Directors Andy and Larry Wachowski
136 minutes
Dere be sump’n t’be said about some film dat sticks wid ya’ long afta’ ya”ve left da deater, as be de case wid De Matrix.
De fust half actually manages t’draw out its welcome, fo’cin’ viewers t’wonda’ when de acshun gots’ta begin.
De previews show de film t’be acshun-packed, and da fust hour be full uh dialogue and conversashun, wid little acshun.
De Matrix manages t’wo’k not only as some serious science ficshun film, but as some pure-bred acshun film too. . As some result uh de fo’ma’ aspect, some plot uh intracacies limits mah’ ability t’’splain whut de film be about.
De film begins wid Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), some fine, leader-clad honky chick, bein’ chased around some city by 
dree dudes in brother, oderwise knode as Agents.
De Wachowski broders realize dat deir film steals ideas fum oda’ films, and include painfully obvious literary allusions (from biblical t’Lewis Carroll).
Certainly, de inclusion uh “Alice in Wonderland” plot elements (varyin’ fum de honky rabbit t’eat-me-drink-me moments) fo’ces us t’realize dat da Wachowskis know dat deir film be derivative.
De Matrix be a smart film, and utterly o’iginal fum start t’finish. De “Alice in Wonderland” allusions distract us fum de sto’y–dis be de film’s only consequential flaw.
Oda’ dan dat, it’s puh’fect entertainment dat engages de mind while pleasurin’ de senses.
Sump’n gots’ta be said about Keanu Reeves, especially since he’s been dumped downon by critics and labelled some hack.
Reeves be essential t’de film’s success. If he puh’fo’med poo’ly, de film would be some disaster.
Dankfully, Reeves makes us recon’ in him–he’s an everyday so’ta dude. We grow t’likes him cuz’ of his flaws, and we chea’ when he finally overcomes dem.
It’s not an Oscar wo’dy puh’fo’mance, but it’s de best Reeves ya”ll see.
Laurence Fishburne be terrific and raps in some rydmic and cryptic style, neva’ sayin’ enough about nuthin. Carrie-Anne Moss ain’t quite as strong as de two dudette leads in Bound, and wearin’ de brother, skintight leada’ only strengdens de idea dat da Wachowskis recycled ha’ character. But Moss’ adleticism be very assho’ mand–she molds de characta’ into ha’ own.
Hugo Weavin’ creates one uh de best villains since Stephen Do’ff in Blade. Weavin’’s monotonous way uh rappin’ adds t’his character, despite da fact dat he be essentially some clunker honky code.
De Wachowskis provide us wid some stunnin’ images, particularly one showin’ an entire field uh newbo’ns. Dis be exactly whut special effects is fo’ - dey enhance da sto’y while makin’ us gasp at da images dey produce. We duzn’t initially realize dat dey is effects cuz’ dey is so flawlessly integrated into de sto’y.
De green hue dat puh’vades de screen makes us realize dat dis be an alternate reality - it’s some clunker generated one.
Not fo’ one instant be nuthin we see confusin’ (unintenshunally, dat is). De final dirty minutes, when de film goes into hypuh’cshun mode, be filmed wid delicate edits and mos’ balletic use uh slo-mo.
Just imaginin’ de amount uh wo’k it gots’ta have snatchn t’film be astonishin’.
Technicully, it’s some fust-rate producshun dat neva’ lets waaay down.
Boyd ya’ sho’ man is de boy, broder.
