Starring: Keanu Reeves
Co-Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Summary:
Neo gets pulled out of the Matrix and into a wider war. He’s essentially the Chosen One, but convincing him of that is quite the journey.
Additional Comments:
- I’d forgotten most of this story. Oh, I remembered special lines like “Dodge this.” But the intricacies of the plot went right through me. In fact, I’m not sure I caught all the subtleties back in the day.
- Plot 4.5/5 stars: I love how you can take this on the surface or go a lot deeper with metaphorical meanings. On the surface, it’s a typical us vs. them sci-fi action movie. If you want to look deeper, you could open a few discussions about the meaning of life.
- Despite being dates, it’s still a cool movie. The special effects still hold, if you can get around the fact that there are maybe 4 pay phones per state these days.
- As with most trilogies, this is the best of them.
- I can’t see Hugo Weaving without thinking elf, so that kind of messes with my head.
- Main character 4.5/5: Keanu Reeves doesn’t necessarily have to have a great range of emotions here. I think most of his lines are deadpanning “whoa” but it works for the character.
- Side characters 4.5/5: Still love Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and the idealistic Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). The other side characters are just okay, but they pull their roles off nicely. Bad guy is still suitably punchable.
- Knowing the twists this time, it’s easier to see the subtle things they did to lead up to the big moments.
Conclusion:
I’m glad I got to see the movie again. Don’t think I watched it more than 1-2 times in the intervening 20 years. It’s nice to see that it weathered the passages of time nicely.
Associate links to follow…
Available Audiobooks: I have free codes for everything.
New Release: The Shadow Council Series 1: Money Makes it Deadlier – An FBI agent gets caught up in a robbery gone wrong. (Narrated by Liz Brand)
Shadow Council Series 2: Revenge Makes it Sweeter – A mysterious midnight summons sends FBI Agent Megan Luchek on a wild quest to save a young girl’s life.
The Collins Case – 2 FBI agents track down a kidnapped family. Kid friendly.
If fantasy’s more your thing, go Redeemer Chronicles. The first, Awakening, is available as an audiobook.
Ashlynn’s Dreams Shorts – a kid deals with her parents’ divorce, bullies, and the wonder of discovery.
Try The Dark Side of Science – Genetically altered kids fight for the right to live.
Beyond Broken Pencils – Contemporary literary tale of a school shooting. Ian unleashes his inner demons on his classmates and teachers…
Scratched Off – FBI agent vs a serial killer. When Sam Kerman sets out to hunt a serial killer, he has no idea how personal the case will become.
Nonfiction:
5 Steps to Surviving Chemistry – A primer for chemistry students. Breaks down concepts into simple terms.
5 Steps to Better Blurbs – A book for writers looking to improve their book descriptions
