906. The Matrix (1999)

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss

Director: The Wachowskis

Running Time: 137 mins

The Matrix is an American film about a young computer hacker who is taken in by a mysterious man who teaches him of a world beyond his own, leaving him stuck between his dreams and reality whilst he must learn to survive in a dangerous world where he and his new friends are under serious threat.

This is an enthralling, intelligent, original and simply hugely entertaining sci-fi that keeps you on the edge of your seat for its entire duration, as it effortlessly captivates you in a world that is preposterous as anything, but completely convincing and realistic within this story.

The premise of this film alone is ingenious. Are we living in a dream world controlled by superior beings? Is there an explanation for all of the strange happenings that we see everyday? That is one of the most fascinating and original premises to a film in history, and it’s by far the most intriguing theme of this story as it develops into something not only intelligent, coherent and believable, but also really fun to find out about, which was something that films like Inception fail to do, make something so clever fun at the same time.

Although this film does struggle at points when it tries to develop its inter-character relationships that really aren’t the main thing that you want to watch, it still holds its own by coming back to this central idea that will confuse you but as a result fascinate you beyond belief.

The other most amazing thing about this film is its action and special effects. Apart from having some of the most incredibly choreographed action and fight sequences of all time, watching this is just an absolute feast for the eyes and the imagination, with not only futuristic settings that add to the sci-fi feel of the film, but also excellent use of slow-motion in all of the fight scenes and CGI that will blow your mind when you see it all kick off, something that’s even more brilliant when you consider this was made 16 years ago.

Finally, the characters and the performances behind them are also fantastic here. Although the relationships between the characters aren’t the most interesting thing, especially when compared with the dream/reality concept, as individuals, they’re fascinating and a hell of a lot of fun to follow and support. Neo (played brilliantly by Keanu Reeves) is such a realistic representation of a man being thrust into a strange world like this, and even as he grows and becomes stronger, you still see his weaknesses and humanities that his adversaries don’t have, and that makes him so much easier to support.

Also, the supporting characters are just so cool. Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving (as the slickest villain ever) all put in stunning performances to give a great basis to this film and to heighten its intrigue all the more.

Overall, this gets an 8.0, because although some aspects weren’t so interesting, you’ll have an absolute blast with this film, due to its mind-bending concept and mind-blowing action.