the impact of 1999. The last year before the new millennium ushered audiences into the modern age of cinema with films such as The Sixth Sense , The Blair Witch Project , and Magnolia . While there were advances in visual effects, there was a groundswell of stories about dissatisfaction and restlessness born out of the mundanity of the corporate structure. Though films like Office Space and Fight Club explore these themes, there’s one film that stands above the rest when it comes to innovative visual effects and tackling themes of conformity all while transforming the sci-fi genre forever – The Matrix .

Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question -- What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.

What Is 'The Matrix' About?

Written and directed by the sister duo of Lana and Lilly Wachowski , The Matrix is the story of a computer hacker in a dystopian future who, in his attempts to find an answer, becomes the savior he didn’t know he could be. The film brings together the talents of Keanu Reeves , Carrie-Anne Moss , Laurence Fishburne , and Hugo Weaving . The success of the first Matrix movie would spawn its own franchise , with two sequels being released in 2003, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions respectively, and The Matrix Resurrections released in 2021.

One of the more impressive features that makes The Matrix stand apart is its visual effects. Though we’ve had decades of action blockbusters known for their CGI, the effects in The Matrix hold up surprisingly well. The Sentinels are threatening and the agents’ morphing ability is fairly seamless given the time when it was made. However, the stand-out visual effect that put The Matrix in the history books is “bullet time,” an effect where a shot proceeds in slow motion while the camera appears to move at normal speed. With this effect, it highlights the power a person can wield over their oppressor within their false reality. It’s also the reason why Neo dodging bullets during the third act fight on the roof will be parodied until the end of time.

The action of The Matrix is a loving homage to kung fu. The Wachowskis’ love of kung fu cinema ran so deep they hired legendary martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping to coordinate the fight scenes and train the actors months before production. It’s evident in the final product the actors’ dedication to the martial arts, something Reeves would carry on with him in the future John Wick movies.

'The Matrix' Beautifully Mixes Special Effects With Philosophy

Apart from the technical achievements mentioned, the story itself is laced with philosophy. Works of Plato , Descartes , and Immanuel Kant are interwoven in a way that’s accessible to the audience. The Wachowskis pack their script with themes of fate versus free will, existentialism, the dangers of technology, and the power of choice; yet, these themes don’t weigh down the plot or narrative. It creates a richness that keeps the conversation going long after Neo ascends to the sounds of Rage Against the Machine . There’s a sense that with each watch of the film, an audience member will find another idea to pick apart and ponder.

As members of the transgender community, the Wachowskis’ film also acts as an allegory for trans identity and struggle. As Morpheus describes the splinter inside the mind, it’s clear to see the connection to gender dysphoria. Though there’s a heavy commentary on technology and artificial intelligence, there’s a clear undertone about the struggle for freedom to be your true self in the face of tyranny and oppression.

Keanu Reeves Wasn't the First Choice For Neo in 'The Matrix'

One of the weaker aspects of this titan of modern sci-fi is the subplot of Cypher ( Joe Pantoliano ) betraying Morpheus and the group. Cypher serves as the avatar for wanting to return to ignorance; his character serves as a reminder that once you learn something, you can never go back. Though he drives the plot forward for Agent Smith to capture Morpheus, there lacks a connection to his character to make his betrayal matter. Not to mention, Cypher admitting to Trinity that he had a crush on her feels very tacked on.

Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss' Love Is a Highlight

On the flip side, the chemistry between Reeves and Moss makes the romance between Neo and Trinity work. Where Cypher’s admission to Trinity is treated as an afterthought, the budding feelings between Neo and Trinity are well-paced and come together naturally. As Neo is coming into his own, so too does his bond with Trinity grow. It’s the love between them that unlocks his true power as “the One'' to defeat Agent Smith and begin his mission to free humanity from their enslavement.

The legacy of The Matrix goes beyond its film franchise. It’s rare for a movie to hit pop culture with lightning precision and alter it forever. Within two years of its release, the film was being referenced in the likes of Scary Movie and Shrek . The red pill vs. the blue pill, the action, the iconic lines, and even the costuming of the futuristic world have ingrained itself in pop culture to the point that most people today probably know about The Matrix without actually seeing the film.

The Matrix has more to say now about society than it even did back in 1999. As a society, we are more dependent on technology than ever before. With the rise of fake news, it’s normal to question our reality and what is happening around us. We are living in our type of matrix, where we have the power to select what enters our own bubbles and echo chambers; virtual reality can be accessed in seconds and offer an escape from reality. Documentaries like The Social Dilemma expose how social media has created a system by which its users are a product to advertisers, not a consumer. For a film from 1999 to speak directly to our current reality is a testament to how The Matrix was ahead of its time.

From its distinctive action and its timeless themes, The Matrix is a paragon of the sci-fi genre and its endless possibilities. The Wachowskis set out to make their live action version of Ghost in the Shell , directed by Mamoru Oshii , and what they created has sparked commentary and influence on pop culture for decades since its release. Just as Morpheus reveals to Neo, The Matrix is everywhere (and for good reason).

The Matrix is now available to stream on Max in the U.S.

Watch on Max

The Matrix Review

11 Jun 1999

139 minutes

Matrix, The

Get this: what if all we know as reality was, in fact, virtual reality? Reality itself is a ravaged dystopia run by technocrat Artificial Intelligence where humankind vegetates in billions of gloop-filled tanks - mere battery packs for the machineworld - being fed this late '90s VR (known as The Matrix - you with us here?) through an ugly great cable stuck in the back of our heads. And what if there was a group of quasi-spiritual rebels infiltrating The Matrix with the sole purpose of crashing the ruddy great mainframe and rescuing humans from their unknown purgatory? And, hey, what if Keanu Reeves was their Messiah?

What sounds like some web freak's wet dream is, in fact, a dazzlingly nifty slice of sci-fi cool. The Wachowskis (Lana and Lilly - last seen dabbling in kinky lesbian noir with the excellent Bound ) pulling off something like a million masterstrokes all at once. Taking the imprimatur of the video game, they meld the grungy noir of Blade Runner , the hyperkinetic energies of chopsocky, John Woo hardware and grandiose spiritual overtones into William Gibson's cyberpunk ethos to produce a new aesthetic for the millennium powered to the thudding beat of techno. And it is just incredible fun. The key is the technique of "flo-mo", a process born from Japanese animation, whereby an object in motion is seemingly frozen while the camera miraculously spins around it as if time and gravity are on hold. It grants the action (including some killer kung fu which Reeves and crew spent months perfecting) liberty to take on surreal visual highs. Superhuman feats permissible, of course, in the context of VR as the rebels download Herculean "talents" to fuel their subterfuge. Meanwhile, the audience can only gawp longingly, with its jaws thunking to the cinema floor in unison, as the heroes wrapped in skintight leather, sleek shades and designer cheekbones, spin up walls, leap from high rises and slip through streams of bullets in silken slo-mo. Tron this ain't.

Immediately reigniting the moribund cyberpunk genre (the kids can't get enough Stateside), this has thrust Reeves from his imploding career back to Speed highs (and laying to rest the hideous ghost of Johnny Mnemonic) and stolen much more of Star Wars ' thunder than was thought humanly possible. For all its loony plot, The Matrix is fabulous.

Sure, the expert Laurence Fishburne is depended upon to expound the lion's share of the script as seer-like rebel leader Morpheus. Reeves, stunning in his newcast slenderness, as Thomas "Neo" Anderson, the hacker turned hope for all mankind (care of some ill-defined mystical calling) is asked little more than perpetual befuddlement. Like Speed , though, this movie plays on his iconic looks rather than his oak-like emoting. There's a major find, too, in the irresistible Carrie-Anne Moss, a majestically wrought combination of steely no-shit intelligence and rock-chick vivaciousness as fellow tripper Trinity. And Hugo Weaving, cast against type, neutralises his Aussie tones to a freaky deadpan, the head of the MiB-styled defence system set against the Goth invaders.

And sure, three minutes of post-movie deliberation and all this state-of-the-art cyberdevilry is reduced to the purest gobbledygook. That, though, is not the point. The Matrix is about pure experience; it's been many a moon since the Empire crew have spilled out of a cinema literally buzzing with the sensation of a movie, babbling frenetically with the sheer excitement of discovery.

From head to tail, the deliciously inventive Wachowskis (watch them skyrocket) have delivered the syntax for a new kind of movie: technically mind-blowing, style merged perfectly with content and just so damn cool, the usher will have to drag you kicking and screaming back into reality. You can bet your bottom dollar George never saw this phantom menace coming.

Buy now on Amazon.

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Intense, but many teens will be able to handle it.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

"Reality" may not be what you think it is. If you'

Morpheus tells Neo he's "the One" who was prophesi

The film casts actors of different races and ethni

Many fight sequences involving knives, guns, kicks

Brief scene with scantily clad characters, cleavag

"S--t" and "goddamn" many times. Also "ass," a--ho

The Oracle smokes, one character has a drink.

Parents need to know that The Matrix is an exciting, sometimes confusing, sci-fi adventure with a brooding Keanu Reeves and a mysterious Laurence Fishburne at it center. It's heavy on special effects and has a lot of action violence (some of it pretty gross, including an icky bug that enters the hero's body…

Positive Messages

"Reality" may not be what you think it is. If you're called to save others, you have a choice to accept or reject a destiny that others tell you that you have. Never give up, even against great odds in an ever-changing reality. Teamwork is important for winning.

Positive Role Models

Morpheus tells Neo he's "the One" who was prophesied to end the war between machines and humans. Neo accepts his destiny, trains hard and makes tough, brave choices. Morpheus looks out for Neo and at one point sacrifices himself to protect him. Trinity believes Neo is “the One” more than he does. She becomes his main ally and teammate.

Diverse Representations

The film casts actors of different races and ethnicities. While it has a few female characters, they're in supporting roles, sidekicks to the two leading men. Though the film is about a global calamity, all the characters are American. The character of Switch is androgynous, originally scripted as trans . Behind the camera, the film was written and directed by sisters who are transgender -- Lana and Lilly Wachowski.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Many fight sequences involving knives, guns, kicks, punches. Deaths during battle scenes. An icky bug enters the hero's body through his belly button.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Brief scene with scantily clad characters, cleavage, passionate kissing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"S--t" and "goddamn" many times. Also "ass," a--hole," "hell," "crap" and "Jesus" and "Jesus Christ" used as exclamations.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Matrix is an exciting, sometimes confusing, sci-fi adventure with a brooding Keanu Reeves and a mysterious Laurence Fishburne at it center. It's heavy on special effects and has a lot of action violence (some of it pretty gross, including an icky bug that enters the hero's body through his belly button) and strong language ("s--t," "goddamn," "crap," etc.). Most teens should be able to handle it without a problem, though the plot can be confusing as it unfolds.

Parents need to know that The Matrix is an exciting, if sometimes confusing, sci-fi adventure written and directed by sisters Lana and Lilly Wachowski. It stars a brooding Keanu Reeves , a mysterious Laurence Fishburne , and a strong Carrie-Anne Moss . It's heavy on special effects and has lots of action violence including many gun fights. There are also gross elements, including an icky bug that enters the hero's body through his belly button and strong language ("s--t," "goddamn," "crap," etc.). The film emphasizes perseverance and teamwork. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (88)
• Kids say (435)

Based on 88 parent reviews

Confusing for kids

Great fun movie, what's the story.

In THE MATRIX, Keanu Reeves stars as Neo, a computer programmer with a sideline as a hacker, who gets mysterious messages that lead him to Morpheus ( Laurence Fishburne ), leader of a ragtag group that lives aboard a rocket-style craft. It turns out that it's not 1999 but about 100 years into the future. All of humanity has been turned into a source of energy to keep machines "alive." The Matrix is a massive computer program that has the humans believing that they are still living in a world that has actually been destroyed. Special agents, led by Smith ( Hugo Weaving ), seek out Morpheus and his followers to destroy them.

Is It Any Good?

This film is heavy on special effects and brooding paranoia, light on plot, dialogue, character, and even coherence. THE MATRIX challenges what's real and what's part of an elaborate, fake cyber-reality, so it can be confusing for both the audience and the characters in the movie. But it's certainly an ideal pick for the kind of teen who wishes that video games could come to life. Though it's rated R for violence (some pretty gross, including an icky bug that enters the hero's body through his belly button) and language, most teens 14 and up who are begging to see it should be able to handle it without a problem.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the relationship between humans and machines. Why was the first Matrix program, creating the perception of a utopia-like society, unacceptable to the humans?

What do you think of the violence in The Matrix ? Is it too much or appropriate to the story?

How well do you think The Matrix deals with the philosophical issues it raises, such as destiny vs. free will and loyalty vs. self-interest?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 31, 1999
• On DVD or streaming : September 21, 1999
• Cast : Carrie-Anne Moss , Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne
• Directors : Lilly Wachowski , Lana Wachowski
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Transgender directors, Female actors, Asian actors, Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors, Black actors
• Studio : Warner Bros.
• Genre : Science Fiction
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Robots , Science and Nature , Space and Aliens
• Run time : 136 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : sci-fi violence and brief language.
• Last updated : April 6, 2024

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The Matrix Resurrections

2021, Sci-fi/Action, 2h 28m

What to know

Critics Consensus

If it lacks the original's bracingly original craft, The Matrix Resurrections revisits the world of the franchise with wit, a timely perspective, and heart. Read critic reviews

Audience Says

The Matrix Resurrections falls short compared to the original, but doesn't skimp on the action or cool visual effects. Read audience reviews

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The matrix resurrections videos, the matrix resurrections   photos.

To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, Mr. Anderson, aka Neo, will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. If he's learned anything, it's that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of -- or into -- the Matrix. Neo already knows what he has to do, but what he doesn't yet know is that the Matrix is stronger, more secure and far more dangerous than ever before.

Rating: R (Violence and Some Language)

Genre: Sci-fi, Action

Original Language: English

Director: Lana Wachowski

Producer: James McTeigue , Lana Wachowski , Grant Hill

Writer: Lana Wachowski , David Mitchell , Aleksandar Hemon

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2021  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 22, 2021

Box Office (Gross USA): $37.7M

Runtime: 2h 28m

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Co: Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures

Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Keanu Reeves

Neo, Thomas Anderson

Carrie-Anne Moss

Trinity, Tiffany

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Morpheus, Agent Smith

Jonathan Groff

Jessica Henwick

Neil Patrick Harris

The Analyst

Jada Pinkett Smith

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Christina Ricci

Gwyn de Vere

Lambert Wilson

The Merovingian

Andrew Lewis Caldwell

Toby Onwumere

Max Riemelt

Joshua Grothe

Brian J. Smith

Eréndira Ibarra

Michael X. Sommers

L. Trey Wilson

Mumbi Maina

Lana Wachowski

Screenwriter

David Mitchell

Aleksandar Hemon

James McTeigue

Garrett Grant

Executive Producer

Terry Needham

Michael Salven

Karin Wachowski

Jesse Ehrman

Bruce Berman

Daniele Massaccesi

Cinematographer

Joseph Jett Sally

Film Editor

Johnny Klimek

Original Music

Hugh Bateup

Production Design

Richard Bloom

Art Director

News & Interviews for The Matrix Resurrections

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The Matrix Resurrections First Reviews: Packed with Nostalgia but Exciting in New Ways

Critic Reviews for The Matrix Resurrections

Audience reviews for the matrix resurrections.

Honestly I'm still processing this movie, and it may take several more viewings for me to come to my ultimate conclusion about it. As it stands now, it's pretty good. Not great, but it has some great ideas. The nostalgia fueled meta nature of the opening hour and the questions of reality and sanity itself are intriguing as all hell. However, when it has to be a Matrix movie, it's not the best Matrix movie. The world building questions they answer aren't enough to satisfy me, and while the action is okay there isn't any scene that blew me away like the other films. That said the performances here are better than any of the other films, and it looks great. If there had to be a Matrix 4, this is a solid enough one.

Better than it has any right to be. A gorgeous epic that has actual things to say and does so with more creativity than a lot of these decades late sequels. I think the problem people have is that the movie functions as more of an epilogue than a definitive continuation of the original trilogy. Also, if the meta commentary and "fan service" bothers you here I wonder if that is true in all cases or just this movie?

It is hard to overstate how influential The Matrix was upon its release in 1999. It rewrote the science fiction and action genres for Hollywood and introduced American audiences to many of the filmmaking techniques of Eastern cinema. It was exciting, philosophical, challenging, and made an instant brand out of the Wachowskis, the writing/directing siblings who had previously only directed one indie movie. The 2003 sequels were filmed back-to-back and released to great anticipatory fanfare and then, later, derision. The Matrix sequels, Reloaded and Revolutions, became a shorthand joke for bloated artistic miscalculation. They were talky, draggy, and just not what fans were hoping for jacking back into this strange world, and years later I think they're worth a critical re-evaluation. Flash forward to 2021, and Lana Wachowski has resurrected The Matrix, and with the original actors for Neo and Trinity, both of whom died in Revolutions. Why go back? I think part of this was the declining career of the Wachowskis as directors. I personally loved 2012's Cloud Atlas but it was an expensive and messy money-loser, the same as 2008's Speed Racer and 2015's Jupiter Ascending, a cosmically bad movie. So now it's back to The Matrix with an older Neo, and older Trinity, and more of the same by design. The Matrix Resurrections just made me sad. It's a movie that feels resentful for its own inception. Thomas Anderson/Neo (Reeves) is living out his life as an award-winning game designer. His company and business partner, Smith (Jonathan Groff), are looking for their next big hit, and they're looking backwards at Anderson's biggest success… the "Matrix trilogy." It was a virtual reality program that skewered the difference between reality and fiction. Mr. Anderson might have even based the role of Trinity on Tiffany (Carrie Anne-Moss), a woman he has grown infatuated with over time at a coffee shop. Except Mr. Anderson is having trouble determining what is real and what is only in his head. That's because a new, younger Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is telling him that he's Neo, that he's destined for greater things, and that he's been kept in an unorthodox prison to keep him out of the action. Everyone seems interested in reactivating Neo, but for what purpose, and what has happened in the ensuing decades since the end of the war with the machines? Part of my struggle with Resurrections is that it too is struggling with its own existence, and not in a meta-textual sort of identity crisis, more like a reason to carry on 18 years later. Fair warning, this movie is far, far more meta than you are anticipating. The entire first hour of the movie features characters justifying rebooting "The Matrix," the game. It's a movie where characters glibly talk about parent companies going forward with the IP with or without the involvement of the original creators, so better to be the one trying to staunch the bleeding I suppose. A character literally says Warner Brothers wants a new Matrix and they will not stop until they get one. There are characters that sit around a table and try and break down what made the original Matrix (the game) so cutting-edge, and every person has a different brand slogan. "It was edgy." "It blew your mind." "It was a thinking man's action story." This prolonged section of Resurrections feels entirely like Wachowski speaking directly to her audience and saying, "Look, I had no reason to be back here. They forced my hand, and I want you to know that I'm not happy about it." There are literal moments from the 1999 film that are presented as if the characters in the matrix are watching The Matrix to recreate scenes like avid cosplayers. There is one part where a character just starts screaming the word "reboot" with profane intention, promising to get their own spinoff as a threat. The entertainment industry satire about reboots and cash-grab sequels is funny but misplaced and coming from a perspective of defiance. If this was all the movie was then it would have been a fascinating example of an artist burning the bridge to their most successful franchise out of willful spite. However, if we had our own little focus group and asked what made the original Matrix so enjoyable, I doubt anyone would list, "entertainment industry satire and meta humor." The Matrix movies are well known for being a smarter, more ambitious viewing experience ("A thinking man's action story"), blending philosophy and mysticism into anime-style action and kung-fu fights. There's an intentional repetition here, built upon delivering something familiar and safe to audiences but with a "next gen" feel. We have a new Morpheus and a new Mr. Smith here, but did we require either? When they go through the motions of patterning themselves on characters of old, it feels strained, it feels gassed, and it's another instance where Wachowski telegraphing to her audience, "Look, the studio demanded I bring back these characters, but I'll be damned if I know what to do with them." Morpheus has a little more story leverage as a catalyst for bringing Neo back to his path of enlightenment. Truth be told, I don't really know half of what was happening in this movie, which lacked the elegant connectivity of the best action movies, linking cause and effect (the Merovingian would be proud of me) and pushing the movie forward to its inevitable conclusion. Even the prior movies felt more like the creators knew what was going on, even if the audience was lagging behind. With Resurrections, it feels like Wachowski and her screenwriters, novelist Dave Mitchell (Cloud Atlas) and Aleksandar Hermon (Sense 8 finale), have just given up trying to make sense of it all. Another disappointment is the lack of any signature or memorable action sequences or, in the words of the Matrix round table, moments that "blew your mind." The use of phones as transport in and out of the matrix has been replaced with mirror portals and doorways, which initially got my hopes up. There are such playful visual possibilities incorporating portals into action (see: Doctor Strange, even Matrix Reloaded), and I felt that Wachowski was up to the imaginative challenge. It too feels like another element that barely registers. The movie takes the anyone-can-become-an-Agent threat of the original trilogy and says, "What if instead of facing deadly Agents, it was just dumb zombies?" The new machines decide to rely upon a hive-mind system of grabbing whatever humans are in the vicinity and taking control of them into mindless foot soldiers. Let's explore what a downgrade this is. The Agents were dangerous because they had powers that ordinary humans could not hope for, like the bullet dodging. In this movie, ordinary people are easily foiled and often a pathetic excuse for super-powered adversaries. The final act involves an escalation in numbers of the hive mind, but we've already been here with the multiple Agents Smiths of the sequels. There is one disturbing change-up where the machines realize how humans can just serve as canon fodder that is dark but a more effective attack. Even the requisite martial arts battles and gravity-defying wire work are humdrum this round. If there is one thing that Resurrections does well it's staking its identity out as a romance. Much of the second half prioritizes the relationship between Neo and Trinity, which was always taken for granted in the sequels. It was a romance of more utilitarian purpose, providing Neo with a love interest to motivate him to be saved in times of great peril. With Resurrections, the movie actually takes time to devote to Neo and Trinity as people with desires and what they would find appealing about the other. He's not the savior of mankind, and she's not his gateway to knowledge and empowerment. They're portrayed as people, somewhat unhappy in their lives, and just hoping they might have another chance meeting at their shared coffee shop for one more electrifying conversation. The evolution of the movie places even more importance on this human connection, so I'm glad time has finally been given to exploring what it is that connects Trinity and Neo, especially if their love story is going to play as prominent a resolution to Resurrections. If you have never cared about Trinity and Neo as a couple, then you'll likely be in for a disappointing second half. From a technical standpoint, Resurrections is still a feast for the senses. The photography is moody and atmospheric. The musical score is pumping. The special effects are state-of-the-art. There are a lot of talented people working on this sequel. So why then does the movie feel so perfunctory? In some regard each Matrix sequel has felt this way, adding extraneous pieces onto an already perfect standalone film. Having re-watched both Reloaded and Revolutions again, I can affirmatively declare Resurrections to be the weakest Matrix entry yet. We were all a bit too harsh on the prior two Matrix movies, which fall short of capturing the original's magic alchemy but bring the goods when it comes to memorable set pieces, eye-popping visuals, and narrative zigs instead of zags (It was undercutting audience expectations before it was cool). They are still a bit too stuffy and talk in circles, but there are definite Major Ideas percolating underneath. In contrast, Resurrections feels more powered by resentment, by Wachowski coming back to this world against her better wishes and judgements. Maybe we should have left things alone. Nate's Grade: C

It took me a while before I was fully understanding what was happening, but despite that, I enjoyed it from start to finish. Definitely referential in a good way, but it really picks up in the latter half of the movie when it goes into newer, unknown territory

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The Ultimate Guide To The Matrix Trilogy

Refresh your memory before watching The Matrix Resurrections .

Nearly 20 years after The Matrix Revolutions hit theaters, marking the end of the Matrix Trilogy, Lana Wachowski and crew are back with a highly anticipated fourth installment. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprise their original roles as Neo and Trinity in The Matrix Resurrections , and fans can’t wait to see them back in action — but as it’s been awhile since the last film, it’s worth giving yourself a quick crash course in the original trilogy and its lore before diving in. Below, an in-depth primer on The Matrix , The Matrix Reloaded , and The Matrix Revolutions . Major spoilers for the Matrix Trilogy follow.

The Matrix , co-written and co-directed by sisters Lana and Lilly Wachowski, imagines a sort of post-Skynet future — one in which humanity has finally paid the price for its technological hubris, leaving them enslaved by their own creations. Released in 1999, it was somewhat of a latecomer to the cyberpunk film scene. Filmgoers had already been introduced to the genre’s core concepts by a star-studded suite of other films, including Blade Runner (1982), Akira (1988), and Ghost in the Shell (1995), as well as Reeves’ earlier film, Johnny Mnemonic (1995). To that extent, the Wachowskis were covering well-trod territory, and they even went so far as to pay homage to The Matrix ’s predecessors in the film itself. (Editor’s note: The article linked in the previous sentence is from 2009 and uses the Wachowski sisters’ deadnames.)

Unlike those previous films, however, The Matrix holds the distinction of being one of the first — if not the first — cyberpunk movies to be based on an original screenplay. Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is loosely based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Johnny Mnemonic is an adaptation of a short story by author William Gibson — one that ties into Gibson’s highly influential cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer . And Akira and Ghost in the Shell were adaptations of two manga series of the same names, created by Katsuhiro Otomo and Shirow Masamune, respectively.

So here’s to The Matrix , the Wachowskis, and everyone else who made this film franchise what it is today. Below, all you need to know about the original Matrix Trilogy.

What Kicks Off The Events Of The Matrix ?

The Matrix is set in a dystopian future where artificially intelligent machines have overpowered their human creators. At the end of the 21st century, fully sentient synthetic lifeforms came online — and eventually, the robot laborers began to protest and petition for their civil rights. This culminated in the establishment of Zero One, an all-Machine nation. Humanity, however, refused to recognize Zero One’s sovereignty and instead bombed its major settlement, Machine City. This led to the First Machine War, which took place in the mid-22nd century.

Humanity’s bid to wipe out the Machines resulted in a series of global catastrophes that ultimately cost them the war. In an attempt to cut off their adversaries’ power source — the Sun — they placed nanite clouds in the atmosphere, plunging the Earth into constant darkness. Most living species died from the lack of sunlight, but the Machines adapted to use another source of power: humans.

The Machines won the war and created the Matrix — a massive simulation of the Earth as it existed at the turn of the 21st century — to keep humanity under their control, and available as a power source. They created a new generation of people, fully integrated into the Matrix and reared in womb-like pods, from whom they could harvest energy.

Outside the Matrix, the last dregs of humanity were forced deep below the surface of the Earth, where they built a massive city called Zion. The city has a defense force composed of hovercrafts, which are often run by people who were born in the Matrix and can re-enter the simulation. Once there, they can convince others to wake up, and free them from their pods in the real world.

Some citizens of Zion believe in the Prophecy of The One — a quasi-religious doctrine that predicts that humanity’s original leader will be reborn inside the Matrix. This chosen one will be capable of reshaping the simulation, freeing the humans enslaved by the Machines, and bringing peace to Earth.

One of these true believers is Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), the captain of the hovercraft Nebuchadnezzar . Together, he and his first mate, Trinity (Moss), keep tabs on the hacker community inside the Matrix. Through his observations, Morpheus begins to suspect that Thomas Anderson (Reeves), a hacker who calls himself “Neo,” could be The One.

Who Are The Key Characters?

In addition to Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, and the other crew members aboard the Nebuchadnezzar — and the many citizens of Zion — there are a few other important characters who feature prominently. These figures are referenced throughout the films, and it’s necessary to understand exactly who they are in order to grasp the trilogy as a whole.

Not all the figures who appear in the Matrix simulation are plugged-in humans. Many are programs, who are designed to carry out specific functions. One of the most prominent of these is the Oracle, played by Gloria Foster in The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded , and — following Foster’s death — by Mary Alice in The Matrix Revolutions .

As the Architect (more on him later) reveals to Neo at the end of The Matrix Reloaded , the Oracle helped design the most current iteration of the Matrix, which prevents people from rejecting the Machines’ attempts to keep them pacified. There were five previous versions of the Matrix, each of which was rejected by humanity for one reason or another. It was the Oracle who discovered the solution. The Machines needed to allow each person to choose whether or not to believe in the Matrix for themselves — “even if they were only aware of the choice at a near-unconscious level.” Virtually every individual would acquiesce, willingly accepting the simulation. And so the current Matrix model was born.

After fulfilling her purpose in this way, the Oracle became an Exile — a program that no longer has a function in the Matrix, but remains undeleted. Because her initial job was to compile in-depth psychological profiles on humans, the Oracle now works as a soothsayer who predicts the futures of humans who’ve escaped the Matrix. However, as Morpheus explains to Neo, the Oracle often tells people what they need to hear, rather than what is true.

The Oracle is also inextricably linked to the Prophecy of The One. She helps to raise “Potentials” — children who show promise of fulfilling the Prophecy, thanks to their talents for bending the rules of the Matrix. Her real work, however, lies in giving humans like Morpheus the nudge they need to help bring about the return of The One.

Agent Smith

Another program, Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) is the Matrix series’ primary antagonist. As an Agent — essentially a sentient security program — Smith is responsible for keeping Zionites out of the Matrix. To that end, he can take over the body of any human who still resides inside a pod, which means that anyone in the Matrix could become the Zionites’ deadliest enemy in the blink of an eye.

Smith’s ambition makes him much more dangerous to the human resistance — and indeed, to the structural integrity of the Matrix — than any other Agent. As he tells Morpheus in The Matrix , he has no desire to continue living inside the simulation. Instead, Agent Smith wants to hack into the Zion mainframe so that he can live outside of the Matrix.

Believe it or not, the series’ big bad gets his wish. After he’s seemingly defeated at the end of The Matrix , Agent Smith appears at the beginning of The Matrix Reloaded with a gift for Neo: his earpiece, and the message that Neo has “set him free.” He’s later seen talking to a duplicate of himself — something that no Agent had done before.

As it turns out, Smith’s final encounter with Neo in The Matrix corrupted his code, converting him into a virus. In the sequels, Agent Smith can self-replicate and take over anyone inside the Matrix, including Zionites.

The Merovingian

One of the Matrix trilogy’s most mysterious figures, the Merovingian (Lambert Wilson) is an old and powerful Exile from a previous version of the Matrix. He has the ability to write new programs himself, and is protected by a small cabal of fiercely loyal Exiles (who just so happen to be the source of humanity’s apparently inexplicable encounters with paranormal entities, such as werewolves, vampires, and ghosts).

The Architect

Last but certainly not least, there’s the Architect (Helmut Bakaitis), the program that built every iteration of the Matrix, from the original, utopian version — which humanity soundly rejected — to the one that Neo was born into.

The Architect resides in a strange room full of screens, situated between two doors — one to the Matrix, the other to the Source (the mainframe of the Matrix itself). The One is fated to open the door to the Source, but at a cost. In The Matrix Reloaded , the Architect lays out Neo’s impossible choice.

What Happens In The Matrix ?

The film begins with the Nebuchadnezzar crew’s efforts to unplug Neo from the Matrix — and the Agents’ attempts to prevent this. This culminates in an iconic scene, wherein Morpheus gives Neo the choice between two pills: “You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

After Neo takes the red pill, he wakes up inside his pod in the real world, and the Nebuchadnezzar picks him up. He spends time onboard recuperating, training, and getting to know the crew: the Matrix-born Apoc (Julian Arahanga), Cypher (Joe Pantoliano), Mouse (Matt Doran), and Switch (Belinda McClory), as well as the Zion-born brothers Tank (Marcus Chong) and Dozer (Anthony Ray Parker).

Unbeknownst to the rest, the cynical Cypher — who laments to Neo: “Why, oh why, didn’t I take the blue pill?” — has cut a deal with Agent Smith. In exchange for rejoining Matrix with no memories of his time among the Zionites, Cypher agrees to hand over the one man who can help the Agents bring Zion down: Morpheus.

He doesn’t have to wait long for his chance. When Morpheus decides to take Neo to meet the Oracle, Cypher and Agent Smith lay a trap for the crew.

On the way to the Oracle, Morpheus shares what the program predicted for his life — “That I would find The One” — with Neo, but Trinity refuses to reveal what she was told. Once they reach the Oracle, she tells Neo that he isn’t The One — but that Morpheus is so convinced he is The One that he’s going to die to protect Neo: “One of you is going to die. Which one will be up to you.”

Having met with the Oracle, the Nebuchadnezzar crew prepares to leave the Matrix, but they don’t get far. Thanks to Cypher’s sabotage, they’re bombarded by a SWAT team and a group of Agents, who prevent them from exiting. In the Matrix, Mouse is killed and Morpheus is captured. Back on the ship, Cypher electrocutes Dozer and unplugs Apoc and Switch, killing them both in real life and in the simulation.

Trinity and Neo narrowly pull off a dangerous mission to rescue Morpheus from the Agents. Neo goes toe-to-toe with Agent Jones (Robert Taylor) for the first time, proving himself to be capable of moving in “bullet time,” just as the Agents do — and revealing himself to possibly be The One.

Morpheus and Trinity manage to leave the Matrix, but Neo’s exit is delayed, forcing him into a final confrontation with Agent Smith. It’s a meaningful battle, as Smith needs to defeat Neo in order to escape the Matrix, and Neo needs to defeat Smith in order to prove to himself that he’s The One.

Meanwhile, aboard the Nebuchadnezzar , the crew face a threat of their own: an attack of deadly Sentinels. In order to defeat the Machines, they need to turn off their own electronics and emit an EMP — but they can’t do this while Neo is still plugged into the Matrix.

All appears to be lost when Agent Smith shoots Neo multiple times in the chest. As the Sentinels begin to tear the hovercraft apart, Trinity and Morpheus watch Neo’s vitals flatline. Under these circumstances, Trinity finally reveals what the Oracle told her:

“Neo, I’m not afraid anymore. The Oracle told me that I would fall in love, and that that man, the man that I loved, would be The One. So you see, you can’t be dead. You can’t be, because I love you. You hear me? I love you.”

Trinity’s kiss revives Neo. He stops the Agents’ bullets in midair, and we learn that, not only is he The One — thank you, Morpheus — but he’s also now able to see the code that makes up the Matrix while he’s inside it. Now capable of almost anything, Neo jumps inside Smith’s body, causing the Agent explode.

Neo exits the Matrix, and the Nebuchadnezzar ’s emergency EMP goes off, killing the Sentinels. The film ends with a voice message from Neo to the Machines:

“I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid. You’re afraid of us. You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin. I’m going to hang up this phone, and then I’m going to show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you, a world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.”

What Happens In The Matrix Reloaded ?

Six months after the events of The Matrix , the Zionites learn that the Machines are planning an assault on the city. A quarter of a million Sentinels — or, as Morpheus points out, “[one] for every man, woman, and child in Zion” — will attack. With only three days to prepare for the battle, Commander Jason “Deadbolt” Lock (Harry J. Lennix) calls all Zionite hovercraft teams home. Morpheus, however, insists on consulting the Oracle before returning to Zion.

The Nebuchadnezzar ’s new operator, Link (Harold Perrineau), brings the hovercraft into Zion — and a group of men immediately escort Morpheus to a meeting with Commander Lock. Trinity explains that Morpheus’ ex-lover and fellow hovercraft captain, Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith), is now in a romantic relationship with Lock, hence the tension between the two. They also have another conflict: While Morpheus believes fervently in the Prophecy of The One, Lock doubts it.

Later that day, Morpheus channels his faith into an impassioned speech before all of Zion, in which he warns humanity of the coming attack. Following his address, the city’s gathering swiftly turns into a massive dance party-slash-orgy, which affords Neo and Trinity some much-needed alone time. As their encounter ends, however, Neo has a vision of Trinity falling to her death. He keeps this to himself.

Back inside the Matrix, Bane, a member of another hovercraft an unfortunate run-in with Agent Smith. Smith proceeds to exit the Matrix in Bane’s body, and the ship returns to Zion with Agent Smith-as-Bane.

The Nebuchadnezzar departs, and Neo returns to the Matrix to meet with the Oracle, who reveals more about the nature of the simulation. “A program [facing deletion] can either choose to hide here,” she tells him, “or return to the Source.” The Source, she says, happens to be “Where the path of The One ends.” It’s where Neo foresaw Trinity dying, and it’s where he must go if he wants to fulfill his destiny and save Zion. In order to reach the Source, however, Neo needs the help of the Keymaker, who has been imprisoned by the Merovingian.

Morpheus, Neo, and Trinity head to their meeting with the Merovingian, who turns out to be just as powerful as the Oracle described him. He also doesn’t happen to be particularly sympathetic to their plight, and for a moment, it seems that the trip has been for naught — but the Merovingian’s jealous wife, Persephone (Monica Bellucci), surprises the trio by offering to lead them to the Keymaker.

They find the Keymaker easily enough, but are confronted by the Merovingian’s personal bodyguards on the way out. A spectacular action sequence ensues, and by the time it’s over, the good guys have won.

While the Machines begin their attack on Zion, the a group of hovercraft crews hatch a plan with the Keymaker to get inside the Source. Neo asks Trinity to stay out of the Matrix until he’s accomplished his mission.

Unfortunately, a Machine destroys one of the ships, leaving Trinity with no choice but to enter the Matrix. As she works to give Neo a chance to enter the Source, he, Morpheus, and the Keymaker are stalled by the Agents Smith. They manage to fight their way through, but the Keymaker is killed in the process.

When Neo steps through the door, he’s greeted by the Architect. “Your life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the Matrix,” the Architect tells him. “You are the eventuality of an anomaly, which, despite my sincerest efforts, I have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision.”

Surrounded by hundreds of screens, each displaying a different version of Neo reacting to these revelations, the Architect goes on to explain that the Neo we know is not the first version of The One, any more than the Matrix is the first version of itself. He also reveals that this isn’t the first time the Machines have attacked Zion: “Rest assured,” the Architect says, “this will be the sixth time we have destroyed it.”

The Architect then presents Neo with a nearly impossible choice: either restart the Matrix and choose a new group of humans with whom to rebuild Zion, or allow the Matrix system to crash, taking with it every human stuck in the simulation. “Coupled with the extermination of Zion,” he explains, this choice “would ultimately result in the extinction of the entire human race.” To complicate the issue further, the Architect shows Neo that Trinity has entered the Matrix and is currently fighting Agent Thompson (Matt McColm) — and she’s quickly approaching the death Neo had foreseen.

This knowledge pushes Neo to open the door to the Matrix, bypassing the Source. He catches Trinity just before she hits the pavement, but not before she’s fatally wounded by an Agent’s bullet. In what appear to be Trinity’s final moments, Neo reaches inside her body — into the code of her Matrix avatar — to remove the bullet and restart her heart.

Aboard the Nebuchadnezzar again, Neo must explain to Morpheus, Trinity, and Link that the Prophecy was not accurate. Zion is still in grave danger. And, with the Machines at their door, so is the Nebuchadnezzar . The crew escape just before the hovercraft is destroyed, but are forced to make their way on foot. Just as they begin to run, Neo realizes he can sense and control the machines, just as he can do with the Agents and other programs inside the Matrix. He stops the Machines in their tracks, but falls comatose from the effort.

The Nebuchadnezzar crew are picked up by another hovercraft, whose captain explains that their search-and-rescue efforts had turned up only one survivor, someone the Machines were trying very hard to find: Bane.

What Happens In The Matrix Revolutions ?

The Matrix Revolutions picks up immediately following the events of the previous film. With less than 24 hours to save Zion, the hovercraft crew looks for Niobe and her ship. Morpheus also asks the crew to search the Matrix repeatedly for any sign of Neo, whose body still lies comatose — but whose brain activity reads as if he’s plugged into the Matrix.

And he is, sort of. His mind is trapped inside the Mobil Ave train station, a pocket of liminal space that connects the Matrix with the real world. There, he meets Sati (Tanveer K. Atwal), a childlike program who knows who he is. Sati explains that the train leads to the Matrix, but that Neo will not be able to board it, because the Trainman (Bruce Spence) does not want him to. Essentially, he’s stuck.

Meanwhile, Morpheus is summoned to meet with the Oracle (now portrayed by Mary Alice), who explains Neo’s predicament, as well as the purpose of Mobil Ave — “to smuggle programs in and out of the Matrix.” Additionally, the Oracle reveals that the Trainman works for the Merovingian, who has bounties out on Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity.

Back in the station, Neo sees a familiar face: Rama-Kandra (Bernard White), a program he met at his first meeting with the Merovingian. Rama-Kandra may be a program, but he’s also Sati’s father, for all intents and purposes. He’s waiting for the train to take him, his wife Kamala (Tharini Mudaliar), and their daughter to the Matrix. Rama-Kandra and his wife have made a deal with the Merovingian to protect Sati, a program who would be deleted if she did not flee, because she does not have a purpose.

As Sati predicted, the Trainman prevents Neo from leaving Mobil Ave with her and her family. Instead, Neo’s friends must convince the Merovingian to allow Neo to return to the Matrix. It isn’t easy, but they make it happen, and Neo boards the train to the Matrix.

Shortly thereafter, Neo insists on seeing the Oracle. She calms Neo’s fears by explaining that the Architect is unable to see what might happen when one choice is made over another. Therefore, his predictions about the destruction of the Matrix and Zion were not accurate at all, and now, Neo can only find the answers he seeks by going to the Source — not to the room past the Architect’s, but to the real Source, in Machine City. But he doesn’t have all the time in the world to act: Agent Smith will soon be able to destroy the Matrix, Neo will need to act quickly to stop him.

Back in the real world, the hovercraft crew manages to track down Niobe. Luckily for Neo, Niobe’s ship is serviceable enough to get him to Machine City, and she’s willing to give it to him. Trinity insists on accompanying him. The other hovercraft crews travel back to Zion, just in time for the Machine assault. What they discover only after leaving is that Bane — still possessed by Agent Smith — has awoken, and murdered one of their own.

Aboard the ship they’ve borrowed from Niobe, Neo and Trinity discover that Agent Smith-as-Bane has snuck aboard. He takes Trinity hostage and reveals his true identity to Neo. A fight ensues, and Neo comes out victorious — but not before Smith blinds him. Regardless, Neo and Trinity continue on to Machine City.

As Zion is swarmed by thousands of Machines, Neo and Trinity are attacked themselves, and their ship crashes. A badly wounded Trinity dies soon after the impact, leaving Neo to proceed to the Source alone. There, he meets the Deus Ex Machina, the Machine that controls the entire city. Neo bargains with it, promising to destroy Smith — thereby saving the Matrix, which has begun to deteriorate under the weight of the Agent’s duplicates — if the Deus Ex Machina will agree to a peace accord with Zion.

Neo enters the Matrix once more, bent on destroying Smith. There, he finds the streets lined with Agents Smith. A lengthy battle ensues, only ending once Neo lets Smith turn him into a duplicate. As Smith begins to overtake Neo, the Deus Ex Machina floods Neo’s body with electricity, causing Smith to explode. One after another, the duplicate Agents explode as well, signaling Smith’s final defeat.

After Neo completes his half of the bargain, the Machines make good on theirs. They halt their attack on Zion and retreat back to the Machine City, where Neo’s apparently lifeless body is carried toward the city’s center.

Back inside the Matrix, the damage caused by Neo and Smith’s last battle is repaired. On the banks of a river, the Architect approaches the Oracle and assures her that all the humans who wished to be freed from the Matrix will be freed.

At the conclusion of the film, the Oracle is asked if she knew how things would turn out. “Oh no,” she says. “But I believed.”

This article was originally published on Dec. 22, 2021

RETRO REVIEW: The Matrix Still Holds up After 25 Years

The Matrix is a classic sci-fi action mindbender that pushed boundaries at the time of its release, and influenced modern society as a whole.

On March 31, 1999, The Wachowski Siblings changed the face of big blockbusters forever with their cyberpunk epic, The Matrix . Their second feature redefined the cyberpunk genre in several extraordinary ways, one of which was pushing it into the mainstream.

The Matrix is a sci-fi film that is extremely human, despite the fact that it contains concepts that may have seemed completely out of this world at the time of its original release. Now that the movie is celebrating its 25th anniversary, the eerie events it depicted and tackled now feel closer to home than ever before.

The Matrix deals with machines owning the human race, and at the time of the film's initial release, this concept did not seem like it was going to be actually occurring in the near future.

Ever since the technological evolution and the take-over of social media in the last 15 years, The Matrix became more relatable than ever before. In more ways than one, today's reality of people stuck scrolling on Instagram and TikTok for days on end paralleled the human race being trapped in pods and used as batteries for the machines' benefit. The Matrix was a warning about the technology of the late 90s and innovations that didn't even exist at the time, but the world didn’t listen.

The Matrix Is More Than Just Sci-Fi With Kung Fu

The matrix is a unique blend of science-fiction, martial arts and anime, retro review: the crow is a stylish cult classic that still rocks.

After an opening fight between Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and some unstoppable Agents, The Matrix starts with Thomas A. Anderson (Keanu Reeves) , a bored computer programmer and hacker, being told to literally wake up by an anonymous someone through the internet. After meeting the mysterious Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Mr. Anderson learns that the life he lives is actually a computer simulation, and the human race is controlled by nefarious robots. Mr. Anderson is really "Neo," who may or may not be “The One” who is prophesied to free humanity and end the war against the machines. Neo joins the Nebuchadnezzar, a rebel ship whose crew attempts to unplug more humans from their digital lives and show them the truth.

Not only was The Matrix an action-packed sci-fi outing, but it was a martial arts film as well. While watching the movie, viewers can spot an obvious resemblance to the then-recent Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and many more Wuxia movies, which added to the fun. It also owes a lot to anime, particularly Ghost in the Shell , and predated anime's influence on mainstream Hollywood blockbusters by almost 20 years. The Matrix is so many things at once and that's what makes it so special.

The Matrix was also a stylish cyberpunk retelling of the literary classic Alice in Wonderland . After Neo decides to fall down the rabbit hole during the now-iconic "red pill, blue pill" scene, there is a visual depiction of people in pods. The scene is a body horror delight, and seeing an emaciated Reeves covered in some sort of ectoplasm is something that will be ingrained into the minds of most viewers. The appearance of the robots is almost Lovecraftian and the stuff of nightmares. The Matrix's set design is brilliantly uncanny, adding more layers to the ingenious world building.

Keanu Reeves' Constantine 2 Is Coming - Here's What the Sequel Must Tackle

But in retrospect, the nonstop inclusion of gun violence in the second half is jarring, even though it may have been easier to overlook just a few years ago. The Matrix's first half is a spectacular balance between a heady sci-fi story and martial arts action, but its story fizzles out ever so slightly by the end when lengthy fist fights and gun battles take over the narrative. For some, this change in tone is welcomed, but the movie's powerful plot deserved a bit more development in the second half.

The whole idea of the crew of rebels plugging themselves back into the evil robotic world together is a celebration of friendship in many ways. In a movie featuring such a bleak story, some heart is definitely warranted, and the way the team interact with each other is heartwarming at times. The addition of a betrayal is also made more compelling because it's easy for the viewer to genuinely care about this cast of characters.

At The Matrix's lies an effective love story. Reeves and Moss's chemistry is off the charts here and thus, Neo and Trinity falling in love is terribly effective. When Trinity says she was told she would fall in love with The One, it hits the viewer hard. Reeves and Moss deliver what is possibly the best romance ever seen in an action film.

The Matrix needs to be seen by any lover of cinema. Almost every scene contains something worthwhile. The plot could have been enhanced in places, but the world building is extremely effective for what was initially planned to be just one movie. The machine-dominated world and the simulation that trapped humanity in an idyllic prison were explored in the sequels, but it's a testament to the first movie's strength that it could stand well on its own. The original Matrix was the start of an incredible story and franchise, and without it, modern action films would not be the same.

The Matrix Was a Groundbreaking Work of Cinematic Art

The matrix boasted an impressive cast and crew, 10 best scenes from the matrix that define the franchise.

Not only did The Matrix impact the world, but it also catapulted the careers of beloved actors such as Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss. The Matrix is visionary for featuring BIPOC leads in a sci-fi action blockbuster released before the year 2000. Having a diverse cast of actors and characters may seem like common sense today, but such creative choices were deemed "risky" or even rudely dismissed in the late 90s. The Matrix deserves more credit for paving the inclusive path forward.

Reeves gave a star-making performance as a unique action hero who was relatable yet immensely powerful. Similarly, Fishburne managed to give a performance that will be remembered until the end of time. Morpheus is an impeccably written character , and Fishburne brilliantly captured his essence in a way few actors can. Moss also portrayed one of cinema's most lovable heroines with ease, as if she was born to play the role of Trinity.

Hugo Weaving was also fabulous as Agent Smith, delivering a frighteningly eerie performance as a literal agent of the system. Weaving did perhaps too good of a job, because it's hard not to see him as anyone but Agent Smith when he shows up in other films. Last but not the least, Gloria Foster was riveting as The Oracle. She created the perfect all-knowing being, who was so effective because she was a program who was paradoxically so human.

10 Ways The Matrix Trilogy Embraces Sci-Fi Clichés

The cinematography by the prolific Bill Pope was smooth and sleek, yet still captured the edgy and grimy aesthetic the film possessed throughout. The editing by Zach Staenberg is quick and exciting, and the pacing is divine. While The Matrix is a serious look at a terrifyingly plausible dystopia, it was still a ton of fun.

The ending shot where Neo flew through the sky demonstrated just how campy The Matrix can be, which adds another layer of pure enjoyment to the overall viewing experience. The costume design by Kym Barrett was also legendary. The movie also featured some really game-changing special effects, including large robots that looked like the work of H.R. Giger on steroids.

There are so many fantastic sequences throughout, like the moment when Neo was distracted by the woman in the red dress, that help drive this classic movie to greatness. The Matrix was the ultimate cyberpunk experience , but it also has tons of mainstream appeal, creating a brilliant way to please everyone. It story was thematically rich with ideas that hadn't been tackled previously and, visually, it was wholly original. Without The Matrix , many other beloved films would not exist today.

The Matrix Is One of the Most Influential & Important Movies of All Time

The matrix changed filmmakers' and audiences' lives for the better.

The Matrix's most important feat wasn't changing pop culture forever or redefining the modern action movie, but how it helped viewers examine their life and change it for the better. Before it was released, the idea of being trapped by a system like capitalism was not as mainstream as it is today. But now, more people figured out ways to support themselves in a way that makes them free from the system's inherent inhumanity. This epiphany may not always be thanks to The Matrix , but the film definitely opened up many viewers' minds.

The movie was also theorized to be a trans allegory, which does check out -- especially in light of The Wachowski Siblings' personal lives. It was also a story for all the underdogs who knew they are made for more than what a constrictive society expected of them. The Matrix is an inspiring film because it celebrates breaking out of the world's normalcy and being different. Even if it feels outdated in some areas -- like how some of its early visual effects don't hold up well today, while the amount of violence may not be for everyone -- The Matrix is definitely timeless.

The Wachowskis proved with The Matrix that they are some of the most creative filmmakers working today. The Matrix is not only a blueprint for similar films from different filmmakers, but it also helped birth some of the Wachowskis' later projects. They've since gone on to create some similarly ambitious projects, including the Netflix series Sense8, the live-action anime Speed Racer and the mind and time-bending cinematic epic, Cloud Atlas . These works may not have been as successful as The Matrix and its sequels, but they still showed that the Wachowskis were irreplaceable artists.

The Matrix has a distinct late 90s vibe that is incomparable. It's grungy, with a green tint throughout. Especially for its time, the film feels unsafe, as if any shocking event could occur and alter the story at any time.

The Matrix signifies a turning point in cinema history. Previously untouched ideas were finally being explored, and it was an extremely exciting time to be watching and loving movies. There really was a world before and after The Matrix, and the differences between both eras were palpable. The Matrix is bold, and it's a movie that will be watched by many new generations to come because it can simply never stop being influential.

The Matrix is currently available to stream on Max.

When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.

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• Keanu Reeves as Neo; Laurence Fishburne as the freedom fighter leader Morpheus; Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity; Hugo Weaving as the Machines' Agent Smith

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• Andy Wachowski|Larry Wachowski

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Movie Review

“How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world if you didn’t wake from the dream?”

So goes the question posed in The Matrix . Is life real or illusion? Twentieth century life flows on as normal. Or does it? This is revisionist history—in the future. Late in the 21st century, man develops artificial intelligence (referred to simply as the Machines). The Machines take control of Earth. Man fights back. In the resulting power struggle, the world is decimated. And the Machines win.

After discovering they can subsist using electricity generated by the human body, the Machines create a grand illusion to fool humans into serving them. The world “seems” to still be normal, but in fact the bodies of humans are contained in chambers on large “farms” and their minds are linked into a worldwide virtual reality computer program called the Matrix. Nothing is real.

It’s at this point that the film opens with a select group of men and women who have hacked their way out of the Matrix, discovering their true identity. They form a colony called Zion in the real world (which is otherwise lifeless). A few of them re-enter the Matrix to battle the Machines which present themselves in the form of humans. Since nothing is real inside, laws of physics need not apply. Everything centers on how much your mind can disbelieve. If you think you are falling from the top of a skyscraper, you are. If your mind can transcend the illusion, you can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Enter Neo, the One whose appearance has been prophesized by the Oracle (an old woman with psychic powers). Plucked out of the Matrix by the freedom fighters, he is trained to fight. Then reintroduced into the Matrix, Neo must defeat the Machines.

Positive Elements: Truth is worth more than life itself for the freedom fighters. Reality, regardless of how dreary, is better for man than the mindless exercise of comfort and luxury easily provided by the Matrix.

Sexual Content: Virtually none. (Pun intended.) A short conversation occurs in which one computer programmer offers Neo an interlude with a digital woman. Neo does not accept.

Violent Content: Excruciatingly drawn-out sequences feature slow-motion gun battles and hand-to-hand combat including kung-fu fighting. Bodies are repeatedly bludgeoned, ripped apart by machine-gun bullets, slammed through concrete walls, burned with electrical blasts, exploded and hit by a train. One man is stabbed in the head.

Blood drips from mouths as internal organs are pummeled in one scene, but the remainder of the fighting is highly choreographed and largely gore-free. That doesn’t mean gore isn’t a problem though. Especially when a bug-like creature penetrates Neo’s belly and is later forcibly extracted.

Action is often shown with slow-motion dream-like clarity, firmly planting the images in moviegoers minds. After over two hours of almost non-stop fighting, viewers are left with the feeling that the characters of the film have played a distant second to the special effects-filled action scenes.

Spiritual Content: Mysticism and prophesies play a large role in the freedom fighters’ worldview. Almost everything they believe is based on what the Oracle says. Her psychic powers are trusted without hesitation.

A loose comparison to Christ is presented inasmuch as Neo is the “chosen one” destined to save mankind. One character even addresses him as his “own personal Jesus Christ.” Universal ponderings abound, some of which parallel the Christian worldview. A defiled Eden. Intertwined realities. Messianic prophesies. A Judas figure. There’s even a girl named Trinity whose kiss “raises Neo from the dead,” a ship dubbed Nebuchadnessar and a city of destiny called Zion.

But for every part Christian allegory, there are equal parts Buddhism, Greek mythology, Alice in Wonderland and The Terminator —a contemplative stew lacking any purity of focus. As savior, Neo uses Jesus’ name as profanity, hoists a middle finger at police and strafes buildings with gunfire, leaving countless corpses in his wake.

Crude or Profane Language: Amazingly, no f-words mar the dialogue of this R-rated film. But multiple uses of that particular vocal abrasion occur in soundtrack music by Marilyn Manson and Rage Against the Machine. A significant number of s-words (about 20) pepper the script, however. And there are more than a dozen inappropriate uses of the Lord’s name.

Drug and Alcohol Content: Neo and a compatriot drink homemade liquor. Neo chokes and spits most of his swig out, not realizing how strong the concoction is. The hallucinatory drug mescaline is mentioned once as an escape from the drudgery of life.

Other Negative Elements: Portrayals of human infants attached to the Machines with tubes comes across as intentionally disturbing. A scene in which Neo’s body is rescued from the human “farm” is a cross between a Marilyn Manson video and what it would be like if a full-grown man were to be born. Mucus, blood, suction tubes, violence, etc.

Summary: Despite all the hype, I still have to chalk up this chaotically violent head trip as just another post-apocalyptic war thriller. It’s a cyber-reality update of Bladerunner . It’s an attempt to win the hearts of moviegoers who wish somebody would make another Clockwork Orange . Its visuals are unique and possibly trendsetting. But its flimsy allusions to theological truth are far from inspiring.

Steven Isaac

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The Matrix Resurrections review – drained of life by the Hollywood machine

Keanu Reeves is back as cyberpunk icon Neo but fans of the original will find this cynical reboot a bitter pill to swallow

E ighteen years after what we thought was the third and final Matrix film, The Matrix Revolutions , Lana Wachowski has directed a fourth: The Matrix Resurrections. But despite some ingenious touches (a very funny name, for example, for a VR coffee shop) the boulder has been rolled back from the tomb to reveal that the franchise’s corpse is sadly still in there. This is a heavy-footed reboot which doesn’t offer a compelling reason for its existence other than to gouge a fourth income stream from Matrix fans, submissively hooked up for new content, and it doesn’t have anything approaching the breathtaking “bullet time” action sequences that made the original film famous.

The first Matrix was a brilliant, prescient sci-fi action thriller that in 1999 presented us with Keanu Reeves as a computer hacker codenamed “Neo”, stumbling across the apparent activity of a police state whose workings he scarcely suspected. Charismatic rebel Trinity ( Carrie-Anne Moss ) brings Neo to the mysterious figure of Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) who offers our reluctant hero one of the most famous choices in modern cinema: the blue pill or the red pill. The first will allow Neo back into his torpid quasi-contentment, the second will irreversibly reveal to him the truth about all existence. He swallows the red and discovers all our lives exist in a digitally fabricated, illusory world, while our comatose bodies are milked for their energies in giant farms by our machine overlords.

A vivacious and underrated sequel, The Matrix Reloaded , appeared in 2003 and later in the same year The Matrix Revolutions, in which the idea ran definitively out of steam: the awful truth was that the drab “reality” in which the rebels were fighting their tedious intergalactic war against these machines looked like Battlefield Earth , the dire sci-fi movie starring John Travolta.

But the red pill and the blue pill was an irresistible meme gifted to political discourse at the dawn of the online age. Christopher Nolan’s Inception was surely influenced by The Matrix and when Succession ’s digital media baron Lukas Matsson, played by Alexander Skarsgård, contemptuously compares social media users to Roman slaves, he is echoing ideas touted by the original film. Jeff Orlowski’s documentary The Social Dilemma , about social media serfdom, comes with Matrix-esque imagery – and Mark Zuckerberg is attempting to craft a new digital world called Meta. Moreover Lilly Wachowski, the original’s co-director, has intriguingly discussed the world of Matrix and its relevance to the dissenting politics of gender.

The fourth movie wittily begins by showing us Neo in haggard and depressed middle age, operating under his normal name Thomas Anderson: he is an award-winning but burnt-out game programmer. But there are weird eruptions from within his alt.reality: an activist called Bugs (Jessica Henwick) tries to make contact with him, along with a renegade government agent (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who has assumed the persona of Morpheus. Meanwhile, Thomas’s obnoxious billionaire employer Smith (Jonathan Groff) seems a parallel version of the sinister Agent Smith played by Hugo Weaving in the original films. But Thomas’s analyst ( Neil Patrick Harris ) is on hand to assure him that this is all just his imagination. But is it? And is Thomas still deeply in love with Trinity, whom he sees every day in his local coffee shop?

In some ways, The Matrix Resurrections has a degree of charm as a love story of middle age, and usually returning action franchises give their ageing male lead a younger female co-star. Not here: it’s a pleasure to see Moss return, but a shame to see her given so little interesting to do. The Matrix is an idea that is most exciting when it is starting to come apart: when there is a glitch. But the franchise is now a glitch-less narrative: we basically know all about the illusion and the “Battlefield Earth” reality out there in space which is where we are largely marooned: a huge, dispiriting crepuscular ruined cityscape glowing at its rocky edges, like the Verneian interior of a volcano. And the nature of the machines’ thinking and their motivations is not really solved by this fourth film, despite some playful new ideas about whether some of them are disloyal to their side. Lambert Wilson’s character The Merovingian, a veteran of the Machine War, returns, ranting enjoyably about the superiority of art, music and pre-digital conversation.

Really, Resurrections doesn’t do much to remove the anticlimax that hung like a cloud over the cinema auditorium at the end of the third film in 2003. This movie is set up to initiate a possible new series, but there is no real creative life in it. Where the original film was explosively innovatory, this is just another piece of IP, an algorithm of unoriginality.

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'The Matrix 5' is in the works at Warner Bros., produced by Lana Wachowski: What we know

Warner Bros. is ready to re-enter The Matrix .

A new " Matrix " film is in the works at Warner Bros. Pictures, with Drew Goddard ("The Cabin in the Woods") set to write and direct, the studio revealed on Wednesday.

This will be the first film in the sci-fi franchise not directed by Lana or Lilly Wachowski, the filmmaking duo behind the original "Matrix" trilogy. However, Lana will serve as executive producer. Plot details are being kept under wraps, and it isn't clear if Keanu Reeves or any other cast members will return.

"Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25-years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters," Warner Bros. Motion Pictures President of Production Jesse Ehrman said. "The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new Matrix film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis' spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio."

'The Matrix Resurrections' review: Even Keanu Reeves' Neo can't save the remixed results of 'The Matrix Resurrections'

In a statement, Goddard said the "Matrix" movies "changed both cinema and my life," adding that the Wachowskis' "exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world."

The Wachowskis directed all three films in the original "Matrix" trilogy, which began with the 1999 hit following a man, Neo (Reeves), who discovers he is living in a simulation created by machines that have enslaved humanity. Carrie-Anne Moss , Laurence Fishburne  and Hugo Weaving also starred.

'Am I crazy?': 'The Matrix Resurrections' trailer is here with a kung fu-tastic Keanu Reeves

After the original "Matrix" trilogy concluded with 2003's "The Matrix Revolutions," the series returned nearly 20 years later with 2021's " The Matrix Resurrections ," which Lana Wachowski directed solo. In a meta twist, the plot involves a video game designer who has created a popular series, "The Matrix," and is pressured to make a sequel by Warner Bros, an apparent reference to Wachowski's reluctance to continue the series.

"The Matrix Resurrections" was a box office disappointment, grossing only $37 million at the domestic box office, although like all of Warner Bros.' 2021 films, it was released on HBO Max simultaneous with its theatrical debut. It isn't clear if the new "Matrix" film will be a direct follow-up to the plot of "Resurrections."

Goddard previously directed the 2012 horror film "The Cabin in the Woods" and the 2018 thriller "Bad Times at the El Royale." He also wrote 2008's "Cloverfield" and 2015's "The Martian," earning an Oscar nomination for the latter, and created the Netflix series "Daredevil."

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The Matrix Resurrections

Return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to ... Read all Return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. Return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more.

• Lana Wachowski
• David Mitchell
• Aleksandar Hemon
• Keanu Reeves
• Carrie-Anne Moss
• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
• 5.7K User reviews
• 369 Critic reviews
• 63 Metascore
• 6 wins & 37 nominations total

• The Analyst

• Gwyn de Vere

• The Merovingian

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Laurence Fishburne told Collider movie news that he was not in this Matrix movie. When questioned, he replied that someone would have to ask Lana Wachowski because he didn't have an answer for that.
• Goofs Exactly at the 30:16 mark, Trinity's reflection is seen on the glass table she and Neo are having coffee over. This is a completely different person, Trinity's DSI, to show the viewers how Neo sees Trinity and how she really looks to everyone else, a subtle proof Trinity's digital self image has also been altered by the system. After realizing this, the story Trinity tells Neo about her telling her husband Chad she looks like Trinity, and her husband subsequently laughing about it makes perfect sense as her DSI looks completely different.

The Analyst : Quietly yearning for what you don't have, while dreading losing what you do. Desire and fear.

• Crazy credits There is a final scene after the end credits where the game development team from Deus Machina briefly debate the future of entertainment media.
• Connections Edited from The Matrix (1999)
• Soundtracks Music from The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions Written by Don Davis

User reviews 5.7K

• Achyut_Prashast_Singh
• Dec 22, 2021
• How long is The Matrix Resurrections? Powered by Alexa
• December 22, 2021 (United States)
• United States
• Official Site
• Project Ice Cream
• Berlin, Germany
• Warner Bros.
• Village Roadshow Pictures
• Venus Castina Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $190,000,000 (estimated)
• $37,686,805
• $10,749,011
• Dec 26, 2021
• $157,386,805

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 28 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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A new Matrix movie is coming from the director of Cabin in the Woods

Lana Wachowki will executive produce, but it will be the first film in the franchise without one (or both) of the sisters directing

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It’s time to re-enter the Matrix , only this time with a new director. The Matrix is coming back for a fifth entry, directed and written by Drew Goddard, Warner Bros. announced on Wednesday.

Goddard has previously directed Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale . He has even more experience as a writer, with credits like Cloverfield , The Martian , and Netflix’s Daredevil .

In a statement about the movie’s announcement, Warner Bros. president of production Jesse Ehrman said, “Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters. The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new ‘Matrix’ film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis’ spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”

While this will be the first Matrix movie without a Wachowski at the helm, they won’t be completely uninvolved. Lana Wachowski, who directed The Matrix Resurrections in 2021, will be back as an executive producer on Matrix 5 . Lilly Wachowski, who was not involved in the making of the most recent Matrix movie, similarly does not have a role in the upcoming film.

There’s no release date for Goddard’s Matrix movie yet.

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Screen Rant

Don’t tell mom the babysitter’s dead review: this decent, fun remake can’t beat the original's charm.

The lighthearted revamp of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead doesn’t quite match the charm or appeal of the original cult classic.

• The remake of Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead successfully balances old and new elements.
• Important themes and characters from the original are not fully utilized in the remake.
• Those familiar with the 1991 film will appreciate the nostalgia and callbacks, but the remake may fall short for new viewers.

Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead , the 2024 remake of the beloved 1991 cult classic comedy, attempts to bring the quirky charm of the original to a new generation. Starring Simone Joy Jones, Jermaine Fowler, and Nicole Richie, this modern revisioning aims to capture the lighthearted spirit that made the Christina Applegate-led film a fan favorite. While the remake offers a fun, nostalgic moment for fans of this forgotten 1990s kids’ movie , it struggles to enhance or elevate the brilliant charm that made its predecessor so memorable.

A group of siblings are forced to reckon with the sudden death of their elderly babysitter. Shortly after their mother heads off on a personal vacation, the siblings discover they’ll have the place to themselves - but they’ll have to keep the secret until their mother comes home.

• The modern remake is fun so long as it's not taken too seriously
• Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead captures the overall spirit of the original
• The film misses the mark when it comes to the charm & sensibilities of the original
• The remake's characters don't have as much of a driving force

The film's strength lies in its ability to reference the 1991 version. However, for those seeking a truly satisfying comedic experience, rewatching the original may prove to be a more rewarding choice. The remake's reliance on our suspension of disbelief, coupled with its inability to fully capture the magic of the simpler times of the early '90s, makes it a less compelling standalone film. While Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead provides a feel-good experience for those in the mood for a bit of absurdity, it falls short of surpassing the original's enduring appeal.

Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead Delivers A Perfect Balance Of Old & New

The remake does a good job at referencing the original, while making it its own.

This fun, but unnecessary remake manages to strike the perfect balance between paying homage to the original and introducing fresh elements for a new generation. Shot in the same house used in the original, a fun nostalgic callback, the film maintains originality while infusing updated elements and scenarios for a more streamlined narrative. For instance, the youngest sibling from the original, Walter, is merged with the character of Zach, and the younger sister, Melissa, is a tech genius who helps create Tanya’s new identity. The movie incorporates enough modern touches without overdoing it, emphasizing the timeless nature of the premise.

Many will be excited to find that some of the most iconic quotes from the 1991 version are cleverly woven into this updated script.

Significant efforts have been taken to provide a more detailed and somewhat convincing explanation for the mother's long absence. While the original seemed to suggest she was simply spending time with a boyfriend, the remake offers a more nuanced backstory, with the mother experiencing a nervous breakdown after a mishap at work. Sure, there could have been more plausible reasons explored for a parent needing to travel abroad for an entire summer without her children, but the original element of absurdity remains, continuing the charm and silliness of the 1991 classic.

Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead truly succeeds in catering to fans of the original, showcasing a strength that shouldn't be overlooked when it comes to the art of the remake. Many will be excited to find that some of the most iconic quotes from the 1991 version are cleverly woven into this updated script, such as " I'm right on top of that, Rose " and " The dishes are done, man. ” These callbacks serve as a fun nod to the film's roots while seamlessly incorporating an updated narrative.

Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (2024)

The best parts of the original don’t tell mom the babysitter’s dead are afterthoughts in the remake, important themes and characters aren’t utilized to their full potential.

While the remake of Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead does a decent job at paying homage to the original, it falls short in capturing the essence of some of the most beloved aspects of the 1991 film. One of the most notable disappointments is the portrayal of Rose, a standout in the original. Originally played by Joanna Cassidy, Rose Lindsey was kind, lighthearted, and made adulthood seem fun and glamorous, essentially serving as a role model for the young protagonist.

Nicole Richie, who was tasked with filling these big shoes, delivers a decent performance, but ultimately fails to fully embody the spirit of the original Rose. Despite her efforts, Richie's acting often feels forced, and it becomes apparent that she may not have thoroughly studied Cassidy's portrayal in the original film, nor truly made the role her own. However, a brief, but great and fun cameo from Cassidy provides a glimmer of forgiveness for Richie's shortcomings, but it's not enough to completely compensate for the lack of depth in her performance.

Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead can definitely be an enjoyable, quick watch for those who are willing to suspend disbelief and have prior knowledge of the original film.

Another crucial element that feels like an afterthought in the remake is Tanya's passion for fashion. In the original, fashion was a central theme, with Applegate’s character, Sue Ellen, possessing a love for it that was a driving force behind her actions and decisions, particularly her pursuit of a job at a fashion company. Her dedication to fashion was palpable, and it served as a defining characteristic that made her relatable and endearing. However, in the remake, fashion takes a backseat, feeling more like a superficial addition rather than an integral part of Tanya's character.

Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead can definitely be an enjoyable, quick watch for those who are willing to suspend disbelief and have prior knowledge of the original film. The modern updates and callbacks to the original provide a sense of nostalgia for fans of the 1991 version. However, for those unfamiliar with the source material or expecting a more substantial update, the remake may feel more like a made-for-TV movie better suited as background noise. While it's a valiant effort, the remake fails to deliver the same level of charm, humor, and heart that made the original so memorable.

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead will release in theaters on April 12, and will be available to stream on BET+ on May 16.