This Ain't No Pac-Man
The Matrix Must Be Seen

Intoxicating. That's the word I used to describe The Matrix as I left the theater. The new science fiction cyberpunk story is a visual feast for the eyes, but it also offers some mind-bending suggestions about reality and perception.

Keanu Reeves stars in this cyber-thriller as Neo, a computer programmer who has spent his life in search of the truth about a computer network known as the Matrix. As the mysterious Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) tells him, however, "No one can be told what the Matrix is." Viewers can't possibly comprehend the whole story without seeing it. In this case, seeing is very much believing.

Although The Matrix uses some familiar thematic elements from science fiction, the story is told with a cinematic vision and style that makes it intense, refreshing, and incredibly compelling. In short, this is not a rehash of Reeves' 1995 cyber-disaster Johnny Mnemonic. The closest comparison I can make is last year's SF film noir, Dark City. This is good SF, pushing the boundaries and challenging our perception of the genre.

Reeves is also surprisingly good. Although he has been wooden in the past (I've often referred to him as the William Shatner of our generation), I think he's very good here. Fishburne gives a powerful performance as Morpheus, cloaking himself in an air of mystery while radiating leadership and strength. Unfortunately, newcomer Carrie-Anne Moss comes off rather flat as the tough-hitting Trinity, proving once again that men who write science fiction often don't understand women well enough to write them.

The special effects in The Matrix are going to be all anyone talks about. They are spectacular, no doubt. I was totally blown away by the fight scenes. Nevertheless, although the effects are a key element in the film, the story is the real grabber. Even when it seems to be taking a back seat to the special effects, the effects are only enhancing our understanding of Neo's world.

Anyone who knows me well might discount this review as my usual geek-out over anything science fiction, but an informal poll of others showed a consistent favorable reaction. All I can say is, see it for yourself. If you are a fan of science fiction or action movies The Matrix is worth the trip.

MY RATING: 9 out of 10.

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 139 min.