Matrix = good or bad?
- Started
- Last post
- 43 Responses
- mg33
I haven't watched The Matrix in years, probably since it came out, and never saw part 2 and 3. My wife and I decided to watch it this weekend. Haven't finished it yet.
Excluding the CGI and special effects and all that stuff, I remember this movie being something really deep for some people. Like, buying into the whole "matrix is all around us" concept being a real thing. Didn't it spring up a bit of a cult following of people who either believed it was representative of reality, or, just in a more metaphorical way?
Watching it yesterday, the story just seemed pretty dumb. My wife LOL'd a few times without me inadvertantly prompting her to; the way Morpheus talks, the "I know kung fu" line, other things that just feel so dated now.
How does the move hold up for you (the story, not the CGI)? Am I correct that there was/is a big following along some kind of spiritual / philosophical perspective?
- Akagiyama4
The first one was amazing for its time. I still love it in general, and I still consider the story itself well crafted and memorable.
Part 2 had some great moments, but for me, fell a bit short in terms of expanding what was being told in part 1.
Part 3 was OK. Definitely underwhelming.
9/7/6 out of 10 for me.
I'm curious to see where they take this story in part 4.
- wordmonospaced
- I agree with this too. I remember thinking Lawrence Fishburn's acting had jumped the shark though.
"Hear me!"CyBrainX - 1=classic. 2=meh. 3=awful noisy garbage.jagara
- mg33-1
But didn't people really buy into it as a metaphorical thing for how the world actually worked? That's what I'm trying to think back on. I just never paid much attention to it.
For example, Akagiyama, do some people view it as a great story and that's it, or do some people view it as though it has actual merit in being a representation of the real world?
Obviously, there isn't a matrix, but I feel like some out there treated the movie as some kind of scripture that it was possible or real.
- Right, so what are you actually asking?
If it's good or bad = it's good.grafician - And it's good because you can't really tell for sure if "obviously, there isn't a matrix"grafician
- what do you mean “obviously there isn’t a matrix?” ;)monospaced
- It’s fun to think about. And they presented it really well in a tremendously unique way.monospaced
- Can't answer for anyone else, but I personally viewed it as a great movie with a (at the time) fresh perspective on "is this real life?".Akagiyama
- Mainly that it was kick ass, great SFX, music, and action. :)Akagiyama
- yupmonospaced
- Right, so what are you actually asking?
- sarahfailin0
The Matrix wasn't intended to be a Trilogy. As a standalone movie, it was great. It also had a lot of special effects innovations that were cool. Don't bother with the sequels.
- mort_0
It drew some ideas from eastern philosophies that go back 3000 years and hint at the nature of reality being not what we perceive. Add in a superhero, special effects, some baddies and you have entertainment.
- canoe0
good
- Bennn2
First one is a landmark in movie FX, thats for sure. Like Terminator 2 was too.
As for the story and culture that emerged for it, I think it influenced some people a lot and so much that 22 years later, people are still saying "we're in the Matrix". I think it's a very good SciFi story that stick well to the digital age.
- ... so the parts they copied from William Gibson were good. *eye roll*zarkonite
- uan1
The 1st is the one.
The matrix is a metaphor for the fact that we construct our reality in our minds and can't get around that without some kind of awakening. At that point you can manipulate the source code.
- scarabin0
according to the creators it’s about being trans
- Even though they weren’t trans when they made it. Fascinating.monospaced
- They don’t really give much explanation about how it’s about trans experience. Was kinda hoping for some details on that if it really is the case.monospaced
- well the success paid for a coder to make it happen.uan
- nb3
Do not forget that if we are living in a simulation – we likely are – designed by machines to control us... then the Matrix movies are a part of that simulation.
- Akagiyama0
Part 4 comes out December 22 of this year in theaters and HBOmax.
- Why is this getting downvotes?
(I never know why.)CyBrainX - I'm just the messenger!Akagiyama
- For real!? If so that’s cool. Can’t wait.monospaced
- Why is this getting downvotes?
- garbage1
I'll philosophically nerd out:
The first one is actually pretty dense, drawing heavily from the Baha'i faith.
Excerpt from Abdu’l-Bahá writings, on the Lord of Lords:
"Know thou that the Kingdom is the real world, and this nether place is only its shadow stretching out. A shadow hath no life of its own; its existence is only a fantasy, and nothing more; it is but images reflected in water, and seeming as pictures to the eye."
It's just that the Lord of Lords is an AI, and the whole thing is smeared in shades, leather and dated kung-fu. The shades have a point though.
- oey_oey-6
never saw it.
and really not interested.
- nb4
Trans is fundamental to the technological singularity. It’s not required per se, but there will be no posthumanist future without transgender people.
- Acceptance of transgender lives as natural is just another step along the waynb
- Post human can be post gender.cannonball1978
- grafician-8
Actually the Animatrix short films fill some of the gaps...
Also with the Matrix films the Wachowskis will forever matter because they opened the door to what is truly possible in a way - conceptually, story wise, execution wise.
For example, Christopher Nolan only had Memento in 2000 a year after the first Matrix - then after a decade jumped to Inception and then after another decade to Tenet - to say these films were not inspired by the Matrix "recipe" is an understatement.
In a way, the first Matrix film has more in common with Inception and Tenet than with the rest of the trilogy.
Other movies by the Wachowskis were also intriguing and I count them amongst the most inspiring directors in cinema.
- I liked em.PhanLo
- @PhanLo Some of the most inventive minds in cinema I should say. Can't wait for the 4th part.grafician
- If you guys downvote, why not instead offer a solid argument? Or don't I couldn't care less, but hating ppl on the internets it's rather daftgrafician
- lolmonospaced
- you caremonospaced
- Actually I don't, but it's odd downvoting with such conviction on a website that's not reddit...grafician
- seems like you caremonospaced
- sted1
I lost it too when morpheus said the magic words.
that philosophical perspective is still alive :D
- thumb_screws2
Loved the first one. But could never get past the using humans as a power source. It doesn't seem very efficient. Seems like a lot of energy and resource.
- Not joke, the original idea was that humans were harvested and used as massive CPU farms but the studio wanted them to dumb it down.garbage
- Hilarious given the current state of crypto.garbage
- agree that this is the weakest part of the premise. why not just use some dumber, larger, warmer mammal as a battery?sarahfailin
- PhanLo2
The Matrix was a great movie at the time, it was a serious attempt at making a live action anime, mixed with a lot of western influences too.
It's also like a comic book superhero film too, Blade only came out in 98 and most other superhero film attempts were seen as cheesy.It definitely had an impact, especially in trenchcoat sales.
Also think how many wankers talk about getting red pilled all the fucking time.Still think Speed Racer is one of their best films.
- Do you think Speed Racer came close to a movie adaptation of the Wipeout game?grafician
- I don't remember any flying carsPhanLo
- Speed Racer is great on a big screen.sarahfailin
- Speed Racer was brilliant, visually!kaiyohtee
- Speed racer was an adaptation of the cartoon.monospaced
- toemaas2
Didn’t both siblings come out as saying that it was a direct metaphor for their transgender journey? Pretty bridal liner considering they had 2 philosophers do a commentary on all 3 movies and not once did they bring up that concept. When you watch it now, it seems obvious.