The Matrix (Keanu Reeves) Review | Action Movie Anatomy

Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Matrix! The Matrix is a 1999 American science fiction action film written and directed by The Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. It depicts a dystopian future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality called “the Matrix”, created by sentient machines to subdue the human population, while their bodies’ heat and electrical activity are used as an energy source. Computer programmer “Neo” learns this truth and is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, which involves other people who have been freed from the “dream world”. The Matrix is known for popularizing a visual effect known as “bullet time“, (an optical effect that had its origins in the filmKill and Kill Again) in which the heightened perception of certain characters is represented by allowing the action within ashot to progress in slow-motion while the camera’s viewpoint appears to move through the scene at normal speed. The film is an example of the cyberpunk science fiction genre.^[5] It contains numerous references to philosophical and religious ideas, and prominently pays homage to works such as Plato‘s Allegory of the Cave,^[6] Jean Baudrillard‘sSimulacra and Simulation^[7] and Lewis Carroll‘s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.^[8] The Wachowskis’ approach to action scenes drew upon their admiration for Japanese animation^[9] and martial arts films, and the film’s use of fight choreographers and wire fu techniques from Hong Kong action cinema was influential upon subsequent Hollywood action film productions.