This week, Colin Jacobs took the blue pill and denounced the Wachowski Brothers‘ sci-fi hit The Matrix. For his troubles, he scored a double pass to Alice in Wonderland. You can win free movie tickets too by sending your mini-reviews to us here at Quickflix!
Can it be that I’m the only human being that despises The Matrix? As if Keanu Reeves’ acting “skills” weren’t enough, this film is riddled with problems, such as eye-rolling plot devices – they use humans as batteries? – and cheesy, nonsensical pop-mysticism. The biggest flaw, though, is the lack of tension. It’s not clear just what’s possible and impossible inside the Matrix or how it really works, so how can we be surprised when anything in particular happens? There’s not much suspense in a firefight when one of the participants is God. It’s true there are a lot of leather coats and sunglasses to be seen. And it has explosions. But there is so little meat on the plot bone; I’m amazed that this has gone down as one of the greatest Sci-Fi/action flicks of all times. Don’t the kids watch ‘Aliens’ anymore?
You raised an interesting question Colin. “Can it be that I’m the only human being that despises The Matrix?” Have you ever considered that you are actually just a program living inside a giant database that we have mistaken for reality? If you’re not human, then that would explain why you don’t like The Matrix. But, if you aren’t human, and reality is not as we perceive it to be – THEN HOW DO WE EVEN KNOW THIS FILM EVEN EXISTS. OK, so I will admit the pseudo-psychology of The Matrix is about as well conceived and fascinating as someone recounting their half-remembered acid trip. But this film isn’t about the “What?” It’s about the “Woah.” The Matrix boasts some of the most eye-popping and game-changing special effects and action sequences ever conjured in film history. I recall seeing the film in cinemas and being absolutely blown away. I saved my ticket stub (still in my possession), convinced that even a tiny souvenir would always remind me of that film-going experience. All the busted logic in the world couldn’t sink my enthusiasm for The Matrix. And frankly, the film’s “pop mysticism” is no more half-baked and silly than everyone’s current favourite sci-fi flick, Avatar. Unobtanium? Eywa? Sigourney Weaver with dreadlocks? Come on, some things are just unbelievable.
