Click to read the article
The Matrix (1999)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted: 122
Fresh: 105
Rotten:17
Average Rating: 7.4/10
Consensus: An ingenious combination of Hong Kong action, ground-breaking Hollywood FX, and an imaginative vision.
Runtime: 6 hrs 43 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis:
There are two realities: one that consists of the life we live every day - and one that lies behind it.
One is a dream. The other is The Matrix.
"Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you...
There are two realities: one that consists of the life we live every day - and one that lies behind it.
One is a dream. The other is The Matrix.
"Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream, Neo? How would you know the difterence between the dream world and the real world?"
Neo (KEANU REEVES) is desperately seeking the truth about The Matrix - something he's heard of only in whispers - something mysterious and unknown - something, Neo is certain, that has unimaginable and sinister control over his life.
What is The Matnx?
Neo believes that Morpheus (LAURENCE FISHBURNE), a person he knows only through legend, an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can give him the answer.
All I am offering is the Truth.
One night, Neo is contacted by Trinity (CARRIE-ANNE MOSS), a beautiful stranger who leads him into another world, an underworld where at last he meets Morpheus and learns for himself the truth about The Matrix.
No one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.
There, Neo faces another question, as startling as the first:
Is he The One?
Before he even understands what that means, Neo is certain the answer is "no." Some, like Morpheus' colleague Cypher (JOE PANTOLIANO), agree. Others are not so sure.
There are also those who protect The Matrix. Led by the relentless and literally indomitable Agent Smith (HUGO WEAVING), they have methods of gathering information that astound and terrify.
What good is a phone call if you are unable to speak?
Neo, Morpheus and Trinity must battle brutally for their lives against this viciously powerful cadre to find the answers they seek, to understand their own roles in the epic drama unfolding around them, to learn their true power and to recognize their destinies.
Guns. Lots of guns.
Every move, every second, every thought is crucial if they are to free themselves from The Matrix and the existence it represents.
Free your mind.
Every move, every second, every thought is crucial once Neo learns the truth about The Matrix.
It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano, Gloria Foster, Marcus Chong, Anthony Ray Parker, Belinda McClory, Julian Arahanga, Matt Doran
Director: Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski
Director: Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski
Screenwriter: Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
Producer: Joel Silver
Composer: Don Davis
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Matrix
The original Matrix stands perfectly well on its own, despite the fact that the filmmakers went on with second and third episodes.
The surprise sleeper success of 1999, this ingenious science fiction thriller easily surpassed The Phantom Menace.
The paranoid details of the premise are thoroughly worked out; the characters and motives, much less so.
The Matrix is fun, and while it may confuse you first time around, a second viewing is really required to get the full 'entertainment' value out of it.
There is no denying that fact that the Wachowski Brothers have amazing imagination and vision. They direct the film with non-stop style and imbue each scene with enough eye-candy to make you stop noticing the gaping plot holes and lapses in logic.
A must-see among genre fans, especially guys in their teens and 20s, for whom the script's pretentious mumbo-jumbo of undergraduate mythology, religious mysticism and technobabble could even be a plus rather than a dramatic liability.
There's not much humor to keep it all life-size, and by the final stretch it's become bloated, mechanical, and tiresome.
An inventive science fiction idea that rivals the brilliant thinking behind such movies from last year as Dark City and The Truman Show.
If you're curious where the next generation of auteurs is coming from, look in the art houses and look in The Matrix.
A tighter, cleaner story could only have helped The Matrix become one of the greats of its genre. I still like it a bunch.
'The Matrix grabs you by the eyeballs, hypnotizes you into a state of visual ecstasy, and doesn’t much care if your brain is following or not.'
A wild ride, and worth the ticket price if only for the first-rate special effects. There’s enough visionary work here to hold your attention for all 130 minutes.
The problem with The Matrix is that the enormously talented Wachowski brothers think their playful premise has metaphysical implications.
Latest News for The Matrix
March 31, 2009:
The Legacy of The Matrix
1999 was one of the most important years for modern cinema. Ten years on, we're celebrating a remarkable twelve months of movies with new features around some of the year's best... More...
March 26, 2009:
Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
The news that one of the greatest sci-fi franchises of all time was to get a full-fat reboot predictably sent cyborg fanboys into paroxysms of joy. For about 10 minutes. That... More...
February 26, 2009:
Exclusive: Franklyn - Director's Sketchbook
Franklyn may be Gerald McMorrow's debut feature film, but by the standards of even the most experienced of helmers it's an ambitious and visually-stunning movie, telling the... More...
August 11, 2008:
20 CGI Classics - From T2 to Batman Begins to WALL-E
We showcase 20 films which have employed Pixar's pioneering software RenderMan to create some of the last two decades' most visually-impressive movies. More...
Related Forums for The Matrix
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
79% 79% |
Gran Torino |
30% 30% |
12 Rounds |
23% 23% |
Confessions of a Shopa… |
|
The Code |
39% 39% |
Inkheart |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
22% 22% |
Push |
12% 12% |
The Unborn |
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Matrix at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Matrix at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.



Top Critic


