I remember when The Matrix was in theatres in 1999 and everyone was buzzing about “what is the Matrix”. I was late to seeing the film, in fact, it wasn’t until I bought the film on DVD that I understood what everyone was talking about, but when I finally did see it I was blown away. Like everyone else, I’d never seen a film like it before. A sci-fi post apocalyptic action film with martial arts wire work and an aesthetic that made it all seem so much cooler.
Then the highly anticipated sequels came out and they left such a bad taste in my mouth, and most other people’s too, that I pretty much forgot about The Matrix. My disappointment in the sequels was so high that I haven’t watched The Matrix in about 7 or 8 years. Still, something came over me the other day and I decided to sit down and watch the original all the way through, and whilst I was sitting there I couldn’t help but question why I ever thought this film was something special.
The dialogue is ordinary, and is usually spoken in hushed tones which makes the delivery even more annoying, and the bullet time, something which was revolutionary at the time, now seems cliche thanks to the myriad of films which employ a similar style. Hell, I even picked faults with the fight scenes because some of the wire work was as fluid and seamless and I’d of liked it to be, and the seemingly constant “come and get me” hand gestures. It’s like they were trying to be bad asses rather than actually being bad asses.
On top of this there’s the ludicrous idea that telling someone you love them can somehow miraculously make their heart start beating again.
Oh, and that terrible kid that Neo speaks to when he goes to see the Oracle, and the absurdly long-winded and drawn out shootout in the lobby when Neo goes to rescue Morpheus and neither Neo or Trinity are even scratched. I hate those parts too.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that I’ve just become more cynical as the years have passed, but watching The Matrix now leaves me disappointed. The way I remember the film doesn’t match up with what it’s actually like. I remember it being a flawless piece of sci-fi action, with impeccable special effects, and a look that put all other post apocalyptic dystopian society films to shame. Admittedly, my recollection of the film, and how far off base that recollection is, is no-one’s fault but my own, but the simple truth is that The Matrix was never any of the things I once thought it was. It’s always been ordinary.
You’ll probably notice that none of my criticisms of the film have anything to do with Keanu Reeves, and that’s because I think he’s a good fit for the film. He’s not a great actor, but he’s good enough in The Matrix because he plays it with a wide-eyed wonder, what with all his “woahs”, that you can excuse his limited range. Plus I’m likely to be a lifelong fan of Keanu thanks to the awesomeness of Point Break and Speed.
Ultimately I think The Matrix is a film that got a pass from most moviegoers because it looked like nothing anyone had ever seen before. Everyone was so caught up in the aesthetic of the film that they had blinders on when it came to the performances of Laurence Fishburne and Marcus Chong (two of the worst culprits), and the ridiculous idea that saying “I love you” can jump start a heart. If that were true doctors would be using that instead of defibrillators.
